While anti-affirmative action forces won on election day in 1996 in California, their victory did not have the coattail effect they had hoped. Despite the Republicans' $3 million expenditure on the initiative's behalf, the party lost its majority in the California Assembly, lost three U.S. House seats to NOW/PAC-endorsed candidates and lost California in the presidential race. In fact, feminist-led grassroots organizing narrowed the gap from a 25 per cent approval rate to just 8 per cent in the Proposition 209 race.

In addition, conservative leaders in Congress had repeatedly stalled an affirmative-action repeal measure introduced by Rep. Charles Canady (R-FL). "Further restricting equal opportunity for women and people of color just doesn't get votes for conservative candidates," Ireland said "so they didn't want to push for action on an unpopular bill."

In response to scheduled action on the Canady bill later this week, civil rights and women's rights organizations are mobilizing a major presence at the Capitol. "If eliminating affirmative action is such a great electoral issue, the leadership would have put off consideration of the bill again until 1998," Ireland said.

"To the conservatives in other states who think this issue will bring out the vote for them, we say ‘See you in Congress and at the ballot box in ‘98'" NOW Action Vice President Elizabeth Toledo said. Toledo is the immediate past president of California NOW and served as the co-manager for the Stop Prop. 209 campaign in 1996.

The Supreme Court's denial of certiorari in Coalition for Economic Equity v. Wilson let stand Proposition 209's ban on affirmative action in state employment, education and contracts.

• Link to this release at http://www.now.org/press/11-97/11-03-97.html