Media Center

Late Tuesday evening, former representative, and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jack Brooks (D-Texas) passed away in his hometown of Beaumont in Texas. Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement following the news of his passing:

"I am sad to learn that my former colleague and friend Jack Brooks has passed away.

Yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected Michigan's ban on affirmative action in the state - Proposal 2 - which was passed by voters in 2006 as an amendment to the state constitution. The Court found that Proposal 2 deprives minorities of equal protection of the law by creating a structural burden that minority students would have to shoulder in order to address admissions policies. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement in response:

(DETROIT) – Today, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), joined by Subcommittee on the Constitution Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Subcommittee on Elections Ranking Member Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), along with Representatives John Lewis (D-GA), Judy Chu (D-CA), and Marcia Fudge (D-OH), announced their intention to continue their investigation of state voting laws.

(DETROIT) – Today, the top Democratic members on committees responsible for elections, the Judiciary, and Oversight sent a second letter to Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus calling on him to make clear the RNC's associations with individuals and companies charged with acts of voter registration fraud in states across the country.

(DETROIT) – Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court denied the state of Ohio's request for review of their early voting case. Previously, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, as well as a lower court in Ohio, ordered the state to remove restrictions to early voting the weekend prior to the general election because the restrictions did not equally protect all Ohio citizens. The Supreme Court's decision not to review the case means that early voting will be left in place during the weekend prior to the general election in Ohio. Congressman John Conyers, Jr.