Decision Day Looms for Controversial Michigan Proposal
Proposed affirmative action ban fails to mobilize voters, so far.
By Reginald Stuart
On the politically active campus of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, the buzz so far this fall has been unusually quiet, given the state’s upcoming Nov. 7 voter referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment that could dramatically change campus life.
“There’s still a lot of students unaware,” said Jaime Nelson, a senior and organizer for Students Supporting Affirmative Action, a coalition trying to mobilize the campus community of 40,000 and its neighbors to vote against the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, commonly referred to as Proposal 2.
Proposal 2, championed by conservative activist Ward Connerly, would “ban affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on their race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin for public employment, education or contracting purposes.”
The lightning rod proposal in a state known for it staunch progressive and staunch conservative communities has drawn the attention of the politically active. Among the general population, however, the mood appears much as Nelson has found it on her campus.
Governor Jennifer Granholm, the liberal Democrat seeking reelection next month, and Dick De Vos, the conservative Republican running against Granholm, have united in their opposition to Proposal 2. At a women’s forum last month, DeVos, whose father founded Amway products, called the initiative “wrong for the state.” Granholm said passage of Proposal 2 “would be a devastating blow for Michigan women.”
Proposal 2 is opposed by most of the state’s ‘establishment,’ including the major leaders in religion, academia, labor and business. They’ve made their positions known, but haven’t gone barnstorming to champion their cause. Financial contributions to the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, proponents of the ban, and One United Michigan, the opponents, have been lackluster.
