Court: Race-Based Scholarships Unconstitutional
Thirteen years after California amended the state constitution to bar the government from discriminating against or preferring individuals or groups in admissions, contracting, and hiring, on the basis of race and sex, courts still are eradicating discriminatory provisions from the code. Proposition 209 passed with 54 percent of the vote.
Earlier this week, Sacramento Superior Court ruled part of the state health professional scholarship program unconstitutional. On the books before Proposition 209, Health and Safety Code Sections 128330(g) and 128345 read in part:
“‘Underrepresented groups’ means African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic-Americans, or other persons underrepresented in medicine, dentistry, nursing, or other health professions as determined by the board.”
