On April 21, the Supreme Court decided it would not hear the arguments in a case brought by the air tour industry, claiming that federal regulations benefit Arizona’s Hualapai Tribe. The industry argues that the policies constitute racial preference, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This case started because the Hualapai Tribe was exempted from the National Parks Overflights Act, which was designed to prevent noise pollution in the Grand Canyon. The tribe received the exemption because it depends largely on tourism for economic survival. The lawyer for the Hualapai Tribe says that the air tour industry is trying to capitalize on the Supreme Court’s recent apparent opposition to certain affirmative action programs, but that the Court recognizes that this case is political, and does not involve racial preferences.
