Florida, Texas AGs issue opinions arguing race-based policies are illegal

(The Center Square) – The attorneys general of Florida and Texas issued legal opinions on race- and sex-based policies and programs, both arguing they are illegal and unconstitutional under the U.S. and their respective state constitutions.

Both of their opinions cite the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision stating that race-based affirmative action admissions policies used by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina were unconstitutional. The court held that, “Distinctions between citizens solely because of their ancestry are by their very nature odious to a free people whose institutions are founded upon the doctrine of equality.” The ruling ended affirmative action in higher education.

The opinions were published on Monday, a national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said in his famous, “I have a Dream” speech that he dreamed his children would...