California lawmakers voted on Tuesday to end “legacy” admissions at private universities, though it’s uncertain if Governor Gavin Newsom will sign the bill into law.
The State Senate approved Assembly Bill 1780 by a 26-5 vote, sending it to Newsom’s desk. GOP Senators Marie Alvarado-Gil, Brian Jones, Roger Niello, Kelly Seyarto, and Scott Wilk opposed the bill. It had previously passed the State Assembly with a 55-0 vote.
Governor Newsom has until September 30 to decide whether to sign or veto the bill.
AB 1780, introduced by Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, is Ting’s second attempt to end preferential admissions for children of alumni and donors at private universities like Stanford and USC. His earlier bill was less effective.
This bill doesn’t ban legacy admissions outright but aims to cut CalGrant funding to institutions that use these policies. Ting’s office notes that in 2022, 14% of Stanford’s new admissions were connected to donors or alumni and highlights that high-income students were twice as likely to be admitted compared to middle- and low-income students with similar test scores.
Public universities and colleges already ban legacy admissions.
Stanford University did not respond to The Bee’s request for comment by the deadline.