By Catherine M. Welch
Wilmington, NC – Governor Mike Easley says he will sign legislation removing specific goals for the North Carolina Department of Transportation when it comes to contracting work out to minority and women-owned businesses.
The North Carolina Black Leadership Caucus is urging Easley to veto the bill, which removes the 10% and 5% goals for contracting work out to minority and women-own businesses.
NCBLC Director N. Carnell Robinson says eliminating apsirational goals for the DOT will send a message to other state agencies.
"This legislation may set a precedent for all department in North Carolina government to reduce the amount of business that they do with minority enterprises."
Governor Easley says the bill removes unnecessary quotas.
I think I can do more with an executive order in favor of doing more for the minority contractor than I can by vetoing a bill that was passed with good intention and does some good things.
The bill replaces specific goals with a study of how many minority and female-owned businesses exist, and whether the DOT has discriminated against them in the past.