Michigan Civil Rights Initiative

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Contents 1 Beginning 2 2003 3 2004 4 2005 5 2006 6 2007 7 People & Organizations

Beginning

The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI) - later to become Proposal 2 of 2006 - was announced on July 8, 2003, a mere two and a half weeks after the June 23, 2003 Supreme Court rulings in Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger. These cases, collectively known as the University of Michigan admissions lawsuits, were decided in a "split ruling." In the Grutter case, the Court allowed some use of race preference to obtain the alleged "educational benefits" of "diversity." In the Gratz case, the Court restricted the use of preferences to "narrowly tailored" situations and found that the use of "mechanical" or quantifiable preferences were illegal under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. In both cases, the Court expressly recognized right of two states, Washington and California, to completely prohibit preferences, and in dicta it looked forward to a period in 25 years where state experimentation with alternatives would render the need for preferences moot.

Shortly following the ruling, both Jennifer Gratz and Barbara Grutter, along with a number of other Michiganders, called Ward Connerly at the American Civil Rights Coalition (ACRC) in Sacramento, California, and invited him to Michigan to assist in a petition drive to give the voters of Michigan an opportunity to decide whether they wanted to allow racial and gender (the Court ruling did not address gender, but as a matter of principle MCRI included it) preferences.

2003

The early beginnings of MCRI were sporadic, as the organization had to be built from the ground up and Connerly's ACRC was embroiled in promoting the Racial Privacy Initiative in California, which was decided in the October special election created as a result of the California Gubernatorial recall petition drive. Nonetheless, the announcement of July 8, 2003, the endorsement of over 20 state legislators on July 20, 2003, and the December 2003 Michigan Board of Canvassers certification of ballot language as to form mark the most important public events of the year.

Key events in 2003 included:

• April 2, 2003 - Oral arguments to the US Supreme Court in Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger.
• June 23, 2003 - US Supreme Court issues rulings Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger.
• July 8, 2003 - Ward Connerly and others speak on the Diag of the University of Michigan campus announcing formation of MCRI.
• July 20, 2003 - A press conference at the Michigan Capitol Building announce 20 legislators who support MCRI.
• December 2003 - Over the course of the first week of December, the Board of Canvassers meets and approves in a 3-0-1 (absention) vote the "form" of the petition. This determination leads later to a lawsuit in January 2004, by By Any Means Necessary (BAMN).

2004

• January 12, 2004 - Press conference held in Farmington Hills, MI by MCRI kicked off the petition-gathering phase of the drive and its initial formal organization began.
• January 2004 - Multiple lawsuits are filed by multiple parties against either the Board of Canvassers or MCRI.
• March 26, 2004 - Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Paula Manderfield issues a ruling supporting MCRI's ballot language on 4 of 5 grounds, but rules it must rewrite one portion of the language. MCRI later appeals.
• March 27, 2007 - Judge Susan Borman of Wayne County rules against two individuals suing MCRI to enjoin them against any petitioning on the grounds that petitioning created a hostile environment, citing 'no precedent in the history' of the nation that would allow her to stop someone from petitioning for such a reason.
• June 8th, 2004 - Michigan Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in appeal of Ingham County Circuit Court ruling.
• June 11th, 2004 - Michigan Court of Appeals issues ruling in case validating MCRI petition language in all aspects. MCRI announces intent to shoot for 2006 ballot shortly after ruling is handed down, citing three remaining weeks to 2004 deadline as simply too risky to pursue.
• July 5, 2004 - Deadline for November 2004 ballot access passes.
• July 6, 2004 - MCRI re-launches petition-drive. Drive concludes on January 6, 2005.

2005

2006

• November 7, 2006 - Election Day. MCRI wins voter approval 58% to 42%.

2007

• August 28, 2007 - United States Court of Appeals (6th Circuit, Cincinnati), dismissed one of BAMN's legal challenges on the allegations of fraud in MCRI signature collection. Detroit News story AP wire story.
• January 2007 - US Supreme Court refuses review of BAMN legal challenge to Court of Appeals ruling on Proposal 2 going into effect. Proposal 2 is fully in effect.
• March 7, 2007 - Michigan Civil Rights Commission releases report to Governor & public on effects of Proposal 2. Report concludes Proposal 2 won't affect "all affirmative action" and many programs will be safe, essentially validating Proposal 2 backers and fundamentally contradicting previous Commission findings that organizers lied.

People & Organizations

Organization

• Professor Carl Cohen, major supporter, Steering Committee.
• Ward Connerly, major supporter, adviser.
• Leon Drolet, Steering Committee Chair (various), Treasurer (Feb. 2006 - Conclusion).
• Jennifer Gratz (Executive Director, Jan 2004 - Conclusion)
• Barbara Grutter, major supporter, Steering Committee.
• James Fett, attorney for MCRI in 2004.
• Max McPhail, Director of Media Relations (April 2006 - Conclusion).
• Glenn Lenhoff, attorney for MCRI in 2004.
• Steve (Stephen) Safranek, attorney for MCRI in language drafting and late-2005 Court of Appeals defense.
• Debbie (Deborah) Schussel, general counsel attorney for MCRI during 2005 signature-certification.
• Doug Tietz, Campaign Manager, (April 2006 - Conclusion).
• Chetly Zarko, Treasurer, Director of Media Relations and Outreach, Special Consultant (2004 - Conclusion).

Other Endorsers & Notable Contributors

• Michigan Association of Scholars.
• Professor Howard Schwartz.
• Professor Arthur White.
• Professor William B. Allen.
• State Rep. Jack (Jacob) Hoogendyk and twenty other representatives.
• ... and over 2,000,000 others.

Miscellaneous

• Toward a Fair Michigan, a non-profit group fostering non-partisan debate on the issue.

Opponents

• By Any Means Necessary
• One United Michigan