Will the Civil Rights Initiatives "threaten" or "put at risk" women's health, breast cancer screenings, shelters, domestic violence programs or gender-specific health programs funded by the state?
The simple answer is NO.
The Civil Rights Initiative affects ONLY
State hiring
State education
State contracts
There is not a word in the Civil Rights Initiative about health. There is not a word about domestic violence, cancer screenings or shelters. There is not a word about pay equity or rent equity.
These types of programs are NOT AFFECTED. They have not been affected in any of the three states which passed CRI’s – California, Washington and Michigan. Cancer screening is actually “up” in California since passage of Proposition 209.
This is the opponents’ big stick – but it is not true. They know they can’t win on the race issue—America already knows what it thinks about racial affirmative action.
Deceptive language: They’re weapon of choice is scaring women. They use the terms “endangered,” “threatened,” “put at risk” because those terms don’t mean anything. They can’t say these programs will be “eliminated,” “stopped,” “reduced,” or any such concrete word because the programs have NOT been eliminated or reduced in the states where CRI’s have been passed. They are careful to pick their words to be unspecific and not-committal.
Don’t take our word for it. Check the California, Washington and Michigan official state websites yourself. State programs for women’s cancer screenings, health concerns, domestic violence, shelters, and gender-specific support groups are all alive and well.
NO PROGRAM IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR
IS AFFECTED AT ALL
Only State government is affected.