FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         CR 
TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1995                            (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


     STATEMENT BY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
         DEVAL L. PATRICK ON TODAY'S RULING UPHOLDING THE
            CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE "MOTOR-VOTER" LAW


     WASHINGTON, D.C. --  A federal judge in Chicago today upheld
the constitutionality of the National Voter Registration Act, or
the "motor-voter" law.
     Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick
issued the following statement:
     "We are extremely pleased with today's favorable decision
upholding the constitutionality of the National Voter
Registration Act.  We have never understood why any state
official would stand in the way of a law that simplifies voter
registration for the residents of Illinois. 

     Today's favorable decision follows a similar victory in
California federal court earlier this month.  The decisions send
a clear message that Congress was well within its authority to
pass a law making it easier for all Americans to register to
vote.  Today's decision also demonstrates that the state
legislature had no legal basis for failing to comply with such a
common sense law.

     Motor-voter is government made easy -- one stop shopping. 
Already the law is producing tremendous results across the
country.  Millions of Americans already are benefiting from this
law -- now millions in Illinois can, as well." 

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