The news that recall advocates have gathered enough signatures to force a vote on Gov. Davis’ future on October 7 sent shockwaves far beyond the Governor’s office.

A divisive ballot initiative that the ACLU is working vigorously to defeat will now also appear on the Oct. 7 ballot – leaving opponents with little time to persuade Californians to turn out to vote “no.” The Classification by Race, Ethnicity Color and National Origin initiative (CRECNO) qualified last summer for the next statewide general election, then scheduled for March 2004. With news of the recall, the vote on CRECNO (Proposition 54) was automatically shunted forward.

“We have to move at full speed ahead to explain to voters the real story behind this deceptive initiative,” said ACLU-NC executive director Dorothy Ehrlich. “Prop. 54 poses the biggest threat to the civil rights and public health of all Californians in decades. I urge all ACLU supporters to help us build the support we need to make sure this initiative is dead in the water on Oct. 7.”

fight the initiative. A July 2003 Field poll revealed tepid support for the initiative, with “yes”votes hovering at around 50 percent-- much lower than most analysts say is needed for an initiative to pass. Support drops off as Californians learn more about the initiative.

“Prop. 54 poses the biggest threat to the civil rights and public health of all Californians in decades.”
-- Dorothy Ehrlich, ACLU-NC

“Voters are smart enough to see through Connerly’s smokescreen,” says Ehrlich. “When Californians realize the devastating impact the Information Ban would have on all of our families, their vote is “no.” I am confident that if we can mobilize the resources we need to turn out voters on October 7, the “no” campaign will win.”

In recent months, the coalition has picked up crucial endorsements from the University of California Board of Regents, medical and business associations like Kaiser Permanente,

The brainchild of affirmative action foe Ward Connerly, Prop. 54 (dubbed the “Information Ban” by opponents) would bar state and local agencies from collecting or analyzing data on race and ethnicity. It would eliminate information that pinpoints where inequities lie – making it impossible to prosecute hate crimes, enforce civil rights laws barring discrimination in housing, education and employment, or to effectively target programs that combat chronic health problems like teen pregnancy, breast cancer and AIDS.

Despite the accelerated schedule, prospects are good for the Coalition for an Informed California, an alliance of almost 350 civil rights, health, education and environmental organizations that has aligned to

the California Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the state’s five top constitutional officers, including Gov. Davis and Attorney General Bill Lockyer.

“This measure would handcuff law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. It would roll back efforts to combat racial profiling, and promote inequality, injustice and ignorance,” Lockyer recently said. “For those who care deeply about and fight daily to protect the public's safety, this poorly conceived initiative threatens to disarm law enforcement and prevent them from doing their job.”