Governor Vetoes Lieu APIA Data Bill

Torrance Lawmaker Describes Action as “Incredibly Disappointing”

Sacramento, CA – Governor Schwarzenegger today vetoed Assembly Bill (AB) 295, a bill by Assemblymember Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) that would have added 10 new categories of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) to data collected by the State of California.  In his veto message, the Governor described the measure as “unnecessary.”

“This is incredibly disappointing, not just for me, but for thousands of Californians who just want to be counted,” Lieu said.  “They’ve been left out in the cold by the Governor’s veto pen.”

Under current law, the State of California tracks data for 11 APIA groups, forcing others to mark “Other Asian.”  The Federal US Census, however, tracks data for 21 separate APIA ethnicities.  Many of the communities included in this aggregated data suffer from serious educational, health, and employment problems.  Resources are never targeted to them, because they are invisible in State data.

Lieu added: “What this bill really was about is tearing down the ‘model minority’ myth.  Some of our fellow Californians who happen to be of Asian and Pacific Islander descent need serious help, and they need it right now.  Unfortunately, now they’ll have to go on waiting.”

Assemblymember Lieu is the incoming Chair of the Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.