The Philadelphia Tribune June 27, 2006, Tuesday Protect Democracy by Renewing the Voting Rights Act By Barbara Arnwine A small group of opponents in the U.S. House of Representatives have temporarily stalled the vote to renew the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Members of Congress, primarily from Texas and Georgia, derailed efforts to pass a bill to renew and restore the VRA. Not coincidentally, Texas and Georgia come to this debate with unclean hands. Both states have egregious records of voting discrimination, as reported by the National Commission on the Voting Rights Act, a bipartisan fact-finding panel. For example, Texas ranks second behind Mississippi with the second highest total of VRA violations since 1982. In addition, a federal court decision found Georgia's recently enacted voter ID law to be a modern day poll tax. We need real leadership on the VRA now more than ever. As House members push to get the VRA vote back on track, the Senate has an opportunity to move forward as the House stalls. Senator Arlen Specter, head of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, has the opportunity to set the example for others by moving the VRA bill out of his committee to a Senate floor vote before the July 4 recess. Failure to do so would mean a delay that pushes action on the bill into September. Extension of important protections for minority voting rights could likely be spun into a kind of political roulette created by the fall election season and waning legislative priorities. In early spring, Mr. Specter stood shoulder to shoulder with other House and Senate members from both sides of the isle, vowing to protect democracy for all. Their stand gave refreshing assurance that the VRA was a unifying tool, not just for American voters, but for our political leadership. When enacted in 1965, the VRA put teeth in the Constitution's 15th amendment guarantee that no citizen can be denied the right to vote because of the color of their skin. The Act protects American democracy by giving all citizens a voice in the political process. We owe the VRA for achieve¬ments like increased minority voter turnout rates and greater representation of people of color at the local, state, and national levels. Reauthorizing the VRA's temporary provisions will ensure that the advances we've made in the last few decades are not rolled back, but protected. With swift action by the Senate and House, the renewed and strengthened VRA bill could be on President Bush's desk for signing by August 6 - the 41st anniversary of the Act. The VRA renewal bill is titled for three larger-than-life women - Fannie Lou Hammer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King. It celebrates the fruits of the struggle for racial equality while acknowledging the road still to travel. The answer is leadership and a commitment to the principles that every citizen should have equal access to the ballot. This requires more than just a hopeful photo opportunity. By decisive action, Senator Specter would send a signal that the time has come to renew the VRA now. Senator Specter can play a leading role in not only paying tribute to the memory of these civil rights heroines, but can ensure the promise of American democracy by showing members of both houses that the VRA is an immediate priority. The nation's continued march towards equality demands it. Barbara Arnwine is the Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The Lawyers' Committee formed the National Commission on the Voting Rights Act, a study panel which crafted a recent report on the status and success of the Act since its last reauthorization, drawing on testimony from over 100 witnesses at 10 hearings it held across the country.   Southern Regional Hearing Montgomery, Alabama March 11, 2005 Southwest Regional Hearing Phoenix, AZ April 7, 2005 Northeast Regional Hearing New York, New York June 14, 2005 Midwest Regional Hearing Minneapolis, Minnesota July 22, 2005 South Georgia Hearing Americus, Georgia August 2, 2005 Florida Hearing Orlando, Florida 80th National Convention of the National Bar Association August 4, 2005 South Dakota Hearing Rapid City, South Dakota September 9, 2005 Western Regional Hearing Los Angeles, California September 27, 2005 Mid-Atlantic Regional Hearing Washington, DC October 14, 2005 Mississippi Hearing Jackson, Mississippi October 29, 2005