| Subject: more news |
| From: Rick Hasen |
| Date: 6/19/2006, 3:40 PM |
| To: election-law |
Dan Tokaji links
to two important briefs in election law cases. First is this reply
to the request for an en banc rehearing in the Sixth Circuit Stewart
v. Blackwell case, raising equal protection questions over the
selective use of punch cards in Ohio counties. The second is appellants'
opening brief in the Indiana voter identification case being heard
in the Seventh Circuit.
Ellen Katz has posted a new draft paper, Not
Like the South? Regional Variation and Political Participation Through
the Lens of Section 2.
I quickly read this draft and think it will be important in the legal
debate over the constitutionality of a renewed section 5. It presses
the point that I've been disagreeing with: that because section 5 has
been such a good deterrent, the Supreme Court shouldn't require
Congress to meet the same evidientiary burden it would need to meet
with a new statute.
See here.
The Leadership Conference wants callers to Congress to urge renewal
"without harmful amendment."
AP offers this
report,
which begins "California lawmakers are considering giving up one of
their most politically potent powers - the ability to draw their own
districts. A constitutional amendment that would transfer those duties
to an 11-member commission seems to have enough votes to pass, a year
after voters rejected a somewhat similar attempt that sparked a fight
between Democrats and Republicans."
The SF Chronicle offers this
report.
The Wall Street Journal offers this
report. Thanks to Steven Sholk for the pointer.
-- Rick Hasen William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law Loyola Law School 919 Albany Street Los Angeles, CA 90015-1211 (213)736-1466 - voice (213)380-3769 - fax rick.hasen@lls.edu http://www.lls.edu/academics/faculty/hasen.html http://electionlawblog.org