LANSING, Mich.
The Michigan Court of Appeals this week ordered the secretary of state to place a proposal that would ban some affirmative action programs on the November 2006 ballot.
The order is a victory for the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), which backs the proposal to ban race and gender preferences in university admissions and government hiring. The group collected about 500,000 signatures of Michigan voters to send its issue to the ballot.
Opponents of the measure, claiming some voters were tricked into signing the MCRI petitions, plan an appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court.
The appeals court issued this week’s order because it said the Board of State Canvassers failed to follow a previous court mandate. The four-member elections panel last week deadlocked on a motion to comply with the earlier court order.
“We’ve been waiting 11 months for the Board of State Canvassers to do its job,” said MCRI executive director Jennifer Gratz, noting her group submitted signatures to state election officials in January 2005. “We are excited about the court order, however I do think it’s sad the court had to step in.”
In a strongly worded order, the appeals court said it may address possible contempt charges against the two canvassers who failed to comply with its earlier order.
