California Proposition 187 (1994)
From Ballotpedia
California Proposition 187 was on the November 8, 1994 general election ballot in California as an initiated state statute, where it was approved.[1]
- Yes: 5,063,537 (58.8%)
- No: 3,529,432 (41.2%)
The goal of Proposition 187 was to make illegal aliens ineligible for public benefits. It came in the middle of a deep recession in California and was popular partly because the fiscal estimate from the California Legislative Analyst's Office said that it would save the state about $200 million/year.[2]
The day after Proposition 187 was approved by the state's voters, several groups filed federal lawsuits against it, including the Mexican-American Legal Defense/Education Fund (MALDEF), the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the ACLU.
Three days after Proposition 187 was approved, on November 11, federal district court judge Matthew Byrne issued a temporary injunction against the state of California, forbidding the enforcement of Prop 187. Federal judge Marianna Pfaelzer then issued a permanent injunction, pending a trial. The state of California asked in 1997 for the case to be dismissed and the injunction dropped, on the grounds that federal immigration law had changed in the meantime. The federal court denied the request that the case be dismissed. The state of California never appealed that decision, so the permanent injunction stands, and the case has never proceeded to trial.[3]
Ballot language
The ballot title was:
- Illegal Aliens. Ineligibility for Public Services. Verification and Reporting. Initiative Statute.
The ballot summary was:
- Makes illegal aliens ineligible for public social services, public health care services (unless emergency under federal law), and public school education at elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels.
- Requires various state and local agencies to report persons who are suspected illegal aliens to the California Attorney General and the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. Mandates California Attorney General to transmit reports to Immigration and Naturalization Service and maintain records of such reports.
- Makes it a felony to manufacture, distribute, sell or use false citizenship or residence documents.
Fiscal estimate
The fiscal estimate provided by the California Legislative Analyst's Office said:
- Annual savings of roughly $200 million to the state and local governments (primarily counties), due to reduced costs for public social services, health care and higher education.
- Annual administrative costs of tens of millions of dollars (potentially more than $100 million in the first year) to the state and local governments (primarily counties and public schools) to verify citizenship or legal status of students and parents and persons seeking health care and/or social services.
- Places at possible risk billions of dollars annually in federal funding for state and local education, health and welfare programs due to conflicts between the measure's provisions and federal requirements.
See also
External links
- Statement of vote, California November 8, 1994 statewide elections
- Los Angeles Law Library, 1994 ballot propositions
References
- ↑ Washington Post, "As California Goes", August 6, 2009
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Illegal immigrants again in the budget spotlight", July 10, 2009
- ↑ California Coalition for Immigration Reform, "History of Proposition 187"
