You would be wrong to think that New York City is above voter suppression; that voters in the city are protected, no matter who they are. In fact, three New York counties, Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, were bound by federal oversight from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 because of practices that discriminated against voters of color. 

Cognizant of that fact, Latrice Walker has introduced to the Assembly a New York state version of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to make sure the restrictive voting laws we are seeing across the country cannot happen again here. She joins In Focus to talk about that new law, as well as a companion bill in the state Senate, that are close to passing. 

Instead of federal oversight, she says, this bill would make sure the state would have to be informed of any changes in voting policies or processes to make sure they do not discriminate.  The assemblywoman talks about her disappointment at the failure of the federal voting rights protection laws to pass, and her fear for what this means for the future of elections throughout America.