"
>Bush may end racial preference
>
>Maria T. Padilla
>of The Sentinel Staff
>
>Published in The Orlando Sentinel on November 4, 1999.
>
>Affirmative-action foes are eagerly awaiting an expected executive order
>from Gov. Jeb Bush that would ban racial preferences or quotas in state
>employment, contracting and higher education.
>
>The move might make it unnecessary for the organizers of the Florida
>Civil Rights Initiative to gather more signatures to put an
anti-affirmative
>action referendum on the 2000 ballot.
>
>But an executive order would be another strike against affirmative action
>proponents FREE, a statewide coalition which lately has been on the
>defensive.
>
>Bush, who was in Orlando Wednesday, said an executive order could
>come in a matter of weeks, and it could encompass points similar to the
>anti-affirmative action petition.
>
>"It might do that, but that's not the intent," Bush said Wednesday. "We
>want to be sure that we are not supporting policies that discriminate, and
>that's what the review is about."
>
>Bush has not publicly supported the petition drive, saying it is
>"divisive." But the governor has maintained he is against racial
>preferences.
>
>The governor ordered a review of affirmative action policies in August
>with an eye to making changes where needed. Herb Harmon, campaign
>manager for the civil rights initiative, welcomed the news as a sign of
>support.
>
>The timing of the governor's expected announcement is crucial to
>Harmon.
>
>"We've publicly stated that it is important for the governor to announce
>what recommendations he's going to make. Once we've expended the
>energy and time to go through a Supreme Court review it will be
>difficult for us to cease," Harmon said.
>
>Last month Harmon submitted four petitions to the state Attorney
>General's Office, each with more than 40,000 signatures. Three of the
>petitions would ban racial preferences in public employment, contracting
>and higher education, while a fourth would ban racial and gender
>preferences in all three areas.
>
>The state Supreme Court has 30 days to decide whether the petitions
>comply with Florida's Constitution. If the court decides they do, the civil
>rights initiative must get another 400,000 signatures per petition to get
>them on the 2000 ballot. A court decision is expected before the end of
>the month.
>
>The petition drive has been gathering momentum since early this year,
>when California businessman Ward Connerly announced he would
>organize a petition drive in Florida. Connerly has spearheaded two
>successful anti-affirmative action votes in California and Washington
>state. Public opinion polls in Florida have indicated that if the petition
>appeared on the 2000 ballot, voters would approve it.
>
>Meanwhile, the coalition supporting affirmation action efforts has been
>suffering setbacks.
>
>Recently, Veronica Anderson, a FREE board member, resigned as head
>of the state's minority business program after an inspector general's
>report said she had used her office to aid the group, which stands for
>Floridians Representing Equity and Equality.
>
>The allegations and the resignation have had a chilling effect, as many of
>FREE's board members work for the government.
>
>In addition, FREE had hoped to put its own petition on the ballot but
>hasn't begun to gather signatures, making it unlikely it can make it on
>the 2000 ballot.
>
>Last week initiative backers also filed a complaint with the state
>Elections Commission, charging that FREE hasn't registered as a
>political action committee.
>
>Leon Russell, chairman of FREE, couldn't be reached for comment
>Wednesday. FREE is scheduled to hold a meeting Nov. 20 in Orlando
>at the downtown Marriott.
>
>Mike Griffin of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report
>
>[Posted 11/03/1999 9:38 PM EST]
>
>_________________________________________
>McReynolds 2000 Committee
>"Building a Movement for Jobs, Peace and Freedom"
>P.O. Box 91, Floral Park, NY 10012
>http://votesocialist.org/
>
>
>
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