House passes civil rights bill

WASHINGTON— The House voted Thursday to renew the 1965 Voting Rights Act, rejecting efforts by Southern conservatives to relax federal oversight of their states in a debate haunted by the ghosts of the civil rights movement.

The 390-33 vote sent to the Senate a bill that represented a Republican appeal to minority voters who doubt the GOP's "big-tent" image. Southern conservatives had complained that the act punishes their states for racist voting histories they say they've overcome.

All three Utah representatives voted "yes," although Republican Rep. Rob Bishop initially voted for the Southern bloc's proposed amendments.

And Congressmen Chris Cannon , R-Utah, voted for one of the amendments, saying many of the Southern voting districts have made progress since the civil rights era.

Bishop explained his vote, acknowledging "efforts to make the base bill a little better and give states some flexibility to best accommodate their voters.

"I supported those amendments as a way to improve and update a system that hasn't had major change in a long time," he said. "But those efforts failed. Still, the underlying reauthorization is something that needed to happen, and it was a good bi-partisan measure that deserved passage."

Cannon also praised the favorable vote saying, "The right to vote is, at heart, the very essence of America.

"Ronald Reagan, when signing an extension of the Voting Rights Act in 1982, called it 'the crown jewel of American liberties,' " Cannon said. "This is a reminder of our duty to protect the rights of every citizen and our commitment to ensuring that every American can exercise his or her right and privilege to vote."

However, Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Salt Lake, said the amendments would have weakened the civil rights bill.

"The foundation of our democracy relies on the right of every American to vote, and for those votes to be counted," Matheson said. "The Voting Rights Act, originally enacted in 1965, has helped eliminate discriminatory voting practices across our country. It helped empower citizens from all ethnic backgrounds to have their voices heard in elections."

Jeanetta Williams, president of the Salt Lake Branch NAACP, who has met with members of Utah's congressional delegation on the reauthorization, said "it was a good vote."

She did, however, express disappointment that Bishop had supported the amendments.

"The things being asked for weren't so out of line," Williams said. "There shouldn't have been a controversy. That being said, we applaud the people who voted for it."