Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Race Warriors Get Go-Ahead from State

13. June 2004 • Ari Paul
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The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative gained a major victory last Friday when the Court of Appeals of Michigan overturned an Ingham County court’s decision that the wording in their petition was illegal.

From the Ann Arbor News: “The ruling could clear the way for a statewide vote in November on use of racial preferences in university admissions and government hiring, although opponents and some supporters of the petition drive doubt they can gather enough signatures to meet a July 6 deadline to get it on the ballot this year.”

However, sources from the MCRI have also said that they may wait until 2006 to try to put the anti-affirmative action question on the ballot. As of now, the MCRI lacks support from the state GOP and local corporations, primarily out of fear that the issue of affirmative action would lose minority voters, costing Bush the state in the presidential election.

2006 would be a much more political practical year for the GOP to throw its weight behind an anti-affirmative action army in a statewide electorial race war.