A packed Washington D.C. courtroom this morning heard a panel of three federal judges debate whether certain parts of the country, including Alabama, still need federal government supervision of their elections to avoid discriminating against minority voters.

Shelby County’s argument that two key sections of the Voting Rights Act are outdated is not only a question of constitutional law, but also a politically-charged question over whether states with an ugly history of blatant race discrimination can be trusted to run fair elections today.

Bert Rein, a lawyer representing Shelby County, told the three judges that newer opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court require that Section 5 of the 1965 voting law – which puts every election-related detail in all or part of 16 states under strict supervision of the Justice Department – be justified by newer proof of discrimination.

“We’re not here to talk about that history, we accept it,” Rein said. “But current burdens must be justified by current needs.”

Full story at the Birmingham News.