By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr., California Black Media
Last year, when the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) banned the consideration of race in college admissions, some members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and other lawmakers condemned that decision.
Last week, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill, Assembly Bill (AB) 1780, that he says is a policy response to the SCOTUS’s ban on Affirmative Action.
AB 1780 aims to prohibit private colleges and universities in the state from granting preferential treatment to applicants who are related to donors or alumni, if the institution receives CalGrant funding.
“The practice is commonly known as ‘legacy admissions’ heavily tips the scales towards someone related to a donor or alumni of the university or college. The legislation aims to level the playing field by giving all students a fairer shot when applying to schools,” read a press release from Ting’s office.
“We want to make sure that every student applying to the most elite schools in our state has an opportunity and that it’s fair and equitable,” said Ting at a Sacramento rally where he announced the legislation.
Ting says California’s state-funded institutions do not consider income provide preferential treatment to children or relatives of donors and alumni.
