Negative Action

Twenty years ago, Washington State voters outlawed ethnic discrimination within our state. Initiative 200, passed by a decisive popular vote, specified that employers or those granting contracts, “shall not discriminate against nor grant preferable treatment … on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.” This past Sunday during their last minute session, our legislature struck down the people’s initiative. Ethnic background is now a required criteria for evaluating new employees and granting state contracts. Proponents base their support on claims that it will make up for past di...