Michigan's affirmative action ban on university admissions is struck down by federal appeals court

[marmar]

LANSING, MI - A federal appeals court on Thursday struck down Michigan's 2006 voter-approved ban against using affirmative action in university admissions.

The state's constitutional amendment - Proposal 2 - is unconstitutional because it "reorders the political process in Michigan to place special burdens on minority interests," the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in an 8-7 vote.

There were less onerous ways for opponents of raced-based admissions decisions to make such a political change instead of amending the Michigan Constitution, Judge R. Guy Cole wrote for the majority.

Someone who wanted to change a university's legacy-related admissions policy could lobby the admissions committee directly. Proponents of race-conscious admissions policies would have to travel the "difficult and costly road" of collecting hundreds of thousands of signatures or getting a two-thirds vote from the state House and Senate, Cole said. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/michigans_affirmative_action_b.html