House backs right to non-English ballots

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06-29-2006, 12:42 AM
Brian503a

House backs right to non-English ballots

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/ ... llots.html

Wednesday, June 28, 2006 · Last updated 7:59 p.m. PT

House backs right to non-English ballots

By ANDREW TAYLOR
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- The House agreed Wednesday to affirm the right of voters in areas with large populations of non-English-speaking citizens to cast ballots in their native language.

The 254-167 roll call in support of bilingual balloting came just a week after GOP divisions over the issue contributed to the postponement of a House vote to renew the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act.

"If you have the good fortune to be able to vote in the United States, then it is not too much to ask that this be accomplished in English," said Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla. "I don't think the United States government should be forced to pay for (bilingual) assistance."

The bilingual balloting vote came on an amendment by Stearns as the House debated a $59.8 billion measure funding the annual budgets of the departments of Justice, Commerce and State.

About 500 political subdivisions in 31 states must offer bilingual assistance. Of those states, five - Alaska, Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas - must provide the assistance statewide.

The issue has become embroiled with a passionate election-year debate to overhaul immigration laws. Conservative Republicans have pushed to make English the official national language.

Supporters of non-English ballots reminded colleagues that only U.S. citizens are able to vote and that even those whose native language is English have difficulty with complex ballot initiatives, much less those who learned the language after coming to this country.

An overwhelming majority of Democrats joined with slightly fewer than one-third of House Republicans to reject Stearns' amendment.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said taking away the right to bilingual ballots would "allow states and localities to discriminate against taxpaying American citizens because of their language ability and impede their right to vote. That is wrong."

The Justice Department on Wednesday settled a lawsuit with Brazos County, Texas, for denying Spanish-speaking citizens voting materials and ballots in Spanish and preventing them from getting help in voting.

"The Voting Rights Act has nothing to do with immigration," said Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif. "One hundred percent (of those benefiting from non-English ballots) are U.S. citizens."
06-29-2006, 12:48 AM
2ndamendsis

Quote:

"The Voting Rights Act has nothing to do with immigration," said Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif. "One hundred percent (of those benefiting from non-English ballots) are U.S. citizens."

and this idiot knows this HOW?
06-29-2006, 01:03 AM
Jean

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

Quote:

"The Voting Rights Act has nothing to do with immigration," said Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif. "One hundred percent (of those benefiting from non-English ballots) are U.S. citizens."

and this idiot knows this HOW?

I'll double that!
06-29-2006, 08:02 AM
dman1200

You know next election I'm going to try and vote multiple times and even register my dead grandparents and my 3 dogs and maybe even my goldfish too. I also think earthworms should have the right to vote as well so I'm going to register them as well.
06-29-2006, 08:12 AM
LegalUSCitizen

How about we just say EVERYONE can vote and they can vote as many times as they want using whatever name they want. Then whichever candidate gets the most in the end "wins". 8)

It would put an end to all these "hard decisions" they have to make and since they can't seem to enforce anything they come up with it will solve everything.

Call it "Open Voting Season". :P

The candidates will be saying, "Please vote as often as possible for ME during the open voting season.

Start it on Labor Day and end it on Halloween. Tell us who won on Thanksgiving. :roll:
06-29-2006, 04:21 PM
Brian503a

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=21612

For Immediate Release: 6/29/2006
Contact: Nick Berning or Josh Glasstetter
People For the American Way
email: media@pfaw.org
phone: 202-467-4999

People For the American Way Delivers First Wave of Petitions Calling for Voting Rights Act Passage

Washington, DC — People For the American Way (PFAW) today delivered the first batch of citizen petitions calling for the immediate passage of the Voting Rights Act to the offices of the House leadership: Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

PFAW Public Policy Director Tanya House delivered the petitions, signed by 32,000 citizens around the nation. The petition reads:

"For more than 40 years, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) has protected the right of every American citizen to cast a vote. Equality in voting is fundamental to the American democratic system. Stop the stalling and pass the Voting Rights Act now!"

The historic 1965 Voting Rights Act was one of the premier achievements of the civil rights movement. It protects the voting rights of minority groups and provides for ballot assistance in minority languages from Spanish to Japanese to Lakota. The VRA was on its way to bipartisan passage in the House and the Senate when it was derailed by a revolt of right-wing House members in the Republican caucus last Wednesday. PFAW launched its petition Saturday, and the signatures began pouring in.

“The backlash has been enormous. People across the country are outraged at this attack on the Voting Rights Act, and this is just the beginning. Unless the House Republican leadership puts this back on track, they are going to see continued opposition across the country,” House said.

Allies in a broad coalition supporting the VRA, including the NAACP, the National Education Association, MALDEF, LULAC and the ACLU are asking their members to sign the PFAW petition or are launching similar petition drives, and more petitions will be delivered to Capitol Hill in the coming weeks. Activists have voiced their anger in calls to the offices of the House leadership and the members of Congress who are publicly blocking the reauthorization.

“Our first, best hope is that the members opposing this historic legislation will change course, and allow it to proceed unchanged. However, we stand ready to marshal even greater opposition if they persist. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of every American to vote. It must not be blocked,” House said.