April 4, 2016 - Latino Leaders Hail Supreme Court Decision in Evenwel v. Abbott

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 4, 2016

Latino Leaders Hail Supreme Court Decision in Evenwel v. Abbott

WASHINGTON, DC – Leaders of the National Hispanic Leadership, the coalition of the nation’s 40 leading Latino advocacy organizations, issued the following statements applauding the U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Evenwel v. Abbott.

"Evenwel v. Abbott was a transparent attempt by the plaintiffs to limit the growing political power of Latinos and disintegrate a core tenet of democracy: one person, one vote. The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda commends the court for its unanimous decision to defend equal representation. The decision affirms that our elected officials serve all of us, regardless of political expediency," said Hector Sanchez, NHLA Chair and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

“In a resounding endorsement of the principle that ‘every constituent counts,’ the Supreme Court has emphatically rejected one of the extreme right’s most complicated and longstanding campaigns to preserve white voters’ dominance by restricting the electoral power of growing minority groups,” stated Thomas A. Saenz, NHLA Vice Chair and President and General Counsel of MALDEF. “Today’s decision should end the ill-conceived campaign to reverse the enduring national principle of representational equality.”

# # #

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

| Teresa Acuña | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (202) 508-6917 |

| Brenda Arredondo | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (202) 587-4945 |

ABOUT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC LEADERSHIP AGENDA

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda is composed of 40 of the leading national and regional Latino civil rights and public policy organizations and other elected officials, and prominent Latinos Americans. NHLA coalition members represent the diversity of the Latino community – Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other Latino Americans. NHLA’s mission calls for unity among Latinos around the country to provide the Latino community with greater visibility and a clearer, stronger influence in our country’s affairs. NHLA brings together Latino leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of, the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole. For more information, please visit: www.nationalhispanicleadership.org.

NHLA MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS