Local News in Brief : Latino Leaders Seek Bush’s Help on Suit

Latino leaders Thursday called on Republican presidential nominee George Bush to prod the Justice Department into bringing a voting rights lawsuit against Los Angeles County for allegedly drawing district lines that prevent the election of a Latino to the Board the Supervisors.

The Justice Department has warned the county that it intends to file a lawsuit demanding a redrawing of the districts but so far has not done so. Alan Clayton, a civil rights consultant to several Latino organizations, charged that the reasons are political and that Bush should intervene.

“Bush should contact the Justice Department and tell them he feels it’s in the best interest of the country to file the suit,” Clayton said. And, he added, if Democrat Michael Dukakis wins in November, “we’ll tell him we want the suit filed right away.”

Clayton and other Latino community leaders said they want the government to join or match a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union and Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, asking a federal judge to order supervisorial districts redrawn to create a majority Latino district.

No Latino has served on the five-member board.