Supremes to Hear Voting Rights Case

The Supreme Court took up a case challenging the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and it is good that it did. At stake is a "...a provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that seeks to protect minority voting rights by requiring a broad set of states and jurisdictions where discrimination was once routine to receive federal approval before altering any of their voting procedures." The case was brought by a tiny utilities district in Austin Texas, which because of the Voting Rights Act (and though there has never been even a single charge of discrimination in the proceedings of this district), must seek Justice Department approval of virtually every move it makes.

This provision of the VRA was supposed to grandfather out after 5 years; it has been renewed every five years since. There is hope that the present make-up of the court will put an end to this insanity, and recognize that it isn't 1965 anymore.