The Salt Lake Tribune
By Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 03/11/2010 01:58:20 PM MST
Backers of a contentious push to amend Utah's Constitution to ban affirmative action have abandoned the fight this year, unable to swing four Republican holdouts in the House.
"We've agreed to stand down," said Jeff Hartley, who had been hired by the American Civil Rights Institute to lobby for the amendment banning preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.
Leadership offered to study the issue during the summer and it will likely be back next year.
House Minority Leader David Litvack, D-Salt Lake City, said he is relieved the fight is over. He said the amendment proponents use deceptive practices to further their cause and that the Constitutional Revision Commission raised serious concerns about the language of the amendment.
Litvack said it is an "anti-civil rights" measure that would undermine outreach programs to minority communities and women.
"There's no evidence that this idea of reverse discrimination, quotas is even happening and then we want to amend the Constitution based on that?" he asked. "This is a national agenda that is being driven into the state of Utah. We Utahns need to do what's best for Utah."
Full Story: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14656442
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