Conyers plans hearings on voting rights

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. is planning on
holding hearings into a recent Supreme Court decision limiting the scope of the
Voting Rights Act.

“We’re
trying to understand the parameters of the setback,” Conyers (D-Mich.) said in
an interview.

In a 5-4 decision led by the conservative wing of the
court, Justice Anthony Kennedy found the landmark civil rights legislation
doesn’t require states to draw “crossover” districts that would include
enough voters who would vote for minority candidates to allow the minority bloc
to elect a minority candidate.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that minority voters don’t qualify for a key protection of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) unless they constitute a majority of voters in a district.

The decision could have a significant impact on the 2010 round of redistricting.