ACA 5 Passes First State Senate Committee Vote Bill giving voters the chance to reinstate affirmative action clears first of three Senate hurdles

Bill giving voters the chance to reinstate affirmative action clears first of three Senate hurdles

 

Sacramento, CA – The Opportunity For All Coalition today celebrated the California State Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee’s yes vote on ACA 5, the first of 3 key votes the legislation faces in the Senate this month.

 

Eva Paterson and Vincent Pan, co-chairs of the Opportunity For All Coalition, lauded the committee’s vote, saying, “This is a historic moment both for our coalition, and for California. With this vote, ACA 5 is the first legislation to reinstate affirmative action in California to receive successful votes in both houses of the Legislature.”

 

They continued, “California voters deserve to have their say on affirmative action — in a national outcry for justice for Black Americans, and in a national public health and economic crisis, which is hitting communities of color and women especially hard. The time is now for California to not just reverse the mistakes of the past, but build a stronger future where Black Californians are treated fairly, and all women and communities of color have equal opportunity to succeed in business, employment, and higher education.”

 

Finally, they said, “This is now four yes votes in a row for equal opportunity — all by wide margins. We look forward to ACA 5 passing out of the State Senate, and the entire Legislature, finally giving California voters their chance to have their say on affirmative action, for the first time in a generation.”

 

ACA 5 received a bipartisan 60-9 vote on the floor of the State Assembly on June 10, coming after two successful committee votes in the Assembly where it also received bipartisan support.

 

ACA 5 has been endorsed by over 450 organizations and leaders, including U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Ro Khanna (CA-17),  Ted Lieu (CA-33), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Karen Bass (CA-37), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and Katie Porter (CA-45), California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Norman Yee, California State Board of Equalization Member Malia Cohen, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, California State Controller Betty Yee, Insurance Commissioner of California Ricardo Lara, and Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. It is also endorsed by SEIU California, ACLU of California, AFSCME Local 3299, San Diego Building & Construction Trades Council, California Black Chamber of Commerce, California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, California National Organization for Women, California/Hawaii State Conference NAACP, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Equal Justice Society, The Education Trust – West, and the University of California Student Association.

 

ACA 5 was authored by Assemblymembers Weber, Gipson and Santiago, and co-authored by Assemblymembers Burke, Cooper, Gonzalez, Holden, Jones-Sawyer, Kamlager, Kalra, McCarty, Stone, Wicks, and Senators Bradford, Mitchell, Hueso, and Skinner. The bill was supported by the leading civil rights organizations, labor groups and business leaders across California including Equal Justice Society, the California Black Chamber of Commerce, Chinese for Affirmative Action, ACLUs of California and scores of other community advocates.