by Suzanne Potter
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday in a pair of cases which could spell the end of affirmative action on American college campuses.
Activist Edward Blum with the group Students for Fair Admissions sued Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, arguing race-conscious admissions criteria unconstitutionally discriminate against Asian American students.
Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a Latino civil rights organization, said he expects the court to rule against affirmative action. But he suggested colleges still can address the problem from a different angle.
«Among the race-neutral remedies that we should expect universities to look at are eliminating selection criteria that have demonstrated an unjustified discriminatory effect on Latino and Black students,» Saenz contended. «These are things like standardized tests, and even things like teacher recommendations.»
California banned preferential treatment in education and government in 1996 with Proposition 209.
Since then, the share of Black, Native American and Latino students in public universities has fallen. For example, Latinos made up 59 percent of the state’s high school graduates in 2019, but only 29 percent of that year’s freshman class at the University of California.
Sally Chen, education equity program manager for the group Chinese for Affirmative Action, said Blum is no friend of students of color.
«He is not calling for anti-bias trainings, support for professors of color, funding cultural centers, or anything that really supports students of color,» Chen pointed out. «He’s advancing Asian Americans as a front in this conservative right-wing attack on civil rights.»
Private colleges and universities in California were not covered by Proposition 209 and can still use race-conscious admissions policies, but it could change if the Supreme Court rules against Harvard University, a private institution.
CA health-insurance open enrollment starts in two weeks
This year’s open enrollment period for health insurance is right around the corner, starting Nov. 1, and some employer-based health plans start their open enrollment even earlier.
People looking for insurance on the individual market can go to the Covered California website, CoveredCA.com.
James Scullary, a spokesperson for the state’s health insurance marketplace, said people might be surprised by the choices they find.
«Many consumers are finding out that if they weren’t eligible before, now they are. Or if they got a small subsidy a few years ago, that’s increased, so coverage may be more affordable than they thought.» Scullary said. «So really, regardless of your income, check out your options and see whether or not you can lower your monthly premiums.»
In California, the projected average premium for 2022 was $581 a month, a 1.8% increase over 2021, according to acasignups.net. But almost 90% of people who get their health insurance through CoveredCA get subsidies to bring down their monthly bill. The subsidies began with the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan, and the new Inflation Reduction Act has extended them for another three years.
Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer at UnitedHealthcare, encourages people to consider their families’ unique needs when choosing a plan.
«Some things to consider are prescription drug benefits, mental health coverage, specialty benefits: things like dental, vision, hearing, critical illness insurance, and wellness programs,» Randall outlined.
This year, 13 insurers are participating in the Covered California exchange, which means people in all the state’s 58 counties will have a choice of at least two plans, and 81% of residents will be able to choose from four or more plans.
