Michigan Civil Rights Initiative
The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), or Proposal 2 (Michigan 06–2), was a
Summary of Court challenges
On 21 March 2008, Judge
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit overturned MCRI on July 1, 2011.[4] Judges R. Guy Cole Jr. and Martha Craig Daughtrey said that "Proposal 2 reorders the political process in Michigan to place special burdens on minority interests." Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said he would appeal the court ruling.[5]
Bill Schuette, Attorney General for the State of Michigan announced his appeal of the Sixth Circuit's decision on July 28, 2011. The MCRI stood in effect until this appeal was complete.[6]
On November 16, 2012, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, upheld the earlier ruling that the MCRI was unconstitutional. Schuette then announced his intention to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Text of the Amendment
The ballot initiative amended the
Affirmative action programs.
- The University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and any other public college or university, community college, or school district shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
- The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
- For the purposes of this section "state" includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the state itself, any city, county, any public college, university, or community college, school district, or other political subdivision or governmental instrumentality of or within the State of Michigan not included in sub-section 1.
- This section does not prohibit action that must be taken to establish or maintain eligibility for any federal program if ineligibility would result in a loss of federal funds to the state.
- Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as prohibiting bona fide qualifications based on sex that are reasonably necessary to the normal operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
- The remedies available for violations of this section shall be the same, regardless of the injured party's race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin, as are otherwise available for violations of Michigan anti-discrimination law.
- This section shall be self-executing. If any part or parts of this section are found to be in conflict with the United States Constitution or federal law, the section shall be implemented to the maximum extent that the United States Constitution and federal law permit. Any provision held invalid shall be severable from the remaining portions of this section.
- This section applies only to action taken after the effective date of this section.
- This section does not invalidate any court order or consent decree that is in force as of the effective date of this section.
Background
The subject of the proposal has been hotly debated, with the very definition of what it encompasses at the center of the controversy. Proponents argue that it bans programs in public hiring, public employment, and public education that "give preferential treatment to" or "discriminate against" individuals on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, or national origin. Opponents argue that Proposal 2 bans all affirmative action programs in the operation of public employment, education, or contracting.
Proponents cite the
In 2004, When the first attempt was made to place the measure on the ballot,
At the petition kick-off meeting affirmative action advocate Rev. Horace Sheffield III clashed with Creswell after being denied entry to the event.[12] Creswell's rivalry with Sheffield dated back to 2000 when Creswell criticized a protest outside the Detroit Police headquarters, following a couple shootings of suspects by police.[13]
After some early court challenges, a state appeals court permitted MCRI petitioners to continue gathering signatures, but the effort was postponed till the 2006 cycle due to time constraints.[14]
During the early debate about the proposal shortly following the collection of signatures (508,282 submitted January 6, 2005), the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, a governmental body charged with investigating
In September 2006, after opponents filed a federal lawsuit against the MCRI alleging fraud in the collection of petition signatures, a federal judge in
First federal lawsuit against MCRI
Oral arguments in a federal lawsuit charging MCRI and the State of Michigan with violating the
On August 29, 2006, the case was decided with Judge Tarnow, a Democratic judicial appointee, refusing to remove the initiative from the ballot.[19] However, Judge Tarnow declared that "MCRI engaged in systematic voter fraud by telling voters that were signing a petition supporting affirmative action." However, because the case was not decided on these grounds, this statement is legally characterized as "dicta"—judicial commentary that is not relevant to the outcome of a case. Tarnow also found the testimony of Jennifer Gratz (MCRI's executive director) in the court to be evasive and misleading. His stated reason for refusing an injunction to remove the MCRI from the ballot was the MCRI "targeted all Michigan voters for deception without regard to race." He ruled that the Voting Rights Act was not violated because it "is not a general anti-voter fraud statute, but rather prohibits practices which result in unequal access to the political process because of race."
Luke Massie, national co-chair of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights & Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (
Voting and poll results
On November 27, 2006, Proposal 2 was certified officially by the Michigan Secretary of State to have passed by a margin of 58% to 42% (2,141,010 "Yes" votes to 1,555,691 "No" votes).
