Lansing - Members of the state House are readying to make a statement on the University of Michigan's affirmative action policy.
A resolution urging "the U.S. Supreme Court to rule against the university's policies" will seek approval from House lawmakers this week. The House Committee on Government Operations last week passed the resolution forward.
Because the case originated in the state, opinions of Michigan legislators should be taken into consideration when the Supreme Court hears arguments, said Rep. Jack Brandenburg, R-Harrison Township, who introduced the resolution.
"It's nothing but a quota system based on race, that's discrimination," he said, claiming it violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 14th Amendment. The court will hear the case beginning April 1.
Both of those acts attempted to protect all citizens from harassment or unequal treatment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin under protection of law.
"I don't think U-M is being honest by using diversity to back up their admissions," he said.
But not all members of the House are eager to send the resolution forward to Washington.
"We don't need to go back to the days of segregation, denying the opportunity to those who have been excluded historically," said Rep. Michael Murphy, D-Lansing.
"Michigan should be speaking with one voice, that diversity is important here in our state, we need to be speaking to the nation with one voice to create diversity."
Affirmative action "provides a level playing field" and diversity is needed for a learning environment which is an accurate reflection of the state, Murphy said.
U-M's positions on diversity are one reason Rep. James Koetje co-sponsored the resolution.
"They seem to circle the wagons," said Koetje, R-Grandville, adding U-M officials didn't consider race when composing its Board of Regents.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm filed a brief with the Supreme Court last week supporting U-M's policies. In it, Granholm said U-M deserves the right to use their own admissions policies under "doctrines of academic freedom and institutional autonomy" guaranteed by both the U.S. and Michigan constitutions.
"The governor has taken a position that supports diversity and the university's autonomy to determine the makeup of its student body," Granholm spokeswoman Elizabeth Boyd said. "Any decision by the House on this issue does not affect the governor's position."
Rep. Leon Drolet, R-Clinton, said House Republicans drafted the resolution as a reaction to Granholm's brief.
"We probably would not have done it if the governor had not filed the brief," he said. "She felt the obligation to involve herself in the process and we had a similar obligation."
