Dive Summary:
- On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will decide the constitutionality of Michigan's voter-approved ban on using racial or ethnic preference in public college admissions.
- The Supreme Court decided to take up the case in response to the state's appeal of a November ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that declared the ban unconstitutional, which countered a decision by the Ninth Circuit, and its decision could impact similar bans adopted by voters in several other states.
- Before the court hears the Michigan case, it is expected to decide another major affirmative action case this spring regarding the University of Texas at Austin's race-conscious undergraduate admissions policy, which, depending on the ruling, could render the debate over state bans moot.
From the article:
... In urging the Supreme Court to review the Sixth Circuit's decision, Michigan's attorney general had argued that the court needs to clear up the disagreement between the Sixth and Ninth Circuits. Similar arguments were offered in briefs submitted by other supporters of Michigan's ban and by one of two groups of plaintiffs that had filed lawsuits challenging the Michigan measure. ...