Ward Connerly Now Has His Sights Set On Revoking Affirmative Action Programs In AZ

Tucson - With the election a little under a week away, a fierce battle over affirmative action has broken out in Arizona. Proposition 107, is a ballot initiative that has been spearheaded by none other then Ward Connerly and is intended to revoke all state sponsered affirmative action programs.

Dianna Nanez of The Arizona Republic, has the full story here:

"Race is always a contentious issue," said Ward Connerly, setting the stage for a debate Thursday in Phoenix over Proposition 107, which seeks a constitutional amendment to ban state-sponsored affirmative action.

Connerly's group, the American Civil Rights Institute, has spearheaded an effort to ban affirmative action nationally. Now, Connerly, a Californian, has taken his fight to Arizona.

Connerly who is not even a resident of Arizona, has become a fierce proponent of repealing affirmative action legislation in the state:

On Thursday, he attempted to persuade an audience of about 40 people at the Goldwater Institute that the nation has reached the point that affirmative action is doing more harm than good.

"We are as polarized now about race as we have ever been," he said. "No one should enter the competition with an expectation that they are going to be discriminated against or given preferential treatment. It (Prop. 107) seeks to enshrine in your Constitution . . . equal treatment for all."

Democratic state legislators are completely against the proposition:

House Minority Leader David Lujan, D-Phoenix, debated Connerly, arguing against the ballot measure.

Lujan said that Arizona does not have state-sponsored preference programs such as those associated with affirmative action. He said that Connerly would know that if he were familiar with Arizona.

"What we have are limited equal-opportunity programs . . . that help people who are traditionally underrepresented," Lujan said. "It (Prop. 107) is simply an attempt by an out-of-state group to amend our Constitution. Every dollar that is being spent on this campaign . . . comes from out-of-state money. Two years ago, they couldn't even get enough signatures (to place the initiative on the ballot)."

Johnathon Garcia of Protect Arizona's Freedom, a group of Arizona business, community, faith, and education leaders who are concerned about Ward Connerly’s initiative, noted that if the law was passed that the state would feel a very real negative economic impact. Garcias quote is below:

Ultimately proposition 107 would hurt our state’s ability to educate and produce a diverse, talented workforce. We’re in a global economy in which businesses know that diversity and a work force that looks like the world in which they interact is a good business tool.  We have to increase diversity in the science, technology and engineering pipeline to meet this demand. diversity and inclusion are good for business.  The buying power of people of color and women is increasing significantly. This is not the time to pass laws that would inhibit that power.