BY TONY DUTROW
HOUSTON - In a closely watched test of whether or not an anti-affirmative action initiative cloned from California's Proposition 209 could win on the ballot in the fourth largest city in the United States, opponents of affirmative action suffered a defeat. Proposition A was defeated 54 percent to 46 percent in the November 4 referendum.

Proposition A sought to gut the city's voluntary minority and women's contracting policies. Supporters of the measure dubbed their coalition and the petition effort launched this summer as the Houston Civil Rights Initiative.

There was a fight over the wording of the measure, which on the original petition read, "The City of Houston shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment, to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color _ in the operation of public employment and public contracting."

A re-wording of the ballot by the city government was upheld in court in September. The proposal that was voted down read, "Shall the charter of the city of Houston be amended to end the use of preferential treatment (Affirmative Action) in the operation of City of Houston employment and contracting?"  
 
 
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