The bill was first considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose chair, Senator James Eastland (D-MS), opposed the legislation with several other Southern senators on the committee. To prevent the bill from dying in committee, Mansfield proposed a motion to require the Judiciary Committee to report the bill out of committee by April 9, which the Senate overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 67 to 13. During the committee's consideration of the bill, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) led an effort to amend the bill to prohibit poll taxes. Although the Twenty-fourth Amendment—which banned the use of poll taxes in federal elections— was ratified a year earlier, Johnson's administration and the bill's sponsors did not include a provision in the voting rights bill banning poll taxes in state elections because they feared courts would strike down the legislation as unconstitutional. Additionally, by excluding poll taxes from the definition of "tests or devices", the coverage formula did not reach Texas or Arkansas, mitigating opposition from those two states' influential congressional delegations. Nonetheless, with the support of liberal committee members, Kennedy's amendment to prohibit poll taxes passed by a 9–4 vote. In response, Dirksen offered an amendment that exempted from the coverage formula any state that had at least 60 percent of its eligible residents registered to vote or that had a voter turnout that surpassed the national average in the preceding presidential election. This amendment, which effectively exempted all states from coverage except Mississippi, passed during a committee meeting in which three liberal members were absent. Dirksen offered to drop the amendment if the poll tax ban were removed. Ultimately, the bill was reported out of committee on April 9 by a 12–4 vote without a recommendation.
the bill was first considered by the senate judiciary committee whose chair senator james eastland (d-ms) opposed the legislation with several other southern senators on the committee to prevent the bill from dying in committee mansfield proposed a motion to require the judiciary committee to report! the bill out of committee by april 9 which the senate overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 67 to 13 during the committee's consideration of the bill senator ted kennedy (d-:ma) led an effort to amend the bill to prohibit poll taxes although the twenty-fourth amendment—which banned the use of poll taxes in federal elections— was ratified a year earlier johnson's administration and the bill's sponsors did not include a provision in the voting rights bill banning poll taxes in state elections because they feared courts would strike down the legislation as unconstitutional additionally by excluding poll taxes from the definition of "tests or d:evices" the coverage formula did not reach texas or arkan!sas mitigating opposition from those two states' influential congressional delegations nonetheless with the support of liberal committee members kennedy's amendment to prohibit poll taxes passed by a 9–4 vote in response dirksen offered an amendment that exem:pted from the coverage formula any state that had at least 60 percent of its eligible residents registered to vote or that had a voter turnout that surpassed the national average in the preceding presidential election this amendment which effectively exempted all states from coverage except mississippi passed during a committee meeting in which three liberal members were absent dirksen offered to drop the amendment if the poll tax ban were removed ultimately the bill was reported out of committee on april 9 by a 12–4 vote without a recommendation