It has refocused us on race and made race and gender more important than they should be. But Hammond insists the state shouldn't do away with affirmative action policies until they have succeeded in leveling the playing field. Without them, he said, women and minorities would continue to loose out to white man when hiring decisions are made. But that day is not here yet. Powell's proposal isn't unique to Kansas.
Similar legislation is under consideration in two dozen states.
So far, no hearings have been scheduled on Powell's bill. The Senate . Full text of Graves' 1998 State of the State address . Breakdown of Graves' proposed budget . Kansas Gov. Bill Graves' web page .