Preferences Foe Stumps in State Preferences Foe Stumps in State
He calls affirmative action unfair
Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/news/politics/conn20_20040320.htm
By Ruby L. Bailey, Free Press Washington Staff
March 20, 2004
California's anti-affirmative action crusader Ward Connerly said Friday that he wants to "accelerate the timetable" toward the day when racial preferences aren't used.
Connerly said there's no reason to wait the 25 years that Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor envisioned would be needed before society could end programs to help minorities in college admissions and hiring. O'Connor mentioned the 25-year target in her majority opinion last year upholding race-conscious admissions at the University of Michigan Law School.
"If justice is served by treating people equally 25 years from now, why not now?" Connerly told the Free Press editorial board.
Connerly visited three editorial boards, did a radio interview and met with a few supporters Friday. His tour of Michigan this weekend is the first since a statewide campaign to ban race preferences began in January. He will be meeting with volunteers and potential financial donors today and Sunday.
Connerly's supporters are circulating petitions for the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative to place before Michigan voters in November a constitutional amendment to ban race, ancestry or gender-based preferences in admissions to state universities and state hiring and contracting.
A University of California Regent, Connerly led the university's 1995 efforts to ban affirmative action and the statewide effort that passed in 1996.
He also led Washington state's campaign to ban racial, ethnic and gender preferences in admissions, hiring and contracting. The measure passed in 1998.
In his Free Press interview, Connerly said he wants to replace affirmative action programs with race-neutral alternatives that help poor people and those who would be the first generation college students.
"That's the way we should be restructuring higher education," said Connerly, who made the rounds with Jennifer Gratz, the initiative's Michigan chairwoman, and state Rep. Leon Drolet, R-Clinton Township.
Gratz, Drolet and others asked Connerly to help with a statewide ban after the University of Michigan won portions of its case before the U.S Supreme Court, preserving race-conscious college admissions.
The campaign needs to collect the signatures of about 320,000 registered voters by July 6 to get the measure on the November ballot.
Several groups are opposing the petition drive.
One of the opposing groups, Citizens for a United Michigan, is challenging the validity of the petitions at a hearing Monday in Ingham County Circuit Court.
Based on the experience in California and other states, educators and others worry that a ban on affirmative action would sharply reduce the number of underrepresented minorities -- blacks, Hispanics and American Indians -- in Michigan's public universities.
Contact RUBY L. BAILEY at (202) 383-6036 or bailey@freepress.com.
Copyright © 2004 Detroit Free Press Inc.
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