Board of Canvassers meeting
In July 2005, the Michigan State Board of Canvassers declined to certify the MCRI proposal for Michigan's November 2006 ballot after hearing allegations that a significant number of signatures were obtained by telling supporters of affirmative action that the petition was likewise, in support of affirmative action. Counter-allegations were made by MCRI supporters that the allegations were fabricated and that the Board of Canvassers' decision-process itself was being improperly influenced by politics because Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer was "giving orders" to the two members of the Board appointed by Democrats, and backed up by the linked videotape shot by MCRI Treasurer and publisher Chetly Zarko.[26] Despite the deadlocked vote by the Canvassers and their inability to certify the petition as a result, in October of the same year the Michigan Court of Appeals ordered the board to certify the petitions.
On December 14, 2005, in Lansing, Michigan, while attempting to comply with that court order to certify the petitions, the board's four members were scheduled to make the final vote to certify the petitions for the November ballot. However, the meeting attended by hundreds of Detroit high school students. The crowd began to shout "No voter fraud," until they became so loud that the members left the room adjourning until 2pm. Chanting, "They say Jim Crow! We say hell no!," the emotion-surged crowd of students continued until a table was overturned in the commotion and the Lansing police came in to control the situation. Opponents of MCRI labeled their own conduct civil disobedience while proponents argued it crossed the line into outright violence and intentional intimidation.[27] Video of the situation can be seen here.[28]
After the protest, the election panel again failed to certify the petitions with a vote of 2–1, falling short of the required three votes. Republican board members Katherine Degrow and Lyn Banks voted in favor with Democrats Paul Mitchell voting no and Doyle O'Connor not voting.[29]
The meeting received considerable media attention because of the protest. In the months following the controversial board meeting, Mitchell resigned from the board and O'Connor was charged with contempt of court; however the charges were dismissed after O'Connor sought disclosure of improper communications between the chief judge and the Republican leadership of the Legislature.[30] O'Connor later testified against the MCRI at the August 17 federal court hearing, relaying how he had witnessed two African-American women circulating the anti-affirmative action petition in Detroit telling signers that it was in support of affirmative action.
"Preferential Treatment"
Proponents of the MCRI claim that the initiative will make illegal only those programs and policies, affecting university admissions, public employment, and contracting, that grant "preferential treatment" based on gender, race, or ethnicity. These claims were disputed by some opponents who cite
Post-election
Several groups have challenged the constitutional amendment since its passage.
On November 8, 2006, BAMN called a press conference announcing that they had launched a second lawsuit against Proposal 2 in conjunction with United for Equality and Affirmative Action and Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, claiming that it violates both the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the First Amendment as affirmed by the Supreme Court decision, Grutter v. Bollinger.[33]
That same day, about 2,000 students gathered on the diag at the University of Michigan where University President Mary Sue Coleman gave a speech in which she promised U-M would go to court to defend its efforts to promote diversity, despite the majority of Michigan’s electorate voting against affirmative action. Two weeks later, on November 21, Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell said he was considering having the city file a federal lawsuit to overturn Proposal 2.[citation needed]
On December 19, U.S. District Court Judge David Lawson ruled that the state's three largest public universities—the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University—could delay implementation of Proposal until July 1, 2007.[34] The universities had filed a lawsuit seeking the delay, charging fairness in admissions, in response to BAMN's lawsuit in which all three universities were named as defendants. The Center for Individual Rights has asked the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Judge Lawson's ruling and force the universities to adhere to this amendment, to the Michigan Constitution, immediately.[35]
On December 29, a 3-judge panel of the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals lifted Judge Lawson's injunction granting the 3 universities the July 1 implementation delay and ordered them to implement Proposal 2 immediately.[36]
The city of
Another lawsuit has been filed in federal court by the NAACP and the ACLU to block the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.[39]
