Judge Halts Voter Suppression: Applies to Gov DeSantis (R-FL) Steps to Hinder Minority Voters

Massive turnout during Pandemic/2020 election

(Most Secure Election in History)

Great motivational article for voting rights (this focus in FL) and rightly so from an Editorial in the Palm Beach Post with this headline:

“Voter suppression gets deserved jolt in judge's ruling”

When Florida's Republican leaders scheme to prevent Blacks from voting, that cannot be tolerated. 

A good subject-related court ruling in CO of GOP voter suppression stopped here from the Denver Post here.

Key part of the Editorial: “We thank Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker for his clear-eyed condemnation of the voter-suppressing measures that Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP lawmakers foisted on this state in this legislative session and previous ones, with their feigned concern for fair elections.”

Judge Walker wrote in his 288-page ruling on March 31: “At some point, when the Florida Legislature passes law after law disproportionately burdening Black voters, this court can no longer accept that the effect is incidental. This court finds that, in the past 20 years, Florida has repeatedly sought to make voting tougher for Black voters because of their propensity to favor Democratic candidates. In summation, Florida has a horrendous history of racial discrimination in voting.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) immediately promised to appeal, and that appeal would come before a conservative court comprised mostly of jurists appointed by Republican presidents.

DeSantis has, after all, pushed hard to skew voting districts and alter registration rules and drop box availability to stifle Black votes and stir his base.

DeSantis has surpassed ex-President Donald Trump's bigotry by enacting laws to hinder those calling for social equity — and even the right to vote.

The student (DeSantis) has become the master (Trump-like).

Walker's order, that for 10 years, FL must submit to the court for prior clearance proposed changes to certain election laws leashes a governor and legislative handmaidens who've removed from the right much pretense of righteousness.

My 2 Cents: A bright light in a gloomy time – but now watch DeSantis try to take this all the way the U.S. Supreme Court. 

That should prove most interesting in view of the fact that Section 4 of the VRA has been under attack for some time since that court ruled on June 25, 2013 by striking down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) the case known as Shelby County (AL) v. Holder.

In that ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion in the 5-to-4 decision. The court found that the VRA's formula for deciding which jurisdictions should be subject to preclearance is unconstitutional (SCOTUS blog explains), because while the formula was rational in the 1960s, it's not anymore. In other words, things are different in the South so stated Roberts then – boy did he get it wrong as it applies.

But, let’s hope that if DeSantis gets this to the high court again events will convince them to get it right this time. 

Hang on tight, it might get very ugly.

Thanks for stopping by.