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Today at markup, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Committee Democrats opposed H.R. 4970, a Violence Against Women Act ("VAWA") Reauthorization bill that omits protections for vulnerable communities and removes existing protections for immigrant women. The bill omits language designed to protect Native American women by allowing tribal authorities to prosecute their abusers. It also omits language to ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons do not face discrimination when seeking services from VAWA funded programs.

(DETROIT) – Last Thursday, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers ruled not to validate the petitions placing a referendum on Michigan's emergency manager law on the ballot. In a split 2-2 decision, The Board did not validate the petitions after a group opposed to the referendum argued that text of the petition was not printed in the required 14 point font size, despite an affidavit submitted by the printer asserting the contrary. Previously, the State Bureau of Elections determined the validity of 203,238 signatures collected on the petitions, 40,000 more than required by law.

Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution held a hearing on "The Department of Justice's Guidance on Access to Pools and Spas Under the ADA." The purpose of the hearing was to examine the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act's ("ADA") more than 20 year old mandate for businesses to take "readily achievable" steps to increase access for people with disabilities, with a particular focus on the Department of Justice regulations and guidance for access to swimming pools.

Today, at a Congressional Summit on Overturning Citizens United, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) pledged to work towards passing a constitutional amendment to expressly permit Congress the power to regulate corporate spending in federal elections. The Supreme Court's decision in Citizen's United v. FEC equated corporate campaign donations with free speech, overturned established federal campaign finance laws, and opened the floodgates on unlimited campaign spending by super PACs.

Today, the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution held a hearing on "Voting Wrongs: Oversight of the Justice Department's Voting Rights Enforcement." The purpose of the hearing was to examine the Justice Department's recent handling of voting rights matters, including the Department's decision to challenge certain state's restrictive voter identification laws. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released this statement following the hearing.

Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights at a hearing entitled "Ending Racial Profiling in America." He spoke to the need for Congress to enact his legislation to end racial profiling by law enforcement and the importance of community based policing as means to not only stop crime but to also protect citizens' civil rights. Ranking Member Conyers is the lead House cosponsor of H.R. 3618, the "End Racial Profiling Act."

(DETROIT) – Today, Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released the following statement in response to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's new proposed consent agreement between the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit.