Preclearance, is considered the single most effective civil rights tool in American history, because it blocks bad policies before they can take root and spread harm across generations. Preclearance was created to combat the pernicious methods Southern states used to stop black people from voting after the 15th Amendment prohibited the states from doing so outright.It lifted a burden off voters who would need to battle discriminatory laws in court, costing hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars.This changed in 2013 when a conservative majority on SCOTUS gutted preclearance, resulting in a wave of voter suppression, including No, Carolina and Texas reinstating discriminatory voter ID laws that had been blocked. But the court also acknowledged that Congress can still legislate preclearance in places that discriminate. State legislatures have even broader authority to do so."
At www.nytimes.com
