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Proposition 142

Prohibit Race- or Ethnicity-Based Preferential Treatment, Public Education Offices, and Disciplinary Policies Amendment

On the ballot

Arizona · November 2026 general election · Legislative referral · Election day November 3, 2026
Topics: Civil rights, Government structure, Education

In plain language

Proposition 142 would amend the Arizona Constitution to expand the state's existing 2010 ban on race- or ethnicity-based preferential treatment in public employment, education, and contracting. It would bar public entities from requiring applicants, employees, students, or contractors to endorse preferential treatment based on race or ethnicity as a condition of admission, graduation, employment, contracting, or receiving a scholarship, restrict public universities from spending taxpayer funds on certain diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and prohibit school disciplinary policies that treat students differently because of race or ethnicity. House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear) sponsored the referral; a Maricopa County judge allowed it onto the ballot in July 2026 over a legal challenge.

Fiscal impact

No official fiscal note has been issued for this measure yet.

When the state publishes a fiscal analysis, it will appear here and be listed in the sources below.

What supporters and opponents say

These are summaries of arguments made by the named organizations, drawn from the sources listed below. They are their claims, not this site's, and this site takes no position on the measure.

What supporters say

  • House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear), whose measure was drafted with the Goldwater Institute, says it closes loopholes in the state's 2010 affirmative-action ban (Proposition 107) that he argues have let public institutions continue race-based policies under the banner of diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • The Goldwater Institute says the amendment ensures people are considered based on merit rather than race or ethnicity.

Attributed to Goldwater Institute.

What opponents say

  • Opponents who challenged the measure in Maricopa County Superior Court argued it improperly restricts university diversity, equity and inclusion programs and school disciplinary policy in ways a judge ultimately allowed to proceed to the ballot over their objection.

Attributed to the sources cited below.

Official ballot language

The certified ballot text is not yet available for this measure. Once the state certifies it, the verbatim wording will appear here.

Sources

Everything on this page traces to these sources. Follow them to read the original documents.

Last updated . How this page is sourced and corrected is described in the correction policy.