TextSearch

Equal protection under the law is the foundation of the fight against discrimination. Here, famously, is the U.S Constitution on the issue:“No State shall…deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”--14th AmendmentAnd here is the Constitution of the State of Califor…

Judicial Watch Victories: Courts Declare California Quota Laws Unconstitutional, Discriminatory | Judicial Watch Skip to content Follow Us Menu About Read Now Watch Now Listen Now Act Now Press Room Document Archives Menu Read Now Watch Now Listen Now About Donate Press Room Document Archives Act Now More Amicus Briefs Financial Disclosures Open Records Laws and Resources Sign up for the latest news and updates. Subscribe Follow Us Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law. Donate Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions User Agreement RSS Feed Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law. Because no one is above the law! Donate About Mission Legal Team Careers Contact Read Now Tom Fitton's Judicial Watch Weekly Update Corruption Chronicles Press Releases Issue Deep Dive Investigative Bulletin The Verdict Obama Library Secrets New Vaccine Lawsuit Election Integrity Battle Update New Lawsuit on Trump Raid View All TSA Director Accused of Fraud, Waste for Unlawfully Deploying Assets to Mex... Taliban Uses U.S. Military Equipment, IG Withholds Records of Afghan Securi... DHS Slammed for Failing to Counter Terrorism, Secure Border, Manage Explosi... Dozens on Terrorist Watchlist Among Record 2.4 Million Migrants Caught in F... View All Judicial Watch Files Appeal Challenging FBI’s Withholding of Communications... Judicial Watch: Defense Department Records Reveal U.S. Funding of Anthrax L... Judicial Watch Sues Obama Library for Obama White House Records about the 2... Judicial Watch Sues for Records on COVID Vaccine Safety Studies View All New Election Law Court Battle China Abuses US Diplomats Joe Biden's Senate Records DOJ & FBI Target Biden Political Opponents View All John Podesta: The Scandal Master Returns The Real Ken Starr Judicial Watch Warns: Critical Race Theory Rising Judicial Watch Victories: Courts Declare California Quota Laws Unconstituti... View All Watch Now TOM FITTON'S VIDEO WEEKLY UPDATE JW: ON THE AIR Clips CHRIS FARRELL'S ON WATCH JW On Issue Judicial Watch TV Urgent Election Update! Biolab Danger in Ukraine? Happy Veterans Day! Musk Agrees w/ Fitton on Censorship! Midterms Update, Smoking Gun on Obama ... UPDATE: Elon Musk Twitter Takeover, Biden Border Crisis Lawsuit, Election L... Pelosi Abuses Trump’s Civil Rights, COVID Vax Secrets, Election Fraud Repor... View All NEW: Defense Department Records Reveal U.S. Funding of Anthrax Laboratory A... ALERT: Election Integrity Court Victory! Elon Musk Buys Twitter – Left Outraged! Farrell: Woke Politics Harming Our Military! View All NEW DOCS: Dangerous Biolab Research Funded in Ukraine! The Secret to Saving Elections! FITTON: Heavy Lifting Needed By Congress on Corruption! Dangerous: Taxpayers Funding Biolabs-- in Ukraine! View All On Watch: CROSSFIRE HURRICANE Targeting of Trump from A to Z On Watch: The #COVID19 Crisis on our Southern Border the Media ISN'T Coveri... On Watch: Marxism & the Current Insurrection in America On Watch: Interview of Dr. Steven Hatfill Re: #Coronavirus & Public Health ... View All Judicial Watch: Fighting for Clean Elections Judicial Watch On Issue: The Ongoing Battle Against Obama Open Border Polic... Judicial Watch On Issue: The Battle for Election Integrity Judicial Watch On Issue: Leading the Battle Against Illegal Immigration View All Podcasts Tom Fitton’s Weekly Update Podcast Chris Farrell’s On Watch Podcast Act Now Donate Shop The Verdict Special Report Sign Now Press Room Document Archives Donate SEARCH Happening Now Judicial Watch Files Appeal Challenging FBI’s Withholding of Communications with Banks Regarding January 6 Disturbance Biden bribed young voters with student loan bailouts he knew he couldn’t give Obama Corruption Cover-Up – Judicial Watch SUES! TSA Director Accused of Fraud, Waste for Unlawfully Deploying Assets to Mexican Border FAMDHSIGcomplaint Investigative Bulletin Share June 23, 2022 | Judicial Watch Judicial Watch Victories: Courts Declare California Quota Laws Unconstitutional, Discriminatory Equal protection under the law is the foundation of the fight against discrimination. Here, famously, is the U.S Constitution on the issue: “No State shall…deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” –14th Amendment And here is the Constitution of the State of California: “A person may not be…denied equal protection of the laws.” –Article One But in California, left-wing lawmakers dominating the state legislature launched assaults on equal protection, passing two measures that mandated quotas for corporate boards. Senate Bill 826 required every publicly held corporation to have at least one director “who self-identifies her gender as a woman.” Assembly Bill 979 required corporations to have between one and three directors from “underrepresented communities,” defined as “Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native, or [those who self-identify] as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.” Many California taxpayers were alarmed by the new laws. This was not an arcane fight over corporate board membership: bedrock constitutional principles were at stake, and other quota laws seemed sure to follow. Whatever happened to picking people based on qualifications such as relevant work and life experience? And as Judicial Watch attorneys would later note in two separate court cases: laws that explicitly distinguish between individuals on the grounds of racial, ethnic, or gender status, or sexual preference, are directly prohibited by the equal protection clause. Judicial Watch joined with three California taxpayers—Robin Crest, Earl De Vires, and Judy De Vires—to fight the laws. Judicial Watch attorneys argued that the laws were unconstitutional—blatant