[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3110-3111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01237]


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CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION


Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

AGENCY: United States Commission on Civil Rights.

ACTION: Notice of Commission public briefing.

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DATES: Friday, February 2, 2018, 9:00 a.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: Marriott Crabtree Raleigh Durham, 4500 Marriott Drive, 
Raleigh, NC 27612.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Walch, (202) 376-8371; TTY: 
(202) 376-8116; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission will hold a public briefing 
as part of its ongoing assessment of federal enforcement of the Voting 
Rights Act (VRA). This meeting is open to the public. Testimony from 
this briefing will form an integral basis for our 2018 report to 
Congress, the President, and the American people regarding the state of 
voting rights across the nation.
    Our Commissioners will receive testimony from current and former 
state and federal government officials, legal experts, academics, and 
civil society actors. Panelists will discuss voter access, including 
federal voting rights enforcement efforts after the 2006 
reauthorization of the temporary provisions of the VRA, and the impact 
of the Shelby County v. Holder decision on the Department of Justice's 
enforcement strategies and priorities.
    We will also offer an open comment period in which members of the 
public will be able to address the Commission. Individuals who wish to 
participate should sign-up at the briefing. Each individual will have 
up to three (3) minutes to speak, with spots allotted on a first-come, 
first-serve basis; forty (40) spots will be available during the two-
hour period. The first half of the available slots will be available 
for sign-up during the morning (10:40 a.m.) and lunch breaks (12:20 
p.m.). The second half of the available slots will be available for 
sign-up during the afternoon break (2:50 p.m.), until all available 
slots are filled.
    In addition, the Commission welcomes the submission of additional 
material for consideration as we prepare our report. Please submit such 
information to [email protected] no later than Monday March 19, 
2018.
    The event will live-stream at https://www.youtube.com/user/USCCR/videos. If attending in person, we ask that you RSVP to 
[email protected]. Persons with disabilities who need 
accommodation should contact Pamela Dunston at 202-376-8105 or at 
[email protected] at least seven (7) business days before the date of 
the meeting.

I. Introductory Remarks: Chair Catherine E. Lhamon: 9:00 a.m.-9:10 a.m.

II. Panel One: Scope and Efficacy of Department of Justice (DOJ) Voting 
Rights Act (VRA) Enforcement: 9:10 a.m.-10:40 a.m.

     Peyton McCrary, served as a historian in the Civil Rights 
Division of DOJ for over twenty-seven years, until his retirement in 
late 2016. Dr. McCrary does research on the factual issues in voting 
rights litigation and assist DOJ attorneys in identifying expert 
witnesses to retain for cases that the Department pursues. He also co-
authored a book chapter that examines how the DOJ has administered 
Section 5 from 1965 to present.
     Vanita Gupta, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference 
on Civil and Human Rights. Ms. Gupta served in DOJ from October 2014-
January 2017 as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of 
the Civil Rights Division.
     J. Gerald Hebert, Senior Director, Voting Rights & 
Redistricting at Campaign Legal Center. Mr. Hebert served in several 
capacities at DOJ from 1973 to 1994, and served as chief counsel in 
over one hundred voting rights lawsuits.
     Justin Levitt, Professor of Law at Loyola Los Angeles Law 
School. Professor Levitt served as the Deputy Assistant Attorney 
General at DOJ from 2015-2017.

III. Break: 10:40 a.m.-10:50 a.m.

IV. Panel Two: Case Studies: A Litigator's Perspective of Laws 
Affecting Voter Access Since Shelby: 10:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

     Ezra Rosenberg, Co-Director of the Voting Rights Project 
at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law (LCCR).
     Nina Perales, Vice President of Litigation at the Mexican 
American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).
     Dale Ho, Director of Voting Rights Project at the American 
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
     E. Mark Braden, Counsel at Baker Hostetler.
     Dan Morenoff, Executive Director of the Equal Voting 
Rights Institute.
     Natalie Landreth, Senior Staff Attorney at the Native 
American Rights Fund.

V. Break: 12:20 p.m.-1:20 p.m.

VI. Panel Three: Voter Access: 1:20 p.m.-2:50 p.m.

     Michelle Bishop, Disability Advocacy Specialist for Voting 
Rights at the National Disability Rights Network.
     Michael J. Pitts, Professor of Law at Indiana University.

[[Page 3111]]

     Cleta Mitchell, Partner at Foley & Larder LLP.
     John Fund, Columnist for the National Review.
     Anita Earls, Former Executive Director at the Southern 
Coalition for Social Justice.
     John Merrill, Secretary of State of Alabama.

VII. Break: 2:50 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

VIII. Panel Four: Recommendations for Ensuring Access to the Ballot 
Post-Shelby: 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

     John J Park Jr., Counsel at Strickland, Brockington, Lewis 
LLP.
     Judd Choate, President of the National Association of 
State Election Directors and Elections Director for the State of 
Colorado.
     Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the 
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
     Lorraine Minnite, Professor of Political Science at 
Rutgers University.
     Jerry Vattamala, Director of the Democracy Program at 
Asian American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (AALDEF).

IX. Break: 4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

X. Open Public Comment Period: 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

     Individuals who wish to participate in the open public 
comment period should sign-up at the briefing. Each individual will 
have up to three (3) minutes to speak, with spots allotted on a first-
come, first-serve basis; forty (40) spots will be available during the 
two-hour period. The first half of the available slots will be 
available for sign-up during the morning (10:40 a.m.) and lunch breaks 
(12:20 p.m.) of the briefing. The second half of the available slots 
will be available for sign-up during the afternoon break (2:50 p.m.) 
until all available slots are filled.

XI. Adjourn Briefing: 8:00 p.m.

    Dated: January 19, 2018.
Brian Walch,
Director, Communications and Public Engagement.
[FR Doc. 2018-01237 Filed 1-19-18; 11:15 am]
 BILLING CODE 6335-01-P