Volume 8: Issue 1
The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative and the Future of Racial Preferences
On November 7, 2006, the people of Michigan voted by an overwhelming 58-42% margin in favor of Proposal 2, the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), which bans state discrimination and preference on the basis of race, ethnicity, and sex in employment, contracting, and education programs. Ward Connerly—who, along with Jennifer Gratz, led the campaign for the passage of Proposal 2—announced the following month that he would begin an exploratory process for a “Super Tuesday for Equality” in November 2008, identifying nine states for which anti-preference ballot initiatives would be explored: Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, and Wyoming....