Washington State Reverses Ban on Race-Conscious Admissions

According to Inside Higher Education, new legislation in the state of Washington has reversed the state's ban on race-conscious admissions that had been adopted by referendum in 1998. The new policy is scheduled to take effect a year from now, and opponents of race-conscious admissions are already acting to try to reverse the new policy. Inside Higher Education reports that the new legislation "explicitly states that the universities may not make decisions solely based on race or ethnicity (something that the Supreme Court already bars them from doing)… The developments in Washington State come at a time when a lawsuit against Harvard University over affirmative action -- if appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court as expected -- could have an impact on colleges nationwide."