California Proposition 209 (1996)
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Proposition 209 was a 1996 California ballot proposition which amended the state Constitution to prohibit public institutions from discriminating on the basis of race, sex, or ethnicity. It had been supported by the California Civil Rights Initiative Campaign, led by University of California Regent Ward Connerly, and opposed by pro-affirmative action advocacy groups. Proposition 209 was voted into law on 5 November 1996, with 54% of the vote. In the November 2006 election in Michigan, a similar amendment was passed, entitled the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.
On 27 November 1996, U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson blocked enforcement of the measure. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently overturned that ruling. Proposition 209 has been the subject of many lawsuits in state courts since its passage.
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[edit] Support
Supporters of Proposition 209 contended that existing affirmative action programs led public employers and universities to reject applicants based on their race, and that Proposition 209 would "restore the historic Civil Rights Act."
[edit] Opposition
Opponents of Proposition 209 argued that it would end affirmative action practices of tutoring, mentoring, outreach and recruitment of women and minorities in California universities and businesses.
[edit] Private sector response
One response to Proposition 209 was the establishment of the IDEAL Scholars Fund to provide community and financial support for "underrepresented" students at the University of California at Berkeley.
Private universities and colleges, as well as employers, have generally ignored Proposition 209 and continue to administer traditional affirmative action programs.
