WASHINGTON, D.C. - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International Vice President Gerry Hudson issued the following statement on tomorrow's hearing in the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights into the impact of voting laws recently passed by several states:

"American history is unfortunately littered with examples of local governments using restrictive voting laws to keep women and people of color, especially African Americans and Latinos, from the ballot box. The laws are unacceptable in any form and Assistant Majority Leader Senator Durbin is right to shine a light on the trend of extremist driven, unnecessarily restrictive voting legislation in states across the country.

"Supporters tout these laws as fraud prevention measures, yet the reality is that voter fraud is virtually non-existent. A five-year comprehensive investigation by the Bush Administration found only 86 instances of improper voting confirming my long standing belief that the laws are unnecessary and unwarranted. We should be encouraging voting, rather than erecting barriers to civic engagement. Moreover, Voter ID laws distract from the broader issue facing American communities: jobs.

"Elected leaders should focus on rebuilding schools, bridges and highways, investing in the technologies and energies of tomorrow and fixing a tax code that allows companies to make billions in profits while paying pennies to the communities that support them.

"Our country's problems can only be solved if we tackle them together. America's economy will never turnaround if our leaders take away the rights of the many to protect the interests of the few."

With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy. www.seiu.org

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