Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City’s contracting program is headed into a legal fight, but Mayor Quinton Lucas says the consequences could reach far beyond a courtroom. At stake, in his view, are opportunities for women and people of color trying to compete for work in the city.
The lawsuit also opens another political front between Kansas City and Missouri officials. Lucas made clear that he sees the case not as a public-safety priority, but as another culture-war battle that will consume government time and resources.
The Missouri Attorney General’s Office filed the lawsuit regarding Kansas City’s Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise program, commonly known as the MWBE program. Such programs are designed to increase participation by businesses owned by women and members of minority communities in public contracting…