New coalition to challenge Connerly initiative

 

By Jeremy Berkowitz, Daily Staff Reporter
December 08, 2003

 

The University received support from numerous businesses and individuals last year when its race-conscious admissions policies went before the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, those same forces are preparing for another fight as the American Civil Rights Coalition hopes to nullify the same admissions policies with a statewide ballot initiative.

Citizens for a United Michigan, headed by retired Brig. Gen. Michael Rice, was formed recently by a collaboration of the AFL-CIO, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Michigan Catholic Conference. Rice said the group plans to fight to preserve the use of race in admissions.

An initiative by University of California Regent and ACRC founder Ward Connerly, to amend the state constitution prohibiting race-conscious admissions and other state programs that take race into account, is expected to be approved Thursday by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers.

Afterward, Connerly's group has six months to gather 317,000 signatures to get the initiative on next November's ballot. The coalition plans to start its drive next month.

Rice said his group is starting to build an advertising campaign to convince voters that this initiative is bad for the state.

"We're working on a website ... we'll be buying media time, maybe even billboards," Rice said. "This (petition) is wrong for Michigan."

Rice added that he plans on building a broad coalition throughout the state to include more than just liberals.

"This is a nonpartisan effort to defeat a ballot proposal," Rice said, referring to the state Republican Party's refusal to endorse Connerly. "We're capitalizing on that and we're building on this coalition to be very inclusive."

Although the state party remains neutral on the issue, a group of 20 Republican state legislators, headed by Reps. Jack Brandenburg of Harrison Township and Leon Drolet of Clinton Township, pledged their support to Connerly this fall, but Rice said he is unconcerned about them.

Justin Jones, director of policy and planning for the American Civil Rights Coalition, said he looks forward to the competition.

"I'm not worried at all," Jones said. "I look forward to debating with them."

Some areas of Michigan are strongly conservative, especially the western part of the state and the Upper Peninsula. Rice said he hopes to focus more on converting the undecided voters than on persuading those who already hold strong positions against affirmative action.

"I would love to convert everybody, but I don't know if that's possible," Rice said.

University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said she is not surprised by the outpouring of support, especially after more than 300 organizations filed 60 Supreme Court briefs in support of the University earlier this year. The court later upheld the use of race in admissions according to set guidelines.

"This is much broader than the University," Peterson said, adding that numerous companies seek diversity in their workforce.

But Peterson said the University is limited by state law in the amount of active work it can to with the new group. Although the University is allowed "to educate and inform" the public, it cannot participate in advertising endeavors or use University funds to run a campaign.

"We were much more active and vocal during the lawsuits. The situation is somewhat different for us," she said.

Peterson added that University President Mary Sue Coleman still plans to actively speak with groups and editorial boards around the state to promote the University's cause.