Black, Hispanic lawmakers want voting mandates

By JOHN BALZ

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 1, 2001

WASHINGTON -- Members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Hispanic Caucus cautiously applauded the "spirit" of a national study on election reforms while stressing that its recommendations mean nothing unless they are mandated by Congress.

The problem with the National Commission on Federal Election Reform's study, they say, is not the suggestions but their implementation. The commission, headed by former presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, calls for a massive overhaul of the election system including statewide standards for registering and counting votes. The study encourages the federal government to give $300-million to $400-million a year to states indefinitely until the system is updated.

But the absence of a formal position on whether Congress should require states to follow those suggestions troubles members of both minority caucuses. And at a Tuesday news conference they held back enthusiastic support.

"I'm trying to find as much good as I can," said Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the sponsor of a House bill that would mandate reforms. "The question is: Are we going to have an optional voting rights bill for 2001? I think not."

Election reform is the top priority of the Congressional Black Caucus, which calls it the civil rights issue of the 21st century. The commission's study incorporates many of the legislative ideas offered by caucus members like Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., such has having a national voting holiday and granting provisional ballots.

But Waters derided the panel's ideas with some of the harshest comments of the day.

"This report is meaningless," she said. "It does nothing to take us where we need to go."

She went on to say that the Democratic Caucus Special Committee on Election Reform, of which she is chairwoman, will be offering additional proposals next month.

President Bush also met the report with lukewarm praise, calling it a "guideline for meaningful reform."

The report is broken down into 13 broad recommendations and 68 proposals. The president outlined four areas of reform he supports during remarks in the Rose Garden Tuesday morning.

He said the federal government should protect the voting rights of poor, disabled and minority Americans. But he offered few specifics about when and how the government should act. He also said Congress should help states upgrade antiquated voting technologies. But his budget includes no money for carrying out any reforms.

"I commend the commissioners for their statesmanlike work," Bush said. "They have risen above partisan emotions and put forth practical suggestions for improving democracy, and the United States Congress should listen to them and follow their lead."

Pressed by reporters for an expanded statement, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the administration will evaluate the report before committing to it.

While serving as governor of Texas, Bush signed a law that reduced the number of years an ex-felon had to wait after completing probation in order to be eligible to vote from two years to none.

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