The Calif constitution’s ban on preferential treatment based on race, sex, or ethnicity was put there in 1996 by Prop 209. Now state legislators want to create an unlimited number of “exceptions.” They will swallow the rule. #NoACA7 #KeepDiscriminationIllegal pic.twitter.com/sZVoh6PXVo

— Gail Heriot (@GailHeriot) December 19, 2023

Have you ever wanted to give me a Christmas present? One that won’t cost you a nickel? Here’s how you can do it: The California legislature is again trying to repeal Prop 209–the 1996 amendment to the state constitution that prohibits preferential treatment based on race, sex, or ethnicity in public education, public education and public contracting. They tried this three years ago (Prop 16) and got spanked at the ballot box. We defeated them overwhelmingly even though they outspent us more than 14 to 1.

This time they are being trickier. Instead of a straight repeal, they are considering a referendum that would give the governor the power to grant “exceptions” to Prop 209. The bill–Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7 or ACA7–passed the Assembly in the autumn and will be before the Senate when the legislature reconvenes in January. I am hoping to convince the Senate that this is a bad idea. I don’t want to have to spend the better part of a year on another campaign.

[I went through and ‘liked’ all of her tweets on ACA 7, and RT’d a few of them to boot. It’s easy, it’s free, and it certainly can’t hurt to keep this percolating on social media. — Ed]