violations of the equal protection clause of the California Constitution—and any use of taxpayer funds to enforce compliance was illegal. Assembly Bill 979—the move to enforce racial, ethnic, and LGBTQ quotas—was rife with “stereotypes,” Judicial Watch noted. The law demeaned individuals, shunting aside “their very worth as citizens” and evaluating them according to criteria “barred to the government by history and the Constitution.” In October 2020, Judicial Watch sued to overturn the law. “California’s government has a penchant for quotas that are brazenly unconstitutional,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton at the time. “Gender quotas and now new quotas for numerous other groups for corporate boards are slaps in the face to the core American value of equal protection under the law.” Challenging Senate Bill 826 in a separate court proceeding, Judicial Watch attorneys noted that the law was a clear violation of California’s equal protection clause. Lawyers for the state argued that not only were the gender quotas a legitimate means of remedying discrimination, but women on boards improved corporate performance as well. Judicial Watch shot down the improved performance claim, presenting expert witness testimony that the studies of improved board performance relied on by the state were, at best, deficient and unreliable. The courts sided with Judicial Watch. Setting aside Assembly Bill 979, Judge Terry A. Green wrote in a 24-page opinion that the law “violates the Equal Protection Clause of the California Constitution on its face.” In a sharp rebuke, he castigated the state legislature for not protecting “the right of individuals to equal treatment.” Judge Green wrote: “The difficulty is that the Legislature is thinking in group terms. But the California Constitution protects the right of individuals to equal treatment. Before the Legislature may require that members of one group be given certain board seats, it must first try to create neutral conditions under which qualified individuals from any group may succeed. That attempt was not made in this case.” Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis was equally uncompromising in her rejection of the gender quota law, Senate Bill 826, determining it “violates the Equal Protection Clause of the California Constitution.” In her verdict, Judge Duffy-Lewis denounced the legislation. Senate Bill 826’s goal “was not to boost California’s economy, not to improve opportunities for women in the workplace…not to protect California taxpayers, public employees, pensions and retirees”—all claims made by the state at trial. It’s goal “was to achieve general equity or parity…the Legislature’s actual purpose was gender-balancing, not remedying discrimination.” In fact, there was no discrimination. Corporations have voluntarily engaged in good-faith efforts for years to put more qualified woman and minorities on their boards. “There is no compelling governmental interest in remedying discrimination in the board selection process,” Judge Duffy-Lewis noted, “because neither the Legislature nor Defendant could identify any specific, purposeful, intentional and unlawful discrimination to be remedied.” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton saluted the two court victories and pointed to the big issues at stake. “The radical Left’s unprecedented attacks on anti-discrimination law has suffered another stinging defeat,” he said. “Thankfully, California courts have upheld the core American value of equal protection under the law. Judicial Watch’s taxpayer clients are heroes for standing up for civil rights against the Left’s pernicious efforts to undo anti-discrimination protections.  Judicial Watch’s legal team has helped protect the civil rights of every American with these successful lawsuits.” *** Micah Morrison is chief investigative reporter for Judicial Watch. Follow him on Twitter @micah_morrison. Tips: [email protected] Investigative Bulletin is published by Judicial Watch. Reprints and media inquiries: [email protected]     © 2019 Judicial Watch, Inc. Judicial Watch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are received from individuals, foundations, and corporations and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Shop Donate Related Tom Fitton's Judicial Watch Weekly Update Happy Thanksgiving! November 23, 2022 | Judicial Watch Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving! Each year I like to remind our supporters to recall what life was like for the Pilgrims who arrived on these shores in December of 1620. As... In The News Watchdog weighs up suing San Francisco DA for Paul Pelosi attack records November 23, 2022 | Judicial Watch From Washington Examiner: San Francisco’s district attorney has refused to release public documents and video of Paul Pelosi’s attack to conservative watchdog Judicial Watch,... In The News Legal Experts Defend Trump Over Special Counsel Pick November 23, 2022 | Judicial Watch From Newsmax: Legal experts rallied to Donald Trump’s defense Friday in criticizing Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of former federal attorney Jack Smith... Sign up FREE for the latest news and updates from America's #1 news source Subscribe Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions User Agreement The International Program Contact © 2022 Judicial Watch, Inc. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive calls and recurring SMS/MMS messages, including autodialed and automated calls and texts, to that number from the Judicial Watch. Msg&data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. Terms & conditions/privacy policy apply. Judicial Watch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are received from individuals, foundations, and corporations and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Shop Donate Home News JWTV Store Donate * Δ Notifications

Judicial Watch Victories: Courts Declare California Quota Laws Unconstitutional, Discriminatory - Judicial Watch