Bill Text: MI HR0145 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to urge the Governor to make substantial progress toward eliminating the disparities minority- and women-owned businesses experience in the state contracting process.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-08-29 - Referred To Committee On Commerce And Tourism [HR0145 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2019-HR0145-Introduced.html
house Resolution No.145
Reps. Gay-Dagnogo, Sowerby, Kennedy, Hood, Rabhi, Pagan, Ellison, Kuppa, Yancey, Garrett, Byrd, Witwer, Garza, Manoogian, Bolden, Wittenberg and Pohutsky offered the following resolution:
Whereas, A true government of the people must always seek equitable outcomes and be accountable to all people, especially people from disadvantaged groups. This notion only becomes more important in matters involving the use of public funds; and
Whereas, The state spends billions of dollars each year on goods and services from outside vendors, but the share of that spending that goes to minority- and women-owned businesses lags behind the population share of those groups; and
Whereas, The state has a responsibility to pursue fairness in the contracting and procurement process. Businesses owned by people of color and women should not routinely receive a smaller share of state contracts than other businesses; and
Whereas, Awarding contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses will help promote economic growth and shrink racial- and gender-based disparities that exist in society. Investing in businesses owned by people of color and women will have cascading positive effects in communities that have seen underinvestment for generations; and
Whereas, Ensuring that the state contracting process addresses these inequalities requires forward-thinking leadership and proactive efforts. The Governor has made important progress by appointing people of color and women to key positions in her administration and issuing Executive Directives 2019-08 and 2019-09 which, in part, promote geographically-disadvantaged businesses and work to ensure equal opportunity in state contracting, but more can be done to eliminate these disparities; and
Whereas, It is important to pursue policies that improve the state's process for selecting vendors, including reviving the Department of Civil Rights' role in certifying vendors that have demonstrated compliance with the non-discrimination requirements established in state and federal law. It is also equally as important to make sure the state is doing everything it can to solicit bids from minority- and women-owned businesses that have not previously sought state contracts; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the Governor to make substantial progress toward eliminating the disparities minority- and women-owned businesses experience in the state contracting process; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Director of the Department of Management, Technology and Budget.
