Supreme Court weighs constitutionality of Voting Rights Act provisions
The Supreme Court heard arguments on Oct. 15 about whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act remains constitutional. Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested race-based remedies should not continue indefinitely.
The court struck down part of the Voting Rights Act in 2013 after Chief Justice John Roberts said conditions had improved since the 1960s. Congress had voted overwhelmingly to extend the law based on extensive hearings. The decision marked the first time since the 1800s that the Supreme Court had invalidated a federal civil rights statute.
Legal scholars question whether courts should determine when laws become unnecessary. Congress holds constitutional power to enforce the Voting Rights Amendments. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argued that Section 2 simply identifies where remedies may be needed rather than mandating race-based solutions.
