Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate debate splits on bill letting new businesses self‑identify as minority or women‑owned
Summary
Senate debate on House Bill 99 focused on allowing businesses to self‑designate minority or women‑owned status on registration forms; supporters called it revenue neutral and helpful for federal contracting, while opponents objected to formalizing distinctions by race or gender.
House Bill 99 would allow businesses seeking new licenses to self‑identify at registration that they are minority‑ or women‑owned, enabling state databases to capture ownership data for outreach and federal contracting opportunities.
"This just allows those who are seeking a new business license the opportunity to self designate that they are minority or women owned businesses," Senator Romero said in his floor presentation. He described the change as ‘‘revenue neutral’’ and noted it costs under $10,000 to implement in the Department of Commerce processes.
Senator Dayton questioned the premise of classifying applicants by race or sex, asking "Why do we have to say this is a person of color or a woman? Why do we have to focus on that instead of just making sure we're a colorblind society?" He said he would vote against the bill. Senator Romero responded the designation is voluntary and intended to help eligible firms compete for federal contracting dollars.
On the roll call to read the bill for a third time the Senate recorded 19 yeas, 6 nays and 4 absent; the bill moved forward on the third‑reading calendar for later disposition.
Policy impact and next steps: if implemented, registration fields would allow the state to identify potential minority‑ and women‑owned firms for outreach; any procurement or contracting preferences would require separate policy or administrative action.
