SCOTUS argues on Voting Rights Act

SCOTUS argues on Voting Rights Act

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The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case related to a key provision in one of the U.S.’s best known civil rights laws: the Voting Rights Act. The case has not received as much attention as the Affordable Care Act decision last summer—but John Marshall constitutional law professor Steve Schwinn told WBEZ on Afternoon Shift we ought take notice.

Greta Johnsen brings us the story of one US Senator from Illinois who helped get it passed back in 1965. He was the son of German immigrants; his dad painted stripes on horse-drawn wagons; and he knew how to play bipartisan politics.

Morning Shift dove into the law to talk about a specific section which could not only touch on race and voter suppression issues, but the political hot-button surrounding state redistricting and gerrymandering. Plus, history blogger John Schmidt talked about the history of voter suppression in Chicago via what he calls “voter expansion.”