What is Prop 16

Proposition 16 is a constitutional amendment that would repeal Proposition 209, passed in 1996, from the California Constitution. Proposition 209 stated that discrimination and preferential treatment were prohibited in public employment, public education, and public contracting on account of a person's or group's race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Therefore, Proposition 209 banned the use of affirmative action involving race-based or sex-based preferences in California.

Opposition

• Sen. Melissa Melendez
• Sen. Ling Ling Chang
• Former US Rep Tom Campbell

Arguments

• Former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell said, "Nevertheless, if more spaces are to be made for the under-represented, they must come from the over-represented. Asian Americans are 15.3 percent of Californians, yet 39.72 percent of UC enrollees. Those numbers are why bringing this issue forward now would inevitably divide Californians racially: Latino Americans and African Americans on one side, Asian Americans on the other. The politics are inescapably racial.

What Does Your Vote Mean

A "yes" vote supports this constitutional amendment to repeal Proposition 209 (1996), which says that the state cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to persons on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, and public contracting.

A "no" vote opposes this constitutional amendment, thereby keeping Proposition 209 (1996), which says that the state cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to persons on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, and public contracting.

Supporters

Officials

• Former Vice President Joe Biden
• U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders
• U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren
• U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris
• U.S. Sen. Cory Booker
• U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee
• U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna
• U.S. Rep. Karen Bass
• State Superintendent of Education Tony Thurmond
• Sen. Nancy Skinner
• Sen. Bob Wieckowski
• Sen. Scott Wiener
• U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke
• HUD Secretary Julian Castro
• Mayor Michael Bloomberg
• Mayor Pete Buttigieg

School Districts

• Los Angeles Unified School District
• Oakland Unified School District
• San Francisco Unified School District

Arguments

• University of California President Janet Napolitano said, "It makes little sense to exclude any consideration of race in admissions when the aim of the University’s holistic process is to fully understand and evaluate each applicant through multiple dimensions. Proposition 209 has forced California public institutions to try to address racial inequality without factoring in race, even where allowed by federal law. The diversity of our university and higher education institutions across California, should — and must — represent the rich diversity of our state."