DE ROCHE, WARD, CALL FOR CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION
In another development related to the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative,
House Speaker Craig DeRoche (R-Novi) and House Majority Floor Leader
Rep. Chris Ward (R-Brighton) sent a letter to both Attorney General Mike
Cox and Auditor General Thomas McTavish on Wednesday, calling for an
investigation into the investigation conducted by the Civil Rights
Commission and Department of Civil Rights.
The Republican leaders contest that the commission and department
overstepped their bounds in equating the petition gathering (where fraud
has been alleged by the commission) with a civil rights violation.
"Now, the administration appears to be blatantly supporting political
action and policies that treat citizens of Michigan differently based on
their race or ethnicity," the two wrote.
The initiative would ban the use of affirmative action programs in
government and public universities in the state.
The letter concludes, "Did the CRC have the constitutional and
statutory authority to conduct this investigation? Did the CRC have
the authority to claim that the MCRI petition circulators committed
fraud? Finally, did CRC improperly expend public funds in its attacks
on MCRI's signature collection process?"
Officials from the commission and department recently concluded a
series of hearings across the state where residents said they were
misled into signing the MCRI petition, thinking the proposal would
actually keep affirmative action programs in place. They have called
on the Attorney General and Supreme Court to intervene and take the
proposal off the November ballot.
Harold Core, spokesperson for the department, said he was not
comfortable commenting until see specific letter, however he said, "I'm
confident that the department and commission acted within their
authority."
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