R-88 Consequence #1 – Referendum 88 would create an unelected governor’s commission on diversity, equality and inclusion. The executive commission members would be appointed by the governor. And the commission would be funded within the governor’s biennial budget.
R-88 Consequence #2- Referendum 88 would eliminate current veteran preference that has been Washington State law since 1895. See RCW 41.04.010 and 73.16.010. Under the law today veterans get a 5% ,10% or general preference in public employment. Most common is 10 percent added to a passing civil service exam (think cop or FF test), you score a 90, and your score is converted to 99. ALL these would be eliminated if Referendum Measure 88 becomes the new law. Washington State Veterans Bar Association is urging voters to vote “Rejected” on R-88.
If voters vote to accept Referendum 88, Washington State would go back to the era before 1998, when Washington voters passed Washing State Civil Rights Act. Which means:
R-88 Consequence #3- Despite superior academic credentials, qualified students would be denied admission at state colleges because of their races.
If voters vote to accept Referendum 88, Universities would be allowed to use race to discriminate against certain race groups.
Prior to the passage of I-200, according to UW’s own website, “For thirty years UW admissions decisions have taken race and ethnicity into account“, and resulted the famous Smith vs. UW lawsuit. Katuria Smith grew up in poverty, with an alcoholic father and step-father, and struggled through high school. When she applied for UW’s law school with an impressive application, because she was not a member of a preferred race, Smith’s application was denied. Nat Hentoff at The Washington Post wrote “I asked them what would have happened if she had not revealed her race on her application. If, considering her first name, she had been taken for black, would she – given her academic record and character – have been admitted? The dean said she would have been.” If preferential treatment is once again allowed at UW, there will be many hard working students like Katuria Smith been rejected because of their races.
Below 1995 admission data show that among the 2,369 students rejected in 1995 by UW, 83.36% were White, 16.08% were Asian, 1.22% were Hispanic, and 0.34% were Black. UW applicants for the same period were 77% White, 18% Asian, 3% Hispanic, and 2% Black. And below SAT and GPA data clearly show that many students were rejected not because of their qualifications, but because of their races.
R-88 Consequence #4 – Government agencies would award a contract to a bidder, other than the lowest bidder, because they have met MWBE goals.
[democracy id=”2″]
Election ends on November 5th. If you have not already marked and sent your ballot in, do it right away and drop it in the mail or an election drop box!