Is the Voting Rights Act still necessary?

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a Texas case that effectively challenges whether states such as Georgia would continue to have to seek federal approval when they make changes to their voting procedures. Two prominent Georgians —- Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, and Rep. John Lewis, an Atlanta Democrat and veteran of the civil rights movement —- are taking opposite stands on the case:

No

Attorney Anne Lewis on behalf of Gov. Sonny Perdue: Today’s Georgia is not, as Congress suggests, a place where the state or local governments sponsor racial discrimination in the electoral process that must be curbed by the federal government. To the contrary … Georgia has earned the right to be free from the preclearance requirements of Section 5.

Yes

Rep. John Lewis: Some people want to argue that because we have elected the first African-American president we no longer need to protect ourselves from voter discrimination. … As long as there is evidence of voting discrimination … there will be a persistent and continuous need for voting rights protection.