Prop. 16 would help create level playing field for Californians

California is still recovering from the long-term negative impact on minority residents from three ballot measures voters approved a quartercentury ago.

In 1994, voters approved Proposition 184, the threestrikes sentencing law, and Prop. 187, prohibiting undocumented immigrants from receiving health care, public education and other services. Voters largely repudiated the former with Propositions 47 in 2014 and 57 in 2016, and the courts wisely struck down Prop. 187.

Now voters have the opportunity to correct the third mistake by passing Proposition 16 on the Nov. 3 ballot. A “yes” vote would repeal Proposition 209, the 1996 ballot measure that banned affirmative action in California for the purposes of public employment, education and contracting.

The events of this year have highlighted the level of racial injustice that exists across the nation, including California. The disparity between Black and Latino residents and their white counterparts is readily apparent when it comes to income, health, education and the criminal justice system.

Reducing those disparities will require a major effort on multiple fronts. Proposition 16 would give the state’s universities and government a valuable tool they need to fight existing structural inequalities.

It’s important to remember the extent of the sweeping negative impact Proposition 209 had on admissions at the University of California’s most selective campuses, UC Berkeley and UCLA.

In 1998, the year Prop. 16 took effect, the admissions rate for Black students applying to enter UC Berkeley’s freshman class fell from 47.8% to 19.7%. Latino students saw their chances of freshman admission decline from 44.4% to 20.6%. The admission rate for Black students at UCLA fell from 37.6% to 23.0% and for Latino applicants from 40.4% to 24.3%, while admission for white and Asian American students increased.

A new UC Berkeley study revealed that Prop. 209 not only hurt Black and Latino enrollment, but it also lowered their graduation rates and significantly damaged their income opportunities.

The study found that Blacks and Latinos earned 5% less on average every year until they were in their mid-30s. The study revealed that Prop. 209 caused a cumulative decline in the number of Blacks and Latinos earning more than $100,000 by at least 3%.

In 2020, the UC system announced it had used other criteria to increase its admission offers to underrepresented groups by 16%. Blacks now make up 5% and Latinos make up 36% of the incoming class, which is reasonably close to the state’s overall demographics.

But a 2018 study by the nonprofit advocacy group Campaign for College Opportunity found that only 3% of the UC system’s tenured faculty were Black, and only 7% were Latino. There’s still work to be done.

Studies of public contracting in California show similar disparities. Businesses owned by minority groups often lack the access to capital to be able to compete. One estimate by the nonprofit Equal Justice Society put the number of contract dollars lost due to Proposition 209 by businesses owned by women, Blacks and Latinos at $1.1 billion every year due to the ending of state and local government programs designed to create equal opportunities.

After more than two decades of furthering racial disparities in California, voters have a chance to create a more-level playing field for students, workers and businesses. Vote yes on Prop. 16.

A “yes” vote would repeal Proposition 209, the 1996 ballot measure that banned affirmative action in California for the purposes of public employment, education and contracting.