Last week the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee and the Senate State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee held a joint hearing on Initiative 1000 (I-1000), concerning affirmative action.

In 1998, voters approved Initiative 200 (I-200) restricting the use of affirmative action. I-200 prohibits state and local governments from granting preferential treatment to an individual or group based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.

If passed, I-1000 would allow state and local governments to implement affirmative action laws, regulations, policies or procedures to encourage diversity in public employment, higher education and contracting. It would also prohibit public employers from setting policies that:

• Use quotas;
• Set policies that constitute preferential treatment; or
• Are in violation of a state or federal statute, final regulation, or court order.

I-1000 also expands the prohibition on discrimination and preferential treatment to cover age; sexual orientation; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; and honorably discharged veteran or military status.

Legislators have until the end of the legislative session on April 28 to take one of the following actions on I-1000:

• Adopt the initiative without amendment and it becomes law;
• Pass an alternative, in which case both the original and alternative measures are submitted for a vote of the people at the next state general election; or
• Take no action and the original proposal is submitted for a vote at the next general election.

An archived video of last week’s I-1000 public hearing can be viewed on the TVW website.