Attorney General Jay Jones Statement on SCOTUS Voting Rights Decision

RICHMOND, Va. -- Today, Attorney General Jay Jones issued the following statement in response to the ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States in Louisiana v. Callais.

“Today, the Supreme Court of the United States took yet another step in dismantling the long-standing protections provided by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The landmark, bipartisan, passage of the Voting Rights Act arose from the determination and perseverance of Black citizens who fought tirelessly and gave their lives over the course of a century so that their children and future generations could cast their vote and participate in our democracy.

For over 60 years, the law has served as an essential tool for combatting the legacy of Jim Crow, fighting ongoing efforts to weaken the political power of Black and brown communities, and securing our democracy. Congress repeatedly reenacted the law, and courts, including the Supreme Court, repeatedly upheld it. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court’s decision today ignores that precedent and further undermines the already fragile state of our democracy.

I want to assure Virginians that my office will always fight to defend not only the right to vote but also equal representation under the law, and any efforts to illegally disenfranchise or impede access to the ballot box will be met with swift and aggressive legal action.”

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