Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Rickey Cole responds to SCOTUS ruling striking down preclearance

Here's the press release issued today in response to the 5-4 ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Shelby County v. Holder:

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 25, 2013
CONTACT:  Rickey Cole
(601) 316-1356

JACKSON-Earlier today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that negated section four of the Voting Rights Act, Congressman Bennie Thompson issued a statement that said "the Supreme Court has rendered the American people vulnerable to discrimination."

We didn't have to wait long before Mississippi Republicans began trying to push the discriminatory advantage given them by the five Republican appointees on the Supreme Court. Before the end of the day, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann proclaimed that Voter I.D. implementation would start today.  Before the ink dried on the Supreme Court decision and before any reasonable time could be given to serious consideration of the impact of the decision, the Secretary of State has jumped at the chance to declare "This chapter is closed."

Not so fast, Delbert. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act remains in place. The federal courts remain in place.  Those of us in this state who care about Voting Rights remain in place. And we shall not sit idly by.

Voting is a right, not a privilege. Voting rights were won by blood in Mississippi.  We will never yield in our defense of the full and equal rights of every Mississippi citizen. And we have not yet begun to fight.