In the News

What's happening: The Congressional Black Caucus is prepping to reignite yet another voting rights push — pending whether the Supreme Court decides to weigh in further on the Voting Rights Act. 5

The details: During a closed Tuesday meeting, entitled the National Summit on Democracy & Race, Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) announced to the Black Caucus that she plans to re-introducethe John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — which seeks to strengthen parts of the original 1965 bill that outlawed discriminatory voting practices.

And Sewell added that she's looking to update the bill if the Supreme Court decides to rule against Section 2 of the 1965 law, which has been used to stop state and local governments from gerrymandering in ways that minimize the influence of people of color.

"We're waiting until after the Supreme Court's [decision] comes out, because obviously that decision will inform how we change it," Sewell said in a brief interview with POLITICO. 

The bill, as it currently stands, strengthens another section of the Voting Rights Act — which requires certain jurisdictions to seek federal approval before enacting some changes to their voting laws. The legislation was written in response to the Supreme Court's 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which ruled that the coverage formula determining which jurisdictions are subject to pre-clearance was unconstitutional. 

The court case: The case that could eventually come before the Supreme Court centers on an Arkansas redistricting map that was thrown out by U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky. The plaintiffs appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. 

Note, if anyone needs it: A Republican-controlled House is almost certainly not going to take up Sewell's bill.