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Supreme Court agrees to take second affirmative action case

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, an affirmative action case from Michigan.

Voters approved Proposition 2 in 2006. It bans affirmative action in government hiring, government contracting and admission to public universities in the state.

A full panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the ban in a November 15, 2012, decision. The Supreme Court agreed to review the ruling, making it the second affirmative action case after Fisher v. University of Texas.

Members of federally recognized tribes who live in Michigan are eligible for the Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver. The state says program hasn't been affected by Proposition 2.

"The Indian Tuition Waiver statute remains constitutional only to the extent that it is not based upon a student’s race or national origin, but upon the political interrelationship that exists with sovereign tribes," according to a FAQ from the state civil rights department.

Get the Story:
Supreme Court Takes New Case on Affirmative Action, From Michigan (The New York Times 3/26)

6th Circuit Decision:
Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action v. Regents of the University of Michigan (November 15, 2012)