"Health Care and the Voting Rights Act"

I've written this new Opinion column for Politico. It begins:

With news coverage focused on Federal District Judge Roger Vinson's decision Monday to declare the health care reform law unconstitutional, it might be easy to miss this week's news from another federal courthouse: opponents of the Voting Rights Act have renewed their efforts to have that law declared unconstitutional, too.

As different as these cases look, the Voting Rights Act litigation may well save the health care law--or most of it -- from being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

David Gans Observations About Shelby County Oral Argument

Here.

"Voting Rights Act mandates review of state law banning paycheck deduction for union dues"

News from Alabama.

"Census Estimates Show Big Gains for US Minorities"

AP offers this report.

"Redistricting amendment allies sue Fla. Gov. Scott"

AP offers this report on an attempt to force the state to seek preclearance of the redistricting initiatives which passed last fall.

A Slightly Bigger Ask

The FEC announces a $2,500 individual contribution limit for the next federal cycle.

"The Rise of Do-It-Yourself Redistricting"

Stateline.org offers this report. See also this press release from Azavea, George Mason University and Harvard University.

"Domicile, Rahm-icile: Reflections on the Elections Stained Glass Window"

That's Doug Chapin's "Director's Note" in this week's Electionline Weekly.