U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor's campaign has circulated an e-mail to gather support for restoration of the Voting Rights Act, gutted recently by the U.S. Supreme Court. A handful of Republicans support restoration. But many, particularly in the South, are ecstatic at the development and states such as Texas have moved quickly to proceed with election changes that courts had previously been unwilling to approve under the act's pre-clearance requirement.Said Pryor's e-mail:
Next week, we’ll honor the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.
Like the Little Rock Nine, the March had a profound impact on advancing civil rights in our nation, leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court invalidated a key section of the Voting Rights Act, effectively making it possible for states to discriminate against minority voters at the ballot box. It opened the doors to discriminatory voter ID laws and gerrymandered districts.
We need to fix this.
Voting is a right that’s fundamental to our democracy. We need to take action on occasion of the 50th anniversary of the March to call on Congress to immediately restore the full Voting Rights Act.
Will you add your voice?
Click here to join several of my colleagues and me in demanding Congress act to restore the Voting Rights Act.
From the Little Rock Nine and the marchers who brought everyone together 50 years ago on the National Mall came a redefinition of equal rights.
We cannot fall backward now, which is why we must restore the Voting Rights Act.
Thank you for standing with me to protect the right to vote,
Mark
Expansion of voting rights has not been high on the agenda of Arkansas Republicans, who pushed for Voter ID legislation to make it harder to vote, particularly among voter segments that trend Democratic.
I've asked Pryor's Republican opponent in 2014, Republican Rep. Tom Cotton, for his thoughts on restoration of the Voting Rights Act. I'll pass along any answer that is forthcoming.