The Palm Beach Post and Miami Herald are reporting that former state senator Nancy Argenziano has filed a lawsuit challenging as unconsitutional a portion of HB1355 that prevents a candidate from switching political parties less than 365 days before qualifying to run for office. Here is what HB1355 requires that candidates attest to: “That...
In a letter this week, posted online by the Tampa Tribune, Sen. Dick Durbin responded to Sen. Bill Nelson’s request that the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights investigate HB1355 by agreeing with Nelson’s concerns and stating he will conduct a field hearing in Florida. No date for the...
Two updates this week related to past stories on this blog. As explained in the Palm Beach Post, the ACLU and League of Woman Voters challenge to the implementation of HB1355 was dismissed as moot and for a lack of standing and ripeness. The District Court found that most of the law had been precleared...
A surprising development in the preclearance saga of HB1355, the State has filed a First Amended Complaint seeking to have the court declare the preclearance obligation in Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. To recap my past posts on this topic: under the Federal Voting Rights Act, the State of Florida has to...
Interesting story out of the Florida Keys today related to local Supervisors of Elections getting involved in the Voting Rights Act litigation involving HB1355. The memorandum in support of the motion to intervene that includes the Supervisors, the ACLU, and Project Vote is also online.
With the exception of the major pieces of the legislation that the Secretary of State asked a Federal court to review, the Department of State has announced that they have received Voting Rights Act preclearance by the U.S. Dept. of Justice of the remaining pieces of HB1355, making them effective within the entire state. ...