Gk butterfield wiki

Home / Political Leaders & Public Figures / Gk butterfield wiki

This position is a key role in the party leadership, tasked with ensuring party discipline and managing the legislative program on the House floor. Jackman reminded Butterfield that, according to Section Five of the Voting Rights Act, when a covered jurisdiction changed a voting law or practice, it first had to get approval from the DOJ.

Butterfield said that five years before, the method of electing county commissioners had changed to staggered terms. Wilson County was one such covered jurisdiction. In this leadership role, he advocated for policies addressing issues affecting African Americans, such as criminal justice reform, economic opportunity, and healthcare.

Discover his impactful legislative contributions and commitment to civil rights spanning several decades.

Born: April 27, 1947

Politician

Election to U.S. House of Representatives

G. Butterfield's advocacy during this period reaffirmed his dedication to civil rights and justice.

Announcement of Retirement

He also served as ranking member of the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee and as a member on both the Committee on House Administration and the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library. Butterfield's victory marked the beginning of his legislative career, during which he became known for his work on voting rights and civil rights issues.

Appointed Chief Deputy Whip

In 2007, G.

K. Butterfield was appointed as Chief Deputy Whip of the Democratic Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. Similarly, in Wilson County, this practice of electing half the commissioners every two years—staggered terms—lessened the chance for minorities to elect their chosen officials.

Jackman found that the shift to staggered-term elections was one of three unapproved changes that Wilson County had made to its election methods.

Missed something? Since his father had held office in the mid-1950s, only one other Black man had served in an elected position—a candidate sponsored by white interest groups. During this term, Butterfield continued to be an influential voice on civil rights issues.

Support for the First Step Act

In 2018, G.

K. Butterfield supported the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill that aimed to reduce recidivism and improve rehabilitation efforts for incarcerated individuals. He called for comprehensive police reform and supported legislation aimed at addressing systemic racism and police brutality. Before his tenure in Congress, Butterfield was a civil rights attorney and Superior Court Judge in North Carolina.

She asked Butterfield to write a letter directed to her documenting his concerns. Butterfield was the first Democrat from North Carolina to serve in this role.

He argued that the decision would lead to voter suppression and called for legislative action to restore the protections. We would love to hear your suggestions for additional wikis.

Made in Amsterdam ∙ KvK 84552948

In 1974, after finishing his military service, college, and law school, Butterfield moved back to his hometown to start a law firm with Fitch.

When the Wilson County file reached the desk of William Bradford Reynolds, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in the Reagan administration, he approved the “new” election methods. K. Butterfield voted in favor of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in 2009. County commissioners called an emergency meeting, and after learning about the DOJ’s letter alleging Voting Rights Act violations, they had a lawyer file the necessary paperwork to demonstrate that the proposed voting changes would not result in Black people or other minority voters being worse off.

He knew this was a result of the discriminatory at-large voting measures implemented back in 1957, but he did not understand how, 25 years later, white officials in Wilson County were still legally able to use these election rules to marginalize Black voters.