Supreme Court Rule on Affirmative Action

On Monday, June 23, the Supreme Court made significant rulings on cases concerning affirmative action. The Court voted 5-4 in favor of allowing public universities to use race as a "plus factor" when selecting students for admission, upholding the policy of the University of Michigan's law school. Majority Justices were Sandra Day O'Connor, John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen G. Breyer, and dissenting Justices were William H. Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, and Clarence Thomas. The case marked the first time a court ruled that race could be part of appropriate consideration for admission to public institutions of higher education.

Also on Monday, the Court found the undergraduate admissions point system at Michigan's College of Literature to be unconstitutional and in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The admissions policy gave minorities 20 points of a needed 100 points on a 150-point scale to be accepted into the school. The court voted 6-3 against such affirmative action. Justices Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented.

Polls Show Public Support for Private Medicare Options

The Galen Institute, a non-profit, health policy research organization, recently released the results of a Zogby International opinion poll. The poll, a telephone survey administered between June 18 and 21, asked 1,007 likely United States voters a series of questions concerning issues of the recent debate in Congress over Medicare. The results overall suggested that the public supports options to private health care plans, but at the same time revealed public distrust of a new complex drug coverage that is being created by Congress.

Of those surveyed, 82 percent of the total and 67 percent of seniors agree that "seniors should have the option of picking a private health plan approved by the Medicare program to provide their health benefits." After the drug benefit plan currently being discussed in the Senate was explained to those with drug coverage, 74 percent of seniors say it would not be better than the drug coverage they currently had. Also, 54 percent of the total survey say they would trust a private health plan for drug and medical benefits; 34 percent say they would be more secure knowing the government was in charge.

Bush Nomination Awaits Senate Approval

John Ashcroft announced on June 20th that President George W. Bush has nominated R. Alexander Acosta to be the new Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. The Attorney General added, "I am confident that the great traditions of the Civil Rights Division will be carried forward through the nomination and confirmation of Alex Acosta".

Mr. Acosta currently serves as a Member of the National Labor Relations Board. Prior to this position, he served as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Earlier in his career, Mr. Acosta taught several classes on civil rights law, disability-based discrimination law and employment law at George Mason University.

A native of Miami, FL, Acosta earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard College and his law degree from the Harvard Law School; he will be the first Hispanic Assistant Attorney General to lead the Civil Rights Division, if confirmed.

N.J. Judge Unseals Transcript In Controversial Terror Case
Lawyer Says Unraveled Charges Show Peril of Secret Evidence

By Dale Russakoff, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, June 25, 2003; Page A03

PATERSON, N.J., June 24 -- Mohamed Atriss spent six months here in the Passaic County Jail based on accusations by county prosecutors that he had ties to terrorism -- allegations prosecutors called so
sensitive that they had to be kept secret from Atriss despite his constitutional right to confront evidence against him................

Full article can be found at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28469-2003Jun24.html