Fifty years ago in 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King inspired a nation by declaring a vision of an America where all men were created equal and entitled to the promises of the Constitution. Yesterday, thousands gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington that marked the turning of the tide in the civil rights movement. Following the events, C... Read more »
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit challenging the strict voter identification law implemented by the state of Texas in the wake of suspension of the Section 5 preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act. In its complaint, DOJ alleges that the voter ID provision was adopted with discriminatory purpose, and will have the result, of denying or abridging the right to vote... Read more »
(DETROIT) – Today, a federal judge ruled in the case of Floyd v. City of New York that the city’s “stop and frisk” policy is unconstitutional. After this ruling, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: “Today’s federal court decision striking down New York’s stop-and-frisk policy is a victory for individual liberty and equal justice under the law. “The Court found t... Read more »
Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) joined civil rights groups in calling for passage of their legislation, the End Racial Profiling Act. This legislation is designed to protect minority communities by prohibiting the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officials. The End Racial Profiling Act is supported by 136 national organizations including the NAACP, ... Read more »
Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee markup of H.R. 1493, the "Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2013"; H.R. 2122, the "Regulatory Accountability Act of 2013"; H.R. 2542, the "Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Acts of 2013"; and H.R. 2641, the "Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act of 2013.” After his opening remarks, ... Read more »
Following the jury’s verdict in the Trayvon Martin case, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: “In the wake of this weekend’s verdict, I strongly support the Department of Justice’s determination to conduct an independent and thorough review of the Trayvon Martin case and consider whether federal charges should be brought. “Beyond the Department’s investigation, I... Read more »
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder. In a 5-4 decision, the Court overturned the coverage formula for Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, stating that, "Our decision in no way affects the permanent, nationwide ban on racial discrimination in voting found in [Section] 2. We issue no holding on [Section] 5 itself, only on the coverage formula. Congress may draft a... Read more »
This morning, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee markup of H.R. 1797, the “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” The legislation was passed out of the Judiciary Committee by a vote of 20 to 12. Following the markup, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: “The legislation considered today by the Judiciary Committee represents one of the mo... Read more »
Today, the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice held a Markup of H.R. 1797, the “District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” Following consideration of the bill, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: “I am deeply disappointed that today my colleagues in the majority opted to use our limited working time to consider legislation tha... Read more »
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Arizona v. ITCA. The Court was presented with the issue of whether, under the "National Voter Registration Act of 1993" (NVRA), states can demand additional requirements to the federal uniform voter registration form. Since Arizona’s Proposition 200 ballot initiative was approved in November 2004, the state has rejected tens-of-thou... Read more »
