Correspondence from Floyd to Menefee with Etowah County Redistricting Plan and Stipulation

Correspondence
July 2, 1986

Correspondence from Floyd to Menefee with Etowah County Redistricting Plan and Stipulation preview

12 pages

Includes Envelope to Fins and Chambers.

Cite this item

  • Case Files, Thornburg v. Gingles Working Files - Guinier. Voter Assistance Excerpts from Senate Hearings, 1982. 8eaf67d2-e092-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/8e8ca872-78a7-477c-8153-a8b8880c35d1/voter-assistance-excerpts-from-senate-hearings. Accessed August 27, 2025.

    Copied!

    Y*e.v fies,btrnca

Senule ]ka

l-Joo b;

etce,vp+s fto-

a,re) S+a+cmnr* o{ Bu*rum;\

( t?s-7q tc hrvr quaaalo!.a Gh. !.aa1bU1t, of coil1d.rh3 ch. bl'Iloaul Pre

vlalca .G Ghta G1r al8c. Ghox 9rry1.1ou do ooc .IPtr. 6tll l9E5. g. .rro.3ly

rgrcrG ahatr cdaidaratloo.G Ehir ttx bc'u' v' b'Ilov' ch'c Eh'r' lr oo

lctlc.l s.ato for th. dlt!.rcc. r'[ spls.clo! d'c" ed bd'u" Bh' bllll3ul

prwlats. .a. E ucd.a .G38t' 5' 5l' 
' 

btll Go r'9"I DUlltu'l 93w,.l['

oa 3h. voclo3 l13hc. Acl !' nd P'odh|, b'tor' rlr' S.03''

U.hrv.b..o3old3h.Gbllbau.tProvl.lurr.BocofCly.,.CCh.

t.atlDay to Eha Houaa oC l'Pr'3'otrGlv" 'ie'd' 
e1!ho$G concr'3' r'fuc'3toa'

tMa.uht3@Ggh.ca..Uh.a...trrt.3ut'.lru.ldbyls.lr.ll3csr(..h

Lo. A8t.l..i durlql 3h' 198u C'o'r'I tlcGloo' Gh' corG ot proYtdl!' blltrfo'l'

BG.rr,.Ir to Dr. th& I.5.OOO P'rron' vI ooly t ' 9l o' 3h' GoG'I co'G! o' Blr'

aLccloo.
H!. Ch.lBq toc r'brr' oi clr' Subc[ltt"' [ 

"' 
to cho" sho rr'u'

thrs Provtdloa bltlnturl st'r''rl' l' t@ co'Gly-hry sch 1' ch' r13hr co voc'

srch? No Prtcr t'8 c'n b' guc oo thlr rltnG' r'ld by rEy Eo b' !h' comrr'fon'

of all orhar rlihcl' gr h'v' n'Y'r "'tr 'o' 
t'l!'bl' tljuril on hry lrh th'

ItErG Araod!.oG rlth3r 'r' 
rcrllr' ur hov uoy doller coutd bu' lh' ll3h ADod-

EoG rlthrl of Gh' 
'rrc"' 

Ac 
'uch 

c'ls 
" 

Prlc' E'Bf c'o b' PuG oq 3h"'

oth.r fundlrncsl prol'cEtoo'' ul utll br @r' 
"o'lGlv' 

lq Gh' n"d Eo glrc'

prlsa lrta on Bh' rtShc to vot''

For rh. lrl.p.nl.c .dulG eho croaot do'rl or ttjllglulSgtlJ'Jbr
!-^Li,a^ ih

rllhc Go 
lqrc thi' b'ct'dtop' Eh'

- 

9r1nth8 9'1" ,oto ,D'lEolf lc-c''
Dra lmosvml'oc' or co'cl

Slnc. Gh. l9?t dt'o'loo of 3h' Acl sll'o tb' bt'ltD8u'l Provltloo' s'l'

.nacgad. tha PollGlcrl 9roc"' h" b"o og'o'd uP to qny Yho e'r' prrvloully

ucludrd sd r' b'Ll'v' .h'G lh!' grot'c.too t' 
'r"nt1'l 

to 9r1"fl' ch' rlShc'

of a S8NP ol cl3''s'oa Go 9'rl-lclP'G' !utL' to 'lt '19'qt' 
ot A!'!lc'o lll''

nqJi^""V ,f Vit^" M."k".=

Ms. Mlnrrrz. We
you know, it was aomething

out./ T}lis was not something we came recommending, but in part bG
caus€ of the genuine conoerno of people such as youraelf-certainly
Congreemen Hyde and Sensenbrenner-that people who have bo-
harrcd properly ahould be permitted to beil out, amd that they
ehould be permitted to bail out even at the county level.

