California voters have decided to uphold the state's ban on affirmative action, which went into effect twenty-four years ago with the passage of Proposition 209 that banned the consideration of race, sex, color, ethnicity and national origin in college admissions, public hiring and contracting.
Proposition 16 would have repealed that law, but the AP is now reporting that voters rejected the measure by nearly 1.4 million votes.
"There is an unequal playing field for woman and people of color in California in education, employment and in the awarding of contracts," Eva Paterson, "Yes on Prop 16" Co-Chair told KCBS Radio's "The State Of California" last month. "Many people were misled and confused in 1996, when Proposition 209 was on the ballot. I’ve had people tell me 'Oh, I thought I was voting for civil rights.'"
Opponents disagree.
"That’s what civil right are all about. Not discriminating on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. It’s as simple as that," said Gail Heriot, Co-Chair of the "No on Prop 16" side. Heriot is a law professor at UC San Diego, a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights and was Co-Chair of the Prop 209 campaign back in 1996.
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