Colorado Civil Rights Act
On March 26, 2004, the Colorado Senate defeated legislation --18 to 17 -- that would have eradicated equal opportunity programs in the state.
Although supporters had dubbed the measure the "Colorado Civil Rights Act," civil rights advocacy groups, including Colorado Unity, a diverse statewide coalition of more than 90 civil rights and social justice organizations, maintained that SB 194 did not protect Colorado citizens' civil rights, particularly those of women and minorities.
Sponsored by Colorado state Senator Ed Jones, R., and state Rep. Shawn Mitchell, R., the measure aimed to ban equal opportunity programs in public hiring, contracting, and admissions to public colleges and universities.
