The Opportunity for All Coalition today celebrated the California State Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee’s approval of ACA 5, the first of three key votes the legislation faces in the Senate this month.

Eva Paterson and Vincent Pan, co-chairs of the Opportunity For All Coalition, lauded the committee’s vote, saying, “This is a historic moment both for our coalition, and for California. With this vote, ACA 5 is the first legislation to reinstate affirmative action in California to receive successful votes in both houses of the Legislature.”

They continued, “California voters deserve to have their say on affirmative action — in a national outcry for justice for Black Americans, and in a national public health and economic crisis, which is hitting communities of color and women especially hard. The time is now for California to not just reverse the mistakes of the past, but build a stronger future…