1 year after death of John Lewis, voting rights remain key issue

One year after the death of John Lewis, his dedication to ensuring equal access to the ballot is as relevant as ever.

One year after the death of Rep. John Lewis, the longtime representative of Georgia's 5th Congressional District and civil rights icon, his dedication to ensuring equal access to the ballot is as relevant as ever. Texas House Democrats remain on the lam in Washington, D.C., after they fled the Lone Star State on Monday to break quorum and wait out the end of their special legislative session to block Republican-backed bills that would change the state's voting and election laws in ways advocates say would make it harder to cast a ballot. They met Thursday on Capitol Hill with West Virginia's Joe Manchin, the moderate Senate Democrat who holds the key vote in Congress on voting rights legislation. The For the People Act -- which aims to make major election reforms that lower barriers to voting and which Republicans have cast as a "power grab" -- remains blocked by Senate Republicans and has prompted a call from some Democrats to blow up the filibuster to enable passage.