California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed Assembly Bill 7 (AB 7), a proposal introduced by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, that would have allowed colleges and universities to give admissions preference to descendants of enslaved people in an effort to address the long-term effects of slavery, the Los Angeles Times reports. The bill passed both the State Assembly and Senate before reaching the governor’s desk in October.

Supporters said the measure recognized the continuing effects of slavery and systemic inequality in access to higher education. The California Faculty Association and several civil rights groups, according to Politico, supported the legislation, stating that it aligned with the state’s broader discussions on reparations and equity.

AB 7 would have given colleges the option — but not the obligation — to consider whether an applicant was a descendant of an enslaved person as one of several factors in admissions decisions. The bill was written to comply with California’s Proposition 209, which prohibits race-based preferences in public education, according to the Los Angeles Times. It avoided references to race and instead focused on lineage, defining a descendant of slavery as someone related to a person who was enslaved in the United States before 1900.

In his veto message on Oct. 13, Newsom said the bill was unnecessary because colleges already have the authority to offer admissions preferences of this kind. He encouraged institutions to “review and determine how, when, and if this type of a preference can be adopted.”

Bryan expressed disappointment following the veto, calling the bill a missed opportunity for California to lead the nation in acknowledging historical inequities.

“While the Trump Administration threatens our institutions of higher learning and attacks the foundations of diversity and inclusivity, now is not the time to shy away from the fight to protect students who have descended from legacies of harm and exclusion,” Bryan said in a statement, per Politico.

The AB 7 veto comes as California continues to examine policies that address the effects of slavery and systemic racism. In 2020, the state established a task force to study reparations for Black Americans, according to The Guardian. Several bills based on its recommendations were introduced this year, though some were also vetoed by Newsom, the outlet reports. He did, however, sign a law providing $6 million to California State University to research ways to verify whether someone is a descendant of an enslaved person, as noted by AP News.

With the veto, AB 7 will return to the Legislature, where lawmakers, who, according to Cal Matters, could attempt to override it with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. Such an override is uncommon, making it unlikely the bill will become law.

Although AB 7 did not pass, some colleges may still consider existing legal options to take lineage into account in admissions.