"Dr. Ed Hernandez will discuss his Equal Opportunity in Education Proposal (SCA 5) currently scheduled to go before the State Assembly for consideration. The proposal would ask voters to consider eliminating Proposition 209's ban on the use race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in recruitment, admissions, and retention programs at California' public universities and colleges.

'Proponents of Prop. 209 argued that we could address longstanding racial disparities in our education system by ignoring race, but the statistics prove otherwise,' added Hernandez, 'You cannot address inequality by refusing to acknowledge it, so I am very happy to see this legislation moving forward.'

Prop. 209 eliminated programs at public universities and colleges that were designed to recruit, retain, provide scholarships, and give consideration to students that come from groups that are underrepresented and historically discriminated against. As a result, there has been a precipitous drop in the percentage of Latino, African American, and Native American students at California public universities, despite the fact that those same groups have seen steady increases in their percentages of college-eligible high school graduates. With nearly 20 years of history showing campuses becoming less diverse and qualified high school graduates being overlooked and ignored under Prop. 209, many have been trying to draw attention to the scope of the problem. UCLA Research Professors Patricia Gándara and Gary Orfield see Senator Hernandez' proposed amendment as a welcome change in the discussion."

- See more at: http://sd24.senate.ca.gov/news/2014-01-30-senate-moves-hernandez-equal-opportunity-education-proposal-forward#sthash.BFbhghvv.dpuf