The man behind the Supreme Court's landmark challenge to race-based college admissions policies is now suing to stop Alabama's licensing board from imposing “racial quotas.” .
The case marks the first time conservative anti-affirmative action litigator Edward Blum has challenged race-based standards for membership on a state regulatory commission. Bloom's group, the Equal Rights Alliance of America, named Gov. Kay Ivey (R-Ala.), who is responsible for making appointments to the Real Estate Appraisal Board, as one of the defendants.
According to the complaint, the Alabama Board of Real Estate Appraisers has had an at-large member vacancy since 2021, but state law currently requires at least two members of the AREAB board to be racial minorities. , it is said that it is not filled.
“Race should not be used to include or exclude people from serving on government committees,” Blum said. washington examiner. “We hope that Alabama immediately discontinues this policy.”
The lawsuit is being brought by the Pacific Law Foundation, another major firm that challenges race- and gender-based appointments to public boards and commissions in at least 25 states.
said Glenn Roper, senior attorney at the Pacific Law Foundation. washington examiner “Governments should not use race or ethnicity to determine who can serve the people.”
“However, the Alabama Board of Real Estate Appraisers is doing just that by excluding interested Alabamians from currently available board positions unless they are a racial minority. Simply put, it's unconstitutional,” Roper added.
Bloom's group argues that AREAB's requirement to appoint at least two minorities to the board, which forces the governor to make decisions based on the race of board candidates, violates the 14th Amendment. It alleges that this violates the Equal Protection Clause.
The Pacific Law Foundation has handled similar cases, including one in Arkansas last year that resulted in a requirement that states have at least two black commissioners on social work licensing boards. This resulted in the withdrawal of the .
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Mr. Bloom and other anti-affirmative action litigants say: Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard University A Supreme Court ruling last year made clear that such policies cannot exist in publicly funded institutions and are no match for similar diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in private industry. I'm also looking for a fight.
of washington examiner We have reached out to Mr. Ivey's office for a response.
