White business owners are biggest share of Illinois’ diversity-preferred contract group

(The Center Square) – Illinois’ initiative to boost the amount of state contract money it awards to businesses owned by racial minorities and women continues to struggle despite the tens of millions of dollars the state has spent.

This month, the number of those businesses that are certified for preference in state contracting dropped again, extending a 17-month downward trend.

The state’s Commission on Equity and Inclusion has been unable thus far to reverse the trend that began when it switched to a new computer software last year. It was meant to streamline the state’s certification process but instead led to a precipitous decline in certifications.

At the time of the switch, there were about 5,050 certified businesses. That number has dropped to about 2,800, according to a staff report at the commission’s meeting thi...