Lisa Murkowski in The Huffington Post

On Government Reform: Scrutinize states with a history of voting discrimination

In a sign of just how much the Republican Party has shifted on the Voting Rights Act since the bipartisan landmark civil rights bill was passed 50 years ago, Lisa Murkowski signed on to a bill to restore the now-gutted legislation. The bill that Murkowski now cosponsors, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015, would revitalize the VRA by forcing states with a history of voting discrimination to clear any proposed changes to their election laws or procedures with the federal government. Voting rights advocates and Democrats have demanded a fix since the Supreme Court invalidated a crucial section of the VRA in 2013 that mandated such federal scrutiny for jurisdictions across the country, including Alaska.

But such a fix has stalled in the Senate, as the chamber's Republican leadership has resisted any calls to restore the legislation. Murkowski's support is also surprising because she said in 2013 that she didn't sense much of a motivation to restore the VRA in Congress.

Source: Huffington Post coverage of 2016 Alaska Senate race Sep 10, 2015

On Government Reform: Opportunity to vote, regardless of where people live

Murkowski now supports the Voting Rights Advancement Act, but she said in 2013 that she didn't sense much of a motivation to restore the VRA in Congress: "I'm not sensing there is this drive," she told the Alaska Public Radio Network. "Right after the Supreme Court ruled on this there was a lot of discussion, a lot of talk going around, but you didn't hear this unanimous cry that we've got to go out and address legislatively."

The bill that Murkowski has signed on to would increase the number of polling sites on tribal reservations, since Alaska Natives and Native Americans are often forced to travel long distances to vote in person. The Department of Justice came out in favor of a similar proposal earlier this year.

Murkowski explained, "The Voting Rights Act of 1965 brought an end to the ugly Jim Crow period in American history. Every American [should] be given the opportunity to vote, regardless of who they are, where they live, and what their race or national origin may be," she said.

Source: Huffington Post coverage of 2016 Alaska Senate race Sep 10, 2015

The above quotations are from Columns and news articles on the Huffington Post blog. Click here for other excerpts from Columns and news articles on the Huffington Post blog. Click here for other excerpts by Lisa Murkowski. Click here for a profile of Lisa Murkowski.
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