To combat the increasing attacks on affirmative action in the states it is imperative to educate voters on the misleading ballot language being used by affirmative action opponents and the positive impact affirmative action programs have had on women and minorities, agreed speakers and participants at a Summit panel on affirmative action.

Most of the debate about affirmative action has focused on race, ignoring the critical role that affirmative action programs have played in the economic strides women have made in the past 30 years.

Affirmative action policies suffered major defeats in the past two years with the passage of Proposition 209 in California in 1996 and Initiative 200 in Washington State in 1998.

Washington’s I-200, opposed by broad coalitions and the governor, is a prime example of how misleading ballot language can work. Washington’s language mirrored that of California’s Proposition 209 which, according to an exit poll, 54 percent of people would have voted against if they had understood it was anti-affirmative action. Affirmative action advocates fought for more accurate ballot language, reported Washington state Sen. Jeanne Kohl Welles, but weren’t successful.

Florida supporters of affirmative action fared somewhat better, noted Florida state Rep. Beryl Roberts. Although the state again is a target for affirmative action foes, during the last election advocates were able to keep anti-affirmative action measures off the ballot by building bi-partisan coalitions to preserve affirmative action policies.