Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, today issued the following statement on Republicans’ objections to bring the Voting Rights Act to the Senate floor for a vote.
“Today, after passing a resolution honoring the courageous marchers of Selma and the incredible work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., seemed to me to be a perfect time to honor their legacy by passing our own Voting Rights Act on behalf of disenfranchised voters here in Washington. So I was disappointed when Republicans objected, on a straight party line vote, to our proposal to bring the bill to the floor.
“Sadly, we’ve heard these objections for two years in a row, just like those marchers in Selma twice tried unsuccessfully to reach Montgomery to present their claim for voting rights. I thought that today, this third time, we had a chance to overcome these objections and move the Voting Rights Act to the floor, and have a debate before the people of Washington about how we can take the legacy of what we’ve learned and move it forward for the people of our state.
“Like the marchers in Selma and Dr. King, we will not give up. We will continue to push for a full debate and vote on the Voting Rights Act and strive to ensure access to full and fair representation for all communities across our state. And we shall overcome.”
