Supreme Court

Supreme Court Poised To Smack Down Affirmative Action

Sahil Kapur | March 1, 2012, 5:46AM

Jason Maehl/ Shutterstock

The deck seems stacked for a landmark Supreme Court decision against the use of racial preference in college admissions, experts tell TPM. The scope of the upcoming Fisher v. University of Texas ruling is uncertain, but barring a shocking change of heart from one of the five Republican-appointed justices, the high court seems set to deal a blow to Affirmative Action.

This fall, for the first time since 2003, the Supreme Court will hear a case that cuts to the heart of Affirmative Action in higher education, brought by a white woman who said she was unfairly denied admission to the University of Texas-Austin. More importantly, it will be the first time the high court has taken a case on this issue while a majority of the sitting justices have expressed misgivings with racial preferences in education. To add to that, Elena Kagan, one of the justices seen as sympathetic to the cause, has recused herself.

"I think the chances for Affirmative Action are really not good," Adam Winkler, a constitutional law professor at UCLA, told TPM. "Without Kagan there are only three solid votes for continuing Affirmative Action in higher education. Those aren't good odds."

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Sally Kern

OK GOPer Apologizes For Saying Black People Don't Work As Hard

Jillian Rayfield | April 29, 2011, 10:02AM

State Rep. Sally Kern (R-OK)

Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern (R) has apologized for her comments about black people not working as hard, saying that "my words were, obviously, not spoken correctly and for that I humbly apologize."

But, she added: "Unfortunately, when we take 'words or sentences' out of the total context of a speech debated on the floor, there can be false misrepresentations, but the most important part is to always go to the heart of the matter."

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