OH SR359

Ohio Senate urges Congress to enact the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to amend and renew the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Resolution references the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder that ruled a portion of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, despite Chief Justice Roberts inviting Congress to update protections based on current discrimination conditions.

Notes that since the Shelby County ruling, Congress has failed to update the Voting Rights Act while many states have enacted laws making voter registration and ballot casting more difficult.

Senate Clerk must transmit copies of the resolution to the Speaker and Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the U.S. Senate, each member of Ohio's Congressional delegation, and Ohio news media.