Measure to Overturn Ban on Affirmative Action Headed for the November Ballot
June 25, 2020, San Francisco—The California State Senate yesterday ratified Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 5 (ACA 5). The measure is now headed for the November ballot in California, where voters will decide whether to overturn Proposition 209, the ban on affirmative action passed in 1996.
By overturning Proposition 209, ACA 5 would allow for consideration of race and gender in the hiring and admissions processes of governments, public colleges, and universities.
Passed by the State Assembly earlier this month, the measure's momentum and support was spearheaded by the Opportunity for All Coalition through its co-chairs, Eva Paterson of the Equal Justice Society, and Vincent Pan of Chinese for Affirmative Action. The Bar Association of San Francisco's Board of Directors voted to endorse the measure in March.
The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) is a nonprofit voluntary membership organization of attorneys, law students, and legal professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 1872, BASF enjoys the support of more than 7,500 individuals, law firms, corporate legal departments, and law schools. BASF provides a collective voice for public advocacy, advances professional growth and education, and attempts to elevate the standards of integrity, honor, and respect in the practice of law.