GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- DeCarto Draper says his worst fears were confirmed after Michigan voters passed Proposal 2, the constitutional amendment banning affirmative action programs for local governments and schools.

Draper, who owns a construction management firm, said he and other minority-owned businesses have seen a drop in calls from contractors who want him to subcontract on city construction jobs.

City Equal Opportunity Director Ingrid Scott-Weekley says a preliminary study of the city's 2007 construction contracts appears to confirm Draper's fears. While the city increased its construction spending by 45 percent last year, minority and women-owned businesses saw sharp declines in the amount of work they received. MORE