In 2021, in response to concerns about underrepresentation of minority businesses and the alleged presence of “front businesses” taking advantage of the system, the legislature commissioned a study examining whether state contracts were being awarded fairly. Last December, the results of that study were published — and they largely validated the concerns minority contractors have raised for years. Office of Policy and Management Secretary Jeff Beckham said the state needed better data collection in order to comply with the bill’s requirements, and DAS Commissioner Michelle Gilman questioned what would happen if available contractors did not bid on the contracts. Gilman also noted that requiring CHRO to set goals for each project without a clear timeline could stall projects. Minority contractors say they operate within a system that favors larger, established firms over theirs. That disadvantage is present in every step of the process, from bidding to purchasing materials, they say.
Minority contractors say CT not following its own rules, proposed fix doesn’t go far enough