FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 13, 2021

CONTACT: Katonya Hart, PR Chair [email protected] 304-382-6313

WV STATE CONFERENCE OF NAACP BRANCHES SUPPORTS U.S. HOUSE BILL H.R.1

Charleston, W.Va. – On April 17, 2021, at its spring quarterly meeting, the West Virginia State Conference of NAACP Branches voted unanimously to support the United States House of Representatives bill H.R.1, known as the “For the People Act of 2021.” Owens Brown, president of the State Conference, said the bill sets standard guidelines that all states must follow to ensure the voting rights for all citizens of the United States, and he urges U.S. Senator to support H.R.1.

"H.R.1 contains several important provisions, including a set of national and mail-in voting standards, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, requiring super PACs and groups to publicly disclose their donors, new ethics rules for public servants, and requiring presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns," said Brown.

Brown emphasized that the NAACP contends that the passage of H.R.1 will enhance democracy and make it more difficult for state legislatures to implement voter suppression laws that target mainly black and brown voters. He added, "The NAACP implores Sen. Manchin to support H.R.1 in its entirety. We hope he can find a path around the and develop a bipartisan solution with Republican Senators in order to push H.R.1 to the U.S. Senate floor for a vote."

Brown said that if Sen. Manchin is unable to secure a bipartisan solution, Manchin will have no other choice but to vote with the other Democratic Senators to eliminate the filibuster and ensure H.R.1 reaches the Senate floor for a vote. "The NAACP insists that preserving and protecting the Constitutional voting rights of millions of American citizens takes precedent over protecting a senator’s right to filibuster to impair democracy," Brown concluded.

ABOUT THE NAACP Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation and is a 501(c)(4) organization. With more than 2,200 units and branches across the nation comprising 2M+ activists, the vision of the NAACP is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.

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