{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-asks-doj-investigation-alabama-driver-s-license-closures", "Rep. Sewell Asks for a DOJ Investigation into Alabama Drivers License Closures", "2015-10-05", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Congresswoman Terri Sewell released a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, calling for the Department of Justice to investigate the closing of 31 drivers license offices in Alabama, a decision with disproportionately impacts residents of Alabamas 7th Congressional District.\nMy office sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch calling for a full, and thorough investigation into the decision to close 31 drivers license offices across Alabama. This ill-conceived decision left 8 out of the 14 counties in my district  which is the only majority minority district in the state  without a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue an Alabama drivers license.\nThe real issue here is about access. Closing these license offices will severely limit access to the most popular form of photo identification used in voting  a state issued drivers license.\nIt is disappointing, and unconscionable that Alabama would heighten its requirements to vote without also increasing the available options to meet these requirements. Closing 31 drivers license offices across the state only heightens the disparities in voting between low-income and higher-income communities, and would disproportionately impact the residents of the 7th Congressional District. These closures will potentially disenfranchise Alabamas poor, elderly, disabled and black communities.\nMy constituents are the least able, and least likely to have access to transportation  either public or private  and thus travel across county lines for a drivers license.\nI am particularly appalled by this decision in light of the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches and the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Our nation should be moving forward in terms of expanding access to the vote. Its utterly disappointing that my home state  the very state that launched the movement towards equality  is the same state that has become fertile ground for its demise.\nThe renewed assault on our sacred, constitutionally protected to vote must be stopped. I look forward to working with Attorney General Lynch to stop this latest assault on our voting rights.\nTo view the letter please click here\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-asks-doj-investigation-alabama-driver-s-license-closures"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1797679364681244, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}