rrcsented a compmmise for many

?p.eqv'y



,J ole,v /ssSJd,n ce A

We heat them, we worked with them, and we have eomething
t#-;;; iil;;'iit" ttrit- *-e qre proud'of, that we would like to
ffi.yi; ffirt, tir":i"-" -o"Ia tikito eee the Senats aupport, and

ryr#Hl*: ?nT:llTT*i' .ifTl' oo-utio,, ig,bocau' r

ffi *Jy,ffit#H*R'[":":fl'J}l;'*t;t"'*?t#g?x'#
aDca to be given withiD tJ.e voting booth unleae tJre voter iE blind'
oi phvgicslly incaPacitatad."-'Ilal[thfi euitid tbat is bocsuso of.vour-efforts ln funa v'
Sii[-*Fr.'UefOpn."cc""a"a in having a Teras trid court de
ffi' ""rcon;tit"tional-a -Statc law denydng- assi8tance at 

. 
the 

- 
po l ls

;-iftt"""t-. So I r."driif you youraelf belisve that e€ction 208 iE

onstitutional.*iffi-M^"a,rirz 
I believe tbat we need to lo9l1 very ca'efully at

*ffi;m8, .ia i*o"U U1, to aub.it aometf{grg at a later time
6 th;6"d; what we think about aoction 208'

Sonator flrtcx. All ri8ht. . /
ln vour atatemen; v"-" i"aiot that, "without :$ion b^v Con-

";.";il;i-th.:-qjor 
feature of th9- Votins. R*hts Act are

;;ffi,.[d ;;pi* thilr""t." Can vou tell me which' il *v' provi-

eione of the act-are sch€duled to erpire?.-M".-M;mE-My understanaing is that e€ction 5 coverage

*;tA 
"-"a "" 

df tU" i"", if no action-is taten by the Congess."-$;t ; H^rd. S&ti"n 5 woqld not -erPire; so6€ jurisdictionE,

rroiiilI'*i"riib€ atl&a nnauy to bail out after l?-yeara of good

;-;a-ii" io" r'""t-u*" extredelv-critical of tle l*islation' s'
i566, il;d""J Uv our oolleggue,-Senator Graselen becauee- vou

""r-ita 
p-viaio,E it" r"g,re. P-erhape this may be the cass. I a-B

*ia"ir,,i it and will have-to etudy it further'
ui. liismrEz Good.
S.;;;II^tc*. C." you t€u mer hgwev-er,-what t'he. House bill

-"a* *["" it stadr th;t 
"ol-"ti"aiction 

eh.all be permitted to bail
;;."d;-ilt -ri;r; d;;*ti"t"a that t'hev lave e.nsas. 

^ea-in 
" con-

;t^"ti"a "f.irtr ri "rp""a"a 
opportunity for -inoritiee in the

d*tion procea? What doe that all Eeant' l4 Your vlow'*i.ri]iirliff'r. 
i'would thinh there would bb a variety of wap til

a"'fr"I-a-j"rl"ai,cti." couu_say, ,.Iok, welgok_ *rc uitinsuaf eJ1-1

ti;" ft;"ltns eerio,.aly,;' fof 
-uample;, "w"- E:: -f{l$ ,l$Yl

much it ccts ng to innurs tlrat people have acceea to ENE; . ..1
Lre-tari"tea ,ot""" *tto need-bilingr.ral materials;" "We havel

made them availsble." ,'|
-Ttrev could ahow, for era^ople-t'hey now ane YgIy agqr?flt'ell',
h Sp.ioi.h and other needed tangua*eE to neach cltJzonE' ,.rEurg .ol

tlrom about uo* to-retti-t" ;,o:t" &d t8ilins them yhat thty_olt
;;";;Lt. tt aef,." to me that tlrere are a-varietv of t'hingpl

(? ?ve?&d s+z-fu^u* oF V;1"* fi&\Lu

ffiHffiffiffiffi:-,ffi{#,
r*ii;umt*Hft"ffi*rsr*mrys;tl'

zoG -Tt



Voler /risr.lr^ce 3

arE-etteDsrve nea rr{Ilrp 9s
tbr VBA rovealcd thaC bilinsud electiooe are crt ofEcioat' n6ary ead -' br
inplcoontad witb eor by leal olcctioo ofEciab.- Loned Panbh' R.gi.tr.r of
Voiarr in Lo Aogele Coioty' ooe of tho largoc election dietrictr io thc country'
trar dcvolopcd a rlrram for piovidinl biliagurl elct|oo metorirlr tbat ir ooo of tbr
mct aflicien! we have aon.

