Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Statement on Commonwealth Court Judge Simpson's Preliminary Decision Not to Halt Implementation of the Voter Suppression Act

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder expressed their disappointment with Commonwealth Court Judge Simpson's decision to deny an injunction of the Voter Suppression Act.  However this is a preliminary decision not the final decision in the case. 

"We are disappointed that Judge Simpson denied the request to enjoin the Voter Suppression Act.  However this is a preliminary decision in the early stages and not the final decision on whether the law denies the people their constitutional right to vote.  He did not make a ruling on the merits of the case or the Constitutional challenge to the law itself. We are confident that the case will be rapidly appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for a review of this intermediate decision on the injunction question and a review of the merits of the case as well," Bloomingdale said.

"In the meantime we will continue to do what thousands of activists and volunteers did in the Jim Crow South in fighting and defeating poll taxes and other attempts to deny people their right to vote. We will fight to make sure that the people have the right to vote in this major election that will decide the future of our state and nation," Bloomingdale said.

"We never stopped doing what we do, which is, educating and mobilizing our members on all of the issues, and ensuring every Pennsylvanian has the right to vote, to make sure their voice is heard. Our goal is record high voter turnout in spite of the fact that this law was passed to discourage people from exercising their right to vote," Snyder added.

SOURCE Pennsylvania AFL-CIO