On January 4, 2007, the Center for Individual Rights filed a lawsuit in Washtenaw Circuit Court, asking a judge to order the University of Michigan to immediately comply with Proposal 2, and abandon their affirmative action programs.[40] The case was resolved on January 29 when Eric Russell, whom the Center for Individual Rights was representing voluntarily withdrew the lawsuit.[41]
Jan. 9–10: BAMN held a press conference at
On Thursday, February 15, BAMN submitted 2,000 petitions to the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan demanding that there be no drop in minority enrollment. The following Tuesday, on February 20, the Michigan Student Assembly, the elected student government of U-M passed a resolution demanding that there be no drop in underrepresented minority student enrollment.[citation needed]
On Friday, July 1, 2011, the Federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held the amendment unconstitutional on the grounds that it "reorders the political process in Michigan to place special burdens on minority interests," and thus violates the 14th Amendment. Attorney General Bill Schuette then announced that he would appeal the ruling and ask to have the case re-heard "en banc," by all active judges rather than a panel of three.[42]
On Thursday, November 3, 2011, the Equal Justice Society and more than a dozen other organizations announced that they had filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, urging the court to strike down Michigan's Proposal 2 as unconstitutional. The brief authors argue that Proposal 2 violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution by creating procedural barriers for people of color.[citation needed]
On 16 November 2012, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sitting en banc upheld the earlier ruling that the Initiative is unconstitutional. Supporters announced their intention to appeal to the Supreme Court.[7]
On March 25, 2013, the Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari, agreeing to hear the case. Arguments were heard during the Supreme Court term beginning in October 2013.[43]
On April 22, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative as Constitutional.[2]
Effects
On Friday, February 16, 2007, the University of Michigan released admissions data showing that, in a period that includes the time after Proposal 2 was implemented, minority admissions of primarily lower test scores declined 25% from the same period a year before.[citation needed] The data also show that in the period immediately before Proposal 2 was implemented, minority admissions was up 55% from the same period in 2006.[citation needed] A spokeswoman for the university, Julie Peterson, has said that since the numbers aren't final and since so many minority students applied early, the drop cannot necessarily be attributed to the amendment itself.[44]
Notable endorsers
Notable endorsers of the MCRI include:
- Michigan Association of Scholars
- National Association of Scholars
- Ward Connerly: California businessman who led a similar campaign in California with Proposition 209
- Jennifer Gratz: executive director of the MCRI, plaintiff in the Supreme Court case Gratz v. Bollinger
- Barbara Grutter: plaintiff in Grutter v. Bollinger, co-chair of Towards a Fair Michigan
- Michigan Attorney General Michael (Mike) Cox
- Bill Schuette, Mike Cox's successor as Michigan Attorney General
- Michigan State Representative Leon Drolet: steering committee chair of MCRI
- William B. Allen: Michigan State University political science professor, co-chair of Towards a Fair Michigan
- Dr. Carl Cohen: University of Michiganphilosophy professor
- Chetly Zarko [1]: former Treasurer/Director of Media, MCRI, political consultant
- Doug Tietz: MCRI campaign manager, former U-M YAF Chair
- Greg Creswell: LibertarianCandidate for Governor of Michigan
- Scotty Boman: Libertarian Candidate for Lt. Governor of Michigan
- Reverend Jerry Zandstra: Republican primary candidate for US Senate, Michigan
- Howard Schwartz: Professor, Oakland University
- Arthur White: Professor, Western Michigan University
- Council of Conservative Citizens
- Libertarian Party of Michigan[45]
Opposition
Notable opponents of the MCRI include:
- One United Michigan
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
- Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
- Former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos
- Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
- By Any Means Necessary (BAMN)
- Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell
- Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
- Association of Michigan Universities (AMU)
- Michigan Civil Rights Commission
- Al Sharpton
- Detroit City Council
- American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee(ADC)
- ACLU)
- Detroit Federation of Teachers
- Arab American Institute
- Green Party of Michigan (GPMI)
- Socialist Party of Michigan (SPMI)[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ Cohen, Carl (2007). "The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative and the Civil Rights Act of 1964". "michigan Law Review". Archived from the original on 2011-06-02.