In the l9E0 geoerd elctioa ovor {6000 votorr ruqucted Slari6h languag-e mato
risb in L.A. Couoty; tho cct to ths couatJ wan 1.9 Preeat of the totel eletion cat.
Figure lile thao-forcad Rcp. Paul McClaloy, a looS'tine oPPoDoDt of lifinfurl

ad&tionr bcaueo they woro to coely, to concods duriDS hi. teti.oooy ot tha llour
[eartUr that "It soGrot to oe that it can ao loagcr be 8r{tl€d tb.t tbo cC ir ero.
rivo foi t}re biliDcual ballot" I do not msb thet arnlocat."

Nevertholetr tritinsuat voti.og ari.tarco sae the rqb-jert o! intonae' srtoadsd
debata oa the Hour-lloor durirg conrideration of tbr votinS RiSht AcL Yot two
anendaentr, ons of which wou.ld have repoaled dl biliagual s-i.t8nc.-tb.t il'
oral and wriitan-and another, which wor.dd bave ropcled only thc bilingud b.Uot
roouinoeoL were defoat€d bv oargis. Sroator tlu! 2 to f. Msmb.ra of tbo Hour'
R.irublic8o aad flemocraq wene coo-vincod ovetrhelmiogly of ttrc ned for t!9 biliD

ffi-odv dd tbrt rhcn tiir Congrc.urpond€d ttro ua of titcracy td. in
1066, i3 did not rod ont a ror.go edvcating illitomcy. It war not eugrtad tlrrt,
rny p.rDr .hould b. retidcd witb oot krowilg how to nad or write. Sinilrrly,
tttiagu.l clctti,oa Bat rirL do not limit tba primacy of tho Englieh laaguags. To
tho oatrery, tllcy rtinulaa intsret and participetion in a Eystom in which voten
folt thy havo a voicc. firir folirg of bolonging furtlpr rtinulatc and encourege
ectivc cit&enr to inprovc thcir Eagli.h language elilb.

,.uit itction reouirsmeot& Ihc vota soed to cho tho wordr of Hour Mqlodty
faeaer, Jin Wright' who eaid durias tbe dobat ''Wc brve oover E d. e mideb
slrrn we broadoosd'tbo fraachirs."

O. 
3o1

( .3tO

- *boo Coocc otr ct6d bilirsud olc{ioo rtquircoontr ir lE 6' it did o buod oo
e irir of jididld 6rdiast rhfch ceo I lunhari-d ia thir dccirioo ia ?brr v.
SocA.'

"tn ordDr rhrt th. ohrar 'thc richt to voto' bc oort then aD oEPty phtituda r
vot6i mnrt bo ablo eficctivdy to rrirtar hir or bcr politicd choioo Iti. hvolvr
moi tt'.. ohvricallv b.i!r ibl,e to-pull a levtr or oerling a bellot It ir rinply
ftuld.Dortsl that 'rclirg iartnrctionr-aad b.lloq in additioa to eay othar ortsrid
*uio rormr prrt of thc-offlsid comrnuaicati,on to r{irrcr^ql Yotar. prior. to an el,ro
tion, o,rrt le in spuiru at well er Eagli.b, if ttro voto of sp.Didrpcaling citild.
ir not to be aoriorelv inpaind.""

etrc eismficEDt iae tLc sovoath ci.rcuit affirantioo of tbr lorcr court holdiDg-in
nntU fitzn OtElni4,,tbn ft lt,lial4!,l lcfioa v. Kup4 rtrich fornd thet "if e
ni; ;bo.rnfd ad hilbh ir casitbd to onl ariieoo, I r Noqo ir cntitbd
[o- o.tstio" of aroneour itrtnrctlonl' o e SprairhrF.finS Purto Bicu ir eati'
tU to erirteno. il tbc lelgrragp ho qa rcad-o.r un&r*end-"r'.Brrcdoo !!i? dGcS

.i"" -."d 
othorr Uro,rclt oa-bciLlf of hrorto Bicrtrl uDd.r Sectiou r(o), lhich rer

p.rt 
"f 

th" orisiDsl voting lright .Act,-biliagud gfcctioar.havc.bcn o.aductcd il
Vdi-d; e$!i Ji'-i itilia6bhie-and onc.so.i!o th. mi&19or

Copyright notice

© NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

This collection and the tools to navigate it (the “Collection”) are available to the public for general educational and research purposes, as well as to preserve and contextualize the history of the content and materials it contains (the “Materials”). Like other archival collections, such as those found in libraries, LDF owns the physical source Materials that have been digitized for the Collection; however, LDF does not own the underlying copyright or other rights in all items and there are limits on how you can use the Materials. By accessing and using the Material, you acknowledge your agreement to the Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Materials.


Additional info

To the extent that LDF includes information about the Materials’ origins or ownership or provides summaries or transcripts of original source Materials, LDF does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of such information, transcripts or summaries, and shall not be responsible for any inaccuracies.

Return to top