On April 13th, the “No on ACA-7” group gathered in front of the office of California Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris in Irvine’s 73rd District to protest her vote in support of the racially preferential proposal ACA-7, which would grant the governor the power to provide preferential treatment to certain special interest groups, bypassing Proposition 209.
Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris had previously voted in favor of ACA-5 in 2019 and again supported ACA-7 in 2023. Steve Miller, the organizer of the protest and chair of the Orange County area who opposed Proposition 16 in 2020, pointed out that the ACA-7 amendment is aimed at fulfilling the mission that left-wing politicians failed to achieve in 2020, intending to overturn the equal rights granted by California’s Proposition 209.
In the November 2020 election, California voters rejected Proposition 16 with 57.23% of the vote. The proposition aimed to overturn the provisions of Proposition 209, which prohibits government institutions from considering racial, gender, or ethnic factors in the areas of public education, government employment, and public contracting to avoid discrimination or preferential treatment.
Just three years later, Democratic Assemblyman Corey Jackson of the 60th District in Riverside County introduced ACA-7, which proposes to authorize the governor to “allocate state funds to assist in culturally specific projects based on research in any industry, including but not limited to government employment, public education, and public contracting, as long as these are projects established by the state or implemented by the state in other ways, aimed at improving life expectancy, education outcomes, or eliminating poverty for specific groups based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, or marginalized gender or sexual orientation.”
According to the news website “California Globe,” Assemblyman Jackson claims that since the passage of Proposition 209 in 1996, it has been a potential barrier to the implementation of programs that assist disadvantaged communities, which have been intentionally ignored and overlooked for over 400 years. He argues that this unjust law severely limits California’s ability to address disparities in business contracting, education, housing, wealth, employment, and healthcare, perpetuating long-standing racial inequalities deeply rooted in laws, policies, and institutions.
ACA-7 passed the California Assembly in September of last year with a vote of 62:18 and has now moved on to the state Senate. All Democratic Assembly members voted in favor, while 18 Republican members voted against it. With the Democratic Party holding an overwhelming majority in the Senate, unless voters actively work to oppose it, the proposal is likely to pass.
Miller stated: “California should treat everyone equally, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, or national origin. In the late 20th century, we inscribed this core value into California’s Constitution with Proposition 209, and in 2020, many voters in Irvine also voted against Proposition 16.” However, voters may not necessarily be aware that Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris once again supported ACA-7, which aims to overturn Proposition 209, creating almost unlimited “exceptions… attempting to replace the right to equality for all with specific cultural or ritual rights based on certain races.”
Irvine student Nancy believes that “ACA-7 undermines fundamental American values. It means that even if you work hard to learn and work, you may not receive what you deserve because of your race, which I think is unfair.” Her sister Cici said: “We feel that the Assemblywoman has betrayed her promises and failed to bring a bright future for people, instead imposing unjust laws of racial discrimination on us.”
Student Sean expressed: “ACA-7 is deceptive, leading people to support proposals that are not conducive to equality.” Student Mike said that ACA-7 attempts to take away people’s freedom and equality rights, and “I hope the legislators vote against ACA-7.”
Reverend Gail Oliver stated that God calls people to unity and mutual respect, “As American citizens, we have God-given rights. Let us pray together and reach a consensus, moving away from discrimination, inequality, and disunity,” she said, “God will put those he approves in power and remove those he disapproves of.”
In 2014, California lawmakers proposed SCA-5, which sought to abolish the public education portion of Proposition 209, allowing universities to consider factors such as race, gender, color, ethnicity, or nationality in admissions but faced opposition from various ethnic groups, including Asians, and was blocked in the state legislature.
Parent Dennis said: “We have been opposing such proposals since SCA-5 in 2014, it’s been a full 10 years. The state legislature has repeatedly pushed forward with these agendas, and we have fought together many times. ACA-7 is just trying to poke a hole in Proposition 209, giving the governor the power to make decisions, and we must collectively fight against such proposals.”