Folks -
This morning I was hosting a meeting where a Flint area group is
continuing to plan our attack on the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative
and I came across a press release that the MCRI prepared just about 2
years ago that struck me simply because of some of the names listed. I
have pasted it in below and have attached a copy as well. (The URL I
listed is no longer valid, but I did save a copy on my hard drive.)
Inasmuch as we are taking a close look at both the House and the
Senate as they deliberate over appropriations, and particularly given
the tight party line voting that is prevalent on the House side, I
thought it might be interesting to take a look at those
representatives and how some of them have "signed on" and have come
down on the side of supporting the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative's
Ballot Initiative. Although the constitutional amendment proposal did
not make it to the 2004 ballot as they originally planned, it is
presumed it will be on the 2006 ballot.
As we deliberate over who we can "reach" and solicit support for KCP
funding, this list might be very telling about what position they
might take in restoring KCP funding to the 2006 budget.
Tendaji
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Educational Opportunity Initiatives (EOI)
EOI People are Extra Ordinary Individuals
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Announcement of July 23, 2003 Press Conference
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Contact: Justin Jones (916) 444-2278 or [log in to unmask]
SACRAMENTO, CALIF.-Continuing in his drive to qualify and pass the
Michigan
Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), which will prohibit the state from
granting preferential treatment to anyone based on race or gender in
public education, public employment or public contracting, Ward
Connerly will announce tomorrow the creation of a statewide MCRI
Steering Committee. That committee will include several prominent
Michigan state legislators, who will join Mr. Connerly in his
announcement. The announcement will occur at 10 a.m. on Wednesday,
July 23, in the first-floor rotunda in the Michigan
Capitol. Mr. Connerly is the chairman of the American Civil Rights
Coalition (ACRC), a public advocacy group that promotes the
elimination of racial and gender preferences.
The MCRI Steering Committee will be responsible for organizing
statewide support for the initiative and will initially focus on
gathering signatures. Every member of the Steering Committee supports
and endorses the goal of MCRI: for all Michigan citizens to receive
equal treatment under the law, regardless of race or gender. Those
members of the Steering Committee who will join Mr. Connerly in his
announcement tomorrow include:
Representative Leon Drolet, District 33
Representative Jack Brandenburg, District 24
Representative Dan Acciavatti, District 32
Representative Matt Milosch, District 55
Representative John Garfield, District 45
Representative David Robertson, District 51
Representative Tom Meyer, District 84
Representative Scott Hummel, District 93
Representative Jack Hoogendyk Jr., District 61
Representative Joe Hune, District 47
Representative John Stahl, District 82
Representative Craig DeRoche, District 38
Tim O'Brien, Executive Director, Small Government Alliance
Charles Nunez Jr., Executive Director, Character Resources of Michigan
Other Michigan lawmakers who may not be able to attend tomorrow's
press conference with Mr. Connerly but nevertheless serve on the MCRI
Steering Committee with equal commitment include:
Representative Susan Tabor, District 71
Representative John Pastor, District 19
Representative Stephen Ehardt, District 83
Representative Fulton Sheen, District 88
Representative Tom Casperson, District 108
Representative John Stakoe, District 44
Representative Kenneth Bradstreet, District 105
Representative Rick Shaffer, District 59
"The score of lawmakers willing to stand up and swear their support
for equal treatment under the law represent over one-and-a-half
million Michigan citizens," said Mr. Connerly. "And I have no doubt
that more public officials and prominent citizens will join us soon as
they see our cause is morally just. The majority of Michiganians, like
the majority of Americans, want to be treated equally, not judged by
the color of their skin. They want their kids to be accepted into
college by the same standards as everyone else. They want public jobs
and contracts to be awarded based on skill and qualifications, not
race or gender. They hold the same beliefs that were codified in the
1964 Civil Rights Act. Forty years later, we're going to ensure those
beliefs are upheld by voting for MCRI in November 2004."
Mr. Connerly has led ballot initiatives to eliminate racial and gender
preferences in California in 1996 and Washington state in 1998, both
to success. The American Civil Rights Coalition is a national
civil-rights organization created to work with grassroots supporters
and elected officials at the local, state and federal level to end
racial and gender preferences and racial classifications. ACRC engages
in activities including, but not limited to, initiative campaigns and
lobbying and is based in Sacramento, California. For more information
on the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, please visit
www.michigancivilrights.org.
Source: http://www.michigancivilrights.org/72303-press.html
Accessed: 072503
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