US appeals court won't reconsider ruling limiting voting rights law's scope

A federal appeals court on Tuesday declined to reconsider a ruling holding that only the U.S. government, not private parties, can sue under a landmark civil rights law barring racial discrimination in voting.

The full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request by the Arkansas Public Policy Panel and the Arkansas State Conference NAACP to reconsider a 2-1 ruling by a panel of judges holding that private plaintiffs cannot bring cases enforcing Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.