MCRI

In some initial matters related to the Michigan Civil Rights Amendment, the Board of Canvassers had deadlocked on partisan lines; basically, the Democrats refused to certify the signatures despite a clear legal obligation to do so the opponents of MCRI had made allegations of fraud in the collection of the signatures, which allegations, depending on your point of view, were either entirely specious or proof of a gross injustice.

The Volokh Conspiracy » James Taranto on Affirmative Action and Public Opinion Polling: 2007

For example, the MCRI was not leading in the polls right before the election then won handily.

The Volokh Conspiracy » Interpreting Public Opinion Polls on Racial Preferences and Affirmative Action: 2007

Eventually, the Michigan Court of Appeals ordered MCRI to be placed on the ballot, and in a later order, it ordered the Board of Canvassers to approve ballot language.

The Volokh Conspiracy » James Taranto on Affirmative Action and Public Opinion Polling: 2007

We believe that the exact language of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative — the language that appeared on the MCRI petitions and what will be inserted into the Constitution once the Initiative passes — would have been the most straightforward language to put on the ballot and we urged the Secretary of State to use that language.emphasis mine

The Volokh Conspiracy » Interpreting Public Opinion Polls on Racial Preferences and Affirmative Action: 2007

As an educator, I fear the general public does not fully appreciate how damaging a decrease in diversity can be to a student population, how essential an ingredient it is to higher education, and how referendums like the MCRI derail it.

The Diversity Vote: The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative 2006

The MCRI proposes to ban affirmative action in government hiring and university admissions in Michigan.

The Diversity Vote: The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative 2006

Come November, Michigan voters will have an important referendum to consider in the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), one that will have a hard-hitting impact on higher education if it passes.

The Diversity Vote: The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative 2006

The U.S. Supreme Court voted in favor of diversity with its 2003 decision on Grutter v. Bollinger, one of two cases involving race sensitive admissions practices at the University of Michigan, but the MCRI looks to undermine that decision.

The Diversity Vote: The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative 2006

This will likely happen if the MCRI is passed, because the MCRI will take away the ability to ensure a diverse student body.

The Diversity Vote: The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative 2006

In 1996, California passed Proposition 209, a similar initiative to the MCRI and as a result, reduced dramatically the proportion of African American and Latino students in the University of California system, especially at the two most selective campuses, UC Berkeley and UCLA.

The Diversity Vote: The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative 2006