Court Schedules Arguments On Affirmative Action

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled arguments on Michigan's affirmative action ban.

On Oct. 15, the court plans to hear Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's appeal of a federal appeals court decision striking down the 2006 ban on consideration of race in college admissions. The Supreme Court announced the schedule Tuesday.

Schuette has said college admissions should be based solely on merit and that everyone should have equal access to Michigan's top universities.

"I think this issue, in terms of the Michigan constitution, reviewed thoroughly by the United State Supreme Court, I think in the end we are going to have a resounding victory," he said.

The law's opponents are hopeful the Supreme Court will uphold the appeals court. American Civil Liberties Union lawyers say it's discriminatory because schools can still consider whether a student is a "legacy" who has family who attended the school.

The appeals court said forcing the ban's opponents to mount their own long, expensive campaign through the ballot box to protect affirmative action amounts to different, and unequal, treatment.

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