The initiative, dubbed Proposition 54, is a proposed state constitutional amendment that would prohibit most public agencies from collecting information about individuals' race, ethnicity or national origin.
It seems benign on the surface, opponents say, and therefore the less time the public has to learn about it, the more likely voters are to approve it.
Opponents argue it will thwart anti-discrimination efforts statewide by limiting the data gathered by health agencies, education officials and law enforcement.
"This is really a very short period ... to educate the public about the impacts of this initiative," said Elena Stern, spokeswoman for Coalition for an Informed California, which includes the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP.
"We're not close to a colorblind society ... until we get to that point, we need to keep track of things related to race. We will never help to prevent and cure illnesses that strike some ethnicities more than others if we don't have the racial data."
Half of California voters favor the proposed constitutional amendment, while 29 percent oppose it, according to a Field Poll released Thursday. Only a quarter of respondents said they were familiar with the proposition.
So a good many people who don't know much about the initiative find the ballot language appealing, said Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo. That's similar to what Field Poll surveys found in the early stages of the Proposition 209 campaign to end race-based affirmative action, which voters approved in 1996, he said.
"With only (72) days to go, the opposition has a far bigger mountain to climb than we do," said Connerly.
| The Contra Costa Times' Carrie Sturrock writes "Measure on race data set for ballot"
Read the survey in PDF format
posted in data on July 27, 2003 4:11 AM | t (1)
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