California Democrats are trying to carve out an exception to the state’s voter-approved constitutional ban on affirmative action.
The proposal, which is poised for a final legislative hearing on Friday, would create a ballot initiative for 2024, asking voters to approve a measure to allow certain public programs to target people based on their race, color, ethnicity, “marginalized genders,” sex, or sexual orientation.
It would hit the ballot just four years after Californians soundly rejected a 2020 initiative to revive affirmative action in the state, despite liberal groups investing almost $20 million to sway voters in its favor.