In a decision that returns power to states, a split U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, which was enacted to stop Jim Crow-era practices that hindered blacks from voting.
Shelby County, Ala., challenged the constitutionality of a provision that requires all or parts of 16 states, mostly in the South, to receive approval from the Justice Department or a federal court before making changes to election laws and procedures.
The mostly white suburban county, near Birmingham, claims the requirement to get permission from the federal government, known as “preclearance,” is a violation of state sovereignty.
In the 5-4 ruling, the majority justices essentially declared that states cannot be perpetually punished for past wrongs.
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