Affirmative action programs in jeopardy

"Affirmative action, in its current form, is on the way out," said Rep. Scott Bundgaard, R-Glendale, who yesterday filed a bill that, if passed, would prohibit the state or its political agents from using race, sex or ethnicity as criteria for preference in state contracts, employment and education.

"The new bill would be a restatement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964," Bundgaard said in a November interview.

Salomon Baldenegro, UA assistant dean of Hispanic student affairs, said many people misinterpret affirmative action.

"There is this big myth that affirmative action is depriving a lot of white folks of jobs," he said.

The UA does not consider ethnicity or gender for employment or admitting students, said Janie Nuñez, associate vice president for affirmative action.

The university uses affirmative action, however, during initial job searches, targeting certain areas that will ensure diversity in the work force, she said.

"We make sure we reach the populations we want to have represented, or reach the populations in which there (is already) under-representation," Nuñez said.

Baldenegro said the proposal would not affect the university because the UA does not have minority preference programs, but it would have a negative impact on Arizona as a whole.

"I think a lot of ugliness is going to come to the floor," he said. "The people who are proposing these laws rely on the emotional aspect of the issue. When you do that, the situation can deteriorate to name calling. I am hoping that his bill fails."

Cecilia Lou, assistant dean of Asian American student affairs, said if the proposed legislation passes, it would be harmful to the state.

"Right now, there has been time to see the impact of the elimination of affirmative action in California. It created a huge difference in quality of diversity of population," she said.

"It hasn't proved to even out the score," Lou said. "In fact, there's been a 180 degree turn. We're going backwards."

California voters passed a proposition last year abolishing affirmative action.

Bundgaard said Arizona is not following the recent wave of challenges to affirmative action, such as that proposition.

"We tried to pass this bill two years ago," he said. "A member of the House tried last year, but the Speaker of the House did not want to introduce controversial subjects so it did not even get heard."

There is substantial support for the proposal within the Legislature, Bundgaard said. He said a recent poll indicated that 78 percent of Arizonans are in favor of eliminating affirmative action policies.

Bundgaard said if the proposal is passed, it will go on the public ballot in November.

"We feel confident that there will be little opposition on the issue," he said.

Baldenegro said the high level of support for this idea is the result of public affirmative action misconceptions.

"There's this myth that affirmative action comes in and gives jobs to people who are unqualified," he said.