By Aaron Allen
The Seattle Medium
Advocates for the repeal of I-200, the Washington State voter initiative that outlawed affirmative action policies in public hiring, contracting and education, gathered outside of the headquarters of KOMO news on Monday to protest KVI Radio host John Carlson’s opposition to Senate Bill 6406, which would repeal I-200, and the preferential way his testimony was recently handled during a senate committee hearing on the bill.
Members of the Washington State Civil Rights Coalition (WSCRC) — a Black community think tank that tackles issues of civil and human rights violations, economic and racial equality and community progress — gathered at the front door of KOMO broadcasting urging John Carlson to come out and discuss the devastating effects that I-200 has inflicted on minority communities and their businesses over the last 20 years and the effects it will continue to have if the repeal fails. John Carlson radio host for KVI Radio, a subsidiary of KOMO Broadcasting, has been an advocate for the bill since its inception.
Twenty years ago, Tim Eyman with the support of enthusiast such as Carlson, devised I-200 under the guise of prohibiting public institutions from discriminating or “granting preferential treatment” based on race sex, ethnicity or national origins, in hiring, education and contractual works. Yet, opposition to the bill look at this as a red herring to the underlying purpose of the bill.
“We are revisiting this whole I-200 business because it was cast on a faulty premise,” says John Yasutake of the WSCRC. “It’s unfortunate but it pulled the wool over a lot people’s eyes in the state of Washington.”
According to Yasutake, “When people were going about signing the initiative, the come on line was “are you against discrimination?” Sure most people are and are you for civil rights? Sure and yet they were signing a bill that took away affirmative action and programs like that to enhance the opportunities for people of color who have been the victims of past discrimination.”
Another WSCRC member Hayward Evans says that the initiative has been a financial death sentence for the Black community.
“Over the last twenty years, the Black and minority communities have lost 3 to 4 billions of direct guaranteed contract revenue due to I-200,” says Evans.
According to supporters, Senate Bill 6406 would repeal I-200’s language regarding discrimination and preferential treatment in the operation of public employment, education or contracting. Ironically, members of The WSCRC are concerned about the preferential treatment provided to opponents of the bill. Specifically, while members of the coalition had to drive to Olympia to testify in support of the bill, Carlson was offered the luxury of testifying by phone in opposition to the bill.
“We had to drive all the way to Olympia to be there at 8 am, in the rain, yet they allowed John Carlson, the one opposition, who chaired the campaign of I-200….. they allowed him to call in,” said Evans.
“We couldn’t call in,” added Evans. “Now if that’s not White privilege I don’t know what is.”
The economic impact of this bill can be monumental in regards to Black contractors state wide and can affect the hiring practice of public institutions and acceptance policy in educational institutions throughout the state as well.
According to Evans, “this is a question of economic survival. If you look at it from a different perspective this economic apartheid, we are being disenfranchised.”
Neither Carlson or the leadership of KOMO made themselves available to the protestors, However KVI radio producer Phil Vandervort did come out and speak to the group.
“I am happy to try and help coordinate an on-air discussion about this because that’s my job as the producer of the show,” said Vandervort.
“I don’t speak for John Carlson or the radio station or the parent company,” continued Vandervort. “But… I want to have these conversation on the air because I think that’s where we can have an unedited, unfiltered conversation, putting things in context and hopefully getting people a better understanding and get better educated.”
