On May 1st, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights’ Midwest Voting Rights team, together with community partner United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), submitted testimony to the Michigan Senate Elections and Ethics Committee in support of the Michigan Voting Rights Act (MIVRA). The entirety of the MIVRA is contained within Michigan Senate Bills 401, 402, 403, and 404. If passed, the MIVRA package would be one of the most comprehensive state-level voting rights acts in the country and would help lead the Midwest in establishing necessary state-level voting rights protections.
Minnesota also recently passed its version of a State Voting Rights Act (the Minnesota VRA or “MNVRA”), which was signed by Governor Walz on May 20th. The MNVRA is an important tool to help address the erosion of federal voting rights protections, including in the region within the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, which includes Minnesota. The 8th Circuit recently ruled that the federal Voting Rights Act does not contain a private right of action. This harmful opinion is against the weight of law and precedent and dramatically limits the enforcement of one of the most important civil rights and voting rights laws in the country.
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and UCCRO recognize the need for strong voter protections in the Midwest. Because of recent Supreme Court and federal court decisions weakening the federal Voting Rights Act and inaction from Congress, state-level voter protections—like the MIVRA and MNVRA—are needed to protect Black voters, other voters of color, voters with disabilities, immigrant citizens, and voters whose first language is not English from discriminatory barriers to equal participation in the electoral process.
During the Illinois redistricting process, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and UCCRO advocated to ensure that communities of color were not harmed by vote dilution. Voter experiences, including dilution of Black voting power in the East St. Louis area, inspired our organizations to begin planning a State Voting Rights Act specific to Illinois.
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee is grateful to Promote the Vote in Michigan and local advocates in Minnesota for advocating for local voter protections. We also thank NAACP Legal Defense Fund for their national advocacy on this important issue and the opportunity to collaborate and expand on our work in Indiana and Illinois.
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and UCCRO know from our work that discrimination in voting practices continues across the Midwest and are grateful to see Michigan and Minnesota leading our region with state voting rights acts.