The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take on a new case involving affirmative action.

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The court agreed on Monday to consider a 2006 Michigan ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to prohibit "discrimination, or the granting of preferential treatment, in public education, government contracting, and public employment based on race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin."

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The case will be heard in the fall.

The Michigan initiative itself was prompted by reaction to the landmark 2003 Supreme Court decisions upholding elements of affirmative action in the University of Michigan's admissions policies, which had come under legal challenge.

It's something of a surprise that the court agreed to hear this latest case, because it has yet to rule on an affirmation action case argued in October, which challenges the admissions system used at the University of Texas.