Michigan Anti-Affirmative Action Initiative Fizzles in Light of Day

by James Parks, Mar 30, 2006

He’s at it again. Former University of California regent Ward Connerly is spearheading a drive to pass a November ballot initiative in Michigan that would end equal opportunity and affirmative action in higher education, employment and contracting. Connerly also sponsored California’s Proposition 209 (1996) and Washington State’s Initiative 200 (1998), ballot initiatives that eradicated affirmative action in both states, and is campaigning for enactment of a similar initiative in Michigan.

But Michigan voters are not buying it. A new poll by EPIC-MIRA shows a dramatic shift in voters’ views after the actual language of the proposal was released. A statewide poll released March 10 shows support for the misnamed Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI) has dropped from three months ago before the actual wording came out. Today, 47 percent of voters oppose the measure, while 44 percent favor it. That’s a huge switch from December 2005 when 53 percent supported the anti-affirmative action plan and 32 percent were opposed. 

The Michigan initiative is the latest attempt by extremists nationwide to dismantle affirmative action. Even though Congress consistently has rejected efforts to ban affirmative action, this past September, the Bush administration, an avowed foe of affirmative action and any law that helps working Americans, cut out affirmative action requirements for new federal contracts handling Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The Bushies also doubled the size of the contracts for Gulf Coast relief that can be awarded without giving special opportunities to economically disadvantaged businesses owned by minorities and women.

More than 100 organizations, including unions, women’s rights and civil rights groups, educators, business, religious and community groups formed One United Michigan to fight Connerly’s effort to turn back years of progress in leveling the playing field for the state’s minorities. Both candidates for Michigan governor and all the major candidates for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat, including Republicans, oppose Connerly’s separate but unequal initiative.

The switch in support doesn’t surprise Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights:

This poll indicates what we have known all along: Michigan voters, once educated about the true intent of MCRI, will not be fooled by it. It’s no coincidence that such a cross section of Michigan residents are opposed to this initiative.

The AFL-CIO and the union movement are not going to let Bush and his cronies turn back the clock. At its 2005 convention, AFL-CIO members reaffirmed their commitment to preserving affirmative action.

We will defend affirmative action from attacks by the far right; we recognize these attacks are often cynical ploys designed to create wedge issues to divide Americans for political gain. We will vigorously oppose federal and state legislation and local ballot initiatives that seek to end affirmative action.

Further, AFL-CIO members rejected the myth that affirmative action is about quotas, which are illegal, or about giving jobs to the unqualified.

It is a commonsense approach to addressing the nation’s long and sad history of discrimination through special outreach to those who have been excluded because of race, gender and national origin. We look forward to the day when the nation no longer needs affirmative action, but until then, we will promote and defend it as one of the best and most effective strategies available to move us in the direction of an inclusive and equal society.

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