BILL ANALYSIS Ó AJR 13 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AJR 13 (Ridley-Thomas) As Introduced April 7, 2015 Majority vote ------------------------------------------------------------------ |Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Elections |6-0 |Ridley-Thomas, Grove, | | | | |Gatto, Gordon, | | | | |Mullin, Perea | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------ SUMMARY: Recognizes August 6, 2015, as the 50th anniversary of the signing of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) and urges the Congress and President of the United States (U.S.) to continue to secure citizens' rights to vote and remedy any racial discrimination in voting. Specifically, this resolution: 1)Recognizes August 6, 2015, as the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the VRA, and recognizes the significant progress made by the VRA to protect every citizen's right to vote. 2)Honors and remembers those who struggled and died for this AJR 13 Page 2 freedom. 3)Urges the Congress and President of the U.S. to continue to secure citizens' rights to vote and remedy any racial discrimination in voting. 4)Makes the following findings and declarations: a) Signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the VRA is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the U.S.; b) One hundred and forty-five years ago, in 1870, Congress ratified the 15th Amendment, which declared that the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude; c) By 1910, violence and intimidation resulted in nearly all black citizens being disenfranchised and removed from the voter rolls in the former Confederate States, undermining the promise of equal protection under the law; d) Native American, Latino, and Asian American/Pacific Islander communities experienced similar attempts to disenfranchise citizens in their communities throughout the U.S.; e) Between 1870 and 1965, voters faced "first-generation barriers," such as poll taxes, literacy tests, vouchers of "good character," disqualification for "crimes of moral turpitude," and other tactics intended to keep African Americans from the polls on election day; AJR 13 Page 3 f) During the 1920s, African Americans in Selma, Alabama formed the Dallas County Voters League (DCVL). During the 1960s in partnership with organizers from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the DCVL held registration drives and classes to help African Americans in Dallas County pass the literacy tests required to register to vote. On March 7, 1965, the first march from Selma to Montgomery took place. The march, nicknamed "Bloody Sunday" for the horrific attack on unarmed marchers by armed police, was broadcast nationwide and led to a national outcry for the passage of the VRA; g) Often regarded as one of the most effective civil rights laws, the VRA was passed with the intent to ban discriminatory voting policies at all levels of government; h) The VRA is credited for the enfranchisement of millions of minority voters as well as the diversification of the electorate and legislative bodies throughout all levels of government; i) Before Section 203 of the VRA was added in 1975, language minorities were disenfranchised from the electoral process. Section 203 required certain jurisdictions to provide registration or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials and information regarding the electoral process in the language of the applicable minority group; j) In June of 2013, the Supreme Court struck down key sections of the VRA that were designed to prevent discriminatory voting policies that can disenfranchise minority voters; AJR 13 Page 4 aa) Despite 50 years of progress, racial minorities continue to face voting barriers in jurisdictions with a history of discrimination; bb) To build a stronger and more cohesive state and nation, we must continue to help advance the cause of voter equality and equal access to the political process for all people in order to protect the rights of every American; and, cc) We must continue to educate the next generation about the importance of civic engagement in our communities now. FISCAL EFFECT: None. This resolution is keyed non-fiscal by the Legislative Counsel. COMMENTS: According to the author, "Fifty years ago, civil rights activists from all over Alabama faced an angry mob of state and local lawmen at the foot of the Edmund Pettis bridge in Selma, Alabama. Over 600 peaceful marchers led by Reverend Hosea Williams of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and John Lewis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, suffered horrific attacks from the lawmen to demonstrate their demand for equal protection under the law guaranteeing all minorities the right to vote. In this resolution, I recognize the 'Bloody Sunday' march for the important role the demonstration played in sparking a national outcry leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act..." Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion of this bill. AJR 13 Page 5 Analysis Prepared by: Nichole Becker / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094 FN: 0001120