The Supreme Court upheld Michigan's ban on affirmative action on Tuesday. The 6-2 decision, as The Times' David Savage explains, "clears away constitutional challenges to the state bans on affirmative action, which began in California in 1996."
From Savage's article:
“Justice
This is what The Times editorial board argued in October when it opined on the case:
"This case isn't about whether state universities may provide preferential treatment in their admissions policies. Rather, the question is whether the voters of Michigan violated the U.S. Constitution when they amended the state Constitution to say that universities 'shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.' That is a much harder question. ....
“Beyond these specific legal arguments, the opponents of Michigan’s ban are seeking to set aside a state constitutional amendment that was approved by the voters. We don’t believe that ballot initiatives are sacrosanct. If they violate constitutional rights — as we believe
Stay tuned: The editorial board will weigh in on
ALSO:
Follow Alexandra Le Tellier on Twitter @alexletellier and Google+