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Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law Friday banning the use of legacy preferences in admissions at public colleges and universities, making Illinois the fourth state to do so. Colorado and Virginia have banned the practice at public universities, while Maryland passed a bill making it illegal at all colleges in the state.
It’s the third successful ban passed since the Supreme Court banned affirmative action last year, resuscitating legislative efforts to end the practice, and marks a symbolic win for the anti-legacy movement after a disappointing setback in Connecticut in May. The law will have little practical impact, however; none of Illinois’s public universities currently give admissions preference to relatives of alumni.
Proposals to ban legacy preferences are also up for consideration in New York, Massachusetts, California and Minnesota.
