LANSING Mich.
A last-ditch effort to prevent voters from considering a proposal that would ban some affirmative action programs in Michigan has failed.
The Michigan Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal of the case, meaning the issue will be allowed on the November ballot.
“We are not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court,” the justices said in the order, issued last week.
The decision is a victory for the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which has been leading the drive to let voters decide whether government and university admissions programs should be banned from giving preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on their race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin.
A pro-affirmative action group called By Any Means Necessary had urged the Supreme Court to take up the issue. It disagrees with allowing the phrase “preferential treatment” to appear on the ballot. It also claims some signatures used to get the issue on the ballot were gained through misrepresentation, a charge MCRI denies.