- ^ a b Adler, Jonathan (2014-04-22). "Supreme Court upholds Michigan civil rights initiative". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Opinion" (PDF). United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-27.
- ^ Henry, LaToya (2011-07-01). "6th Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Diversity in the State of Michigan, Reverses Lower Court Ruling". PR Newswire.[dead link]
- ^ Chambers, Jennifer; Robert Snell; Oralandar Brand-Williams (2011-07-01). "State to fight ruling against ban on race in college admissions". "The Detroit News".
- ^ Schuette, Bill (2011). "Schuette Launches Legal Fight to Uphold MCRI". "Michigan Attorney General's office".
- ^ a b "Appeals court strikes down Michigan's affirmative action ban". CNN News. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ Shabad, Rebecca (2014-04-22). "Supreme Court backs power of states to ban affirmative action". "The Hill Newspaper".
- ^ Legislative Council, State of Michigan (November 7, 2006). "Constitution of Michigan – Article I § 26". The Michigan Legislature.
- ^ The program begins at 3:38 . A promotional video plays first. The segment devoted to Gregory Creswell starts at 20:03 Strickland Love, Darchelle (April 1, 2004). "Politics Aside (With Ward Connerly & Gregory Creswell". Detroit Cable Communications Commission. Detroit, Michigan. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- "Freedom Activist Network's Guide To Organizations: Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI)". Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ Brand-Williams, Oralandar (January 11, 2004). "Race ballot campaign will start Monday". The Detroit News. Michigan. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
* This reference includes a link to search results of the Archives of the Detroit News. Search results contain summaries of articles which may contain the referenced information. Otherwise the full articles are available for purchase at a modest price. Because of the length of the URL, the link may not work properly. If this happens start at "this URL" and select the same year of publication as the reference indicates, and place the referenced title in the "Search for:" box. - ^ Brand-Williams, Oralandar (January 13, 2004). "Affirmative action backers, foes clash". The Detroit News. Michigan. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
- This reference includes a link to search results of the Archives of the Detroit News. Search results contain summaries of articles which may contain the referenced information. Otherwise the full articles are available for purchase at a modest price. Because of the length of the URL, the link may not work properly. If this happens start at "this URL" and select the same year of publication as the reference indicates, and place the referenced title in the "Search for:" box.
- ^ Brand-Williams, Oralandar; Trowbridge, Gordon (September 22, 2000). "Cop shootings hurt public trust". "The Detroit News". Retrieved 2017-04-01.
* This reference includes a link to search results of the Archives of the Detroit News. Search results contain summaries of articles which may contain the referenced information. Otherwise the full articles are available for purchase at a modest price. Because of the length of the URL, the link may not work properly. If this happens start at "this URL" and select the same year of publication as the reference indicates, and place the referenced title in the "Search for:" box. - ^
"Suit aims to block race ballot drive". The Detroit News. Michigan. January 27, 2004. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
- Heinlein, Gary. "Affirmative action foes delay fight". Detroit News. Michigan. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
- Gratz, Jennifer (August 2004). "Director's Update". Michigan Civil Rights Initiative 2004 website. Archived from the original on 2004-10-18.
* This reference includes a link to search results of the Archives of the Detroit News. Search results contain summaries of articles which may contain the referenced information. Otherwise the full articles are available for purchase at a modest price. Because of the length of the URL, the link may not work properly. If this happens start at "this URL" and select the same year of publication as the reference indicates, and place the referenced title in the "Search for:" box.
- ^ Core, Harold (June 9, 2006). "Michigan Civil Rights Commission Calling on Supreme Court and Attorney General to Take Action Regarding MCRI Fraud". Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Archived from the original on July 10, 2006.
- ^ Bernstein, Mark. Mohammed Abdrabboh and George Wirth.Michigan Civil Rights Commission June 7, 2006 memo. "michigan.gov" (website).
- ^ Michigan Civil Rights Initiative Committee.Report on Abuse of Power by Michigan Civil Rights Commission memo. "michigancivilrights.org" (website).
