Prometheus 6

Mich. minority program in federal court
August 17, 2006

DETROIT --Witnesses testified in federal court Thursday that they were tricked into signing or collecting signatures on petitions to put a proposal to ban some affirmative action programs on the November ballot.

State courts so far have sided with the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, whose proposal to ban race and gender preferences in government hiring and public-university admissions is to be put to voters Nov. 7.

Joseph Reed of Detroit testified that when he applied as a petition circulator, "I was told it was for keeping affirmative action, that they were trying to get rid of it and this was a way to keep it."

Reed collected signatures and told voters, "You're signing to keep affirmative action," he said. But after a few weeks, people began accusing him of deceiving petition signers, and he learned the proposal's true goal.

Doyle O'Connor, a lawyer, testified that he overheard a petition circulator tell a shopper that voting for the proposal would "help black kids get into college."

After confronting them about the misrepresentation, he said, "They finally said they were getting paid, and they didn't care what they did as long as they got paid."

O'Connor is a co-defendant because he voted to place the MCRI proposal on the ballot while serving on the state Board of Canvassers.

Closing arguments were scheduled for Friday, and U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow indicated he would issue a ruling before Sept. 8, the deadline for printing ballots.