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Saturday, Jun 2, 2012 8:16 AM UTC

Romney scuttled, revived Mass. affirmative action

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Romney scuttled, revived Mass. affirmative actionFILE - In this May 23, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney addresses the Latino Coalition's 2012 Small Business Summit in Washington. With a few strokes of his pen on a sleepy holiday six months after he became governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney quietly scuttled the state government's long-standing affirmative action policies. Eventually, he retreated. The likely Republican presidential nominee’s handling of affirmative action may offer insights into how he would deal with civil rights issues if he defeats Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)(Credit: AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney’s handling of affirmative action when he was governor of Massachusetts may offer insights into how he would deal with civil rights issues if he defeats Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president, in the fall election. Romney hasn’t talked much about affirmative action while campaigning.

Six months after becoming Massachusetts’ governor, Romney quietly scuttled more than two decades of affirmative action policies in state government.

No news conferences or press releases trumpeted Romney’s executive order on Bunker Hill Day, June 17, 2003. But his move sparked a public furor two months later, when civil rights leaders, black lawmakers and other minority groups finally learned what the governor had done.

Eventually he retreated, leaving the state’s old policies in place.

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