- ^ United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.Case No. 05-2258, Kilpatrick et al. vs. Land et al.. "bamn.com" (website).
- ^ a b Driver, Shanta; Luke Massie (August 30, 2006). "Judge Tarnow finds: "the MCRI engaged in systematic voter fraud" – refuses injunction". BAMN.[permanent dead link]
- The above article is a broken link. The content is available in another format.
links to the document here: Bernstein, Mark; Mohammed Abdrabboh. "Michigan Civil Rights Commission – letters and documents" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2006. Retrieved March 31, 2017. - ^ MCRI Committee (August 17, 2006). "Radical Pro-Racial Preference group Protests Outside Federal Courthouse in Detroit". The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative Committee. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ Action News (2006). "Article". WXYZ TV. Archived from the original on 2007-03-12.
- ^ Tarnow, Arthur (July 17, 2006). "Operation King's Dream et al. vs. Connerly and Gratz" (PDF). United States District Court – Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ Gray, Kathleen (August 16, 2006). "Granholm joins civil rights ballot suit". Archived from the original on July 21, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ "ScienceDaily". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
- ^ Land, Terri Lynn.Election Results – General Election – November 07, 2006, State Proposal-06-2: Constitutional Amendment: Ban Affirmative Action Programs Archived April 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. "michigan.gov" (website).
- ^ Zarko, Chetly (July 20, 2005). "Put that camera away". Zarko Research & Consulting. Archived from the original on December 17, 2005.
- ^ Gray, Kathleen (December 14, 2005). "Crowd disrupts board vote on rights ballot proposal". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on March 10, 2006.
- ^ Zarko, Chetly (December 15, 2005). "BAMN Goes Violent at Michigan Board of Canvasser's Meetin". Zarko Research & Consulting. Archived from the original on December 18, 2005.
- ^ editorial board (December 22, 2005). "Leave It to Voters: Canvasers err on anti-affirmative action initiative". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- ^ Lansing State Journal: The article requested can not be found! Please refresh your browser or go back. (A3,20060404,NEWS01,604040325,AR) Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Commission Report
- ^ Panel: Most programs are legal—State Archived 2007-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ BAMN (November 8, 2006). "The initiative in Michigan will not stand!". By Any Means Necessary. Archived from the original on November 15, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Lessnau, Laura (December 11, 2006). "Court allows U-M, MSU, Wayne State to complete this year's admissions and aid cycle under current rules". By Any Means Necessary. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ Detnews.com | This article is no longer available online
- ^ "Court blocks delay of Prop 2". Lansing State Journal. Associated Press. December 30, 2006. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- ^ Detnews.com | This article is no longer available online
- ^ "Help Center - the Arizona Republic".
- ^ ACLU (December 19, 2006). "ACLU, NAACP File Lawsuit to Allow University of Michigan Admissions Programs to Continue". ACLU.
- ^ Detnews.com | This article is no longer available online
- ^ The article requested can not be found! Please refresh your browser or go back. (C4,20070131,NEWS06,701310303,AR)
- ^ Tamar, Lewin (2011-07-01). "Court Overturns Michigan Affirmative-Action Ban". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
- ^ https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/13grantednotedlist.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "A supreme showdown". The Guardian. 2003-06-21. Archived from the original on 2013-08-27.
- ^ Boman, Scotty (November 21, 2006). "Liberty Fest Honors Defenders of Liberty". LPM Online. Archived from the original on 2016-11-09.
- ^ "Michigan Senator, Mike Bouchard (Republican Challenger)". OnTheIssues.org & the SpeakOut Foundation. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
External links
- Michigan Attorney General Bill Schute's press release (Announcing his appeal of the 6th Circuit's ruling to the Supreme Court)
- One United Michigan (opposed to MCRI)
- MCRI proponents
- Equality Talk
- MichiganProposal2.org
- TAFM (Towards a Fair Michigan)
- BAMN
- Zarko Research & Consulting (blog of former Director of Media Relations for MCRI)
- Why Voters Should Approve the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative