Texas' Comptroller Removes Women & Minorities from Program to Boost Women & Minority Businesses

"A round of tomatoes is in order for Texas' acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, who on Tuesday announced the state would be removing women- and minority-owned businesses from its Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program, and rebranding it to "Veteran Heroes United in Business" (VetHUB) instead. Why? He wants to comply with Trump's-and Texas' GOP Gov. Greg Abbott's - anti-DEI executive orders . Typically, Texan businesses become HUB-certified to increase their exposure, and to get certified, they have to be owned by someone "economically disadvantaged." Under the original guidelines, in place since 1999, this included being Black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific, Native, a woman, or a veteran with at least 20% service-connected disability."

""Businesses that were certified in the past based on their owners' race, ethnicity, or gender will no longer qualify," the email read, and the program "will serve small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.""

""It's creating noise and uncertainty in an economic landscape that doesn't really need any more of that," Julie Hartman, co-founder and CEO of B2G Victory, a HUB business-and one that helps other small businesses obtain HUB certification-told Jezebel of the changes. "It's hard enough right now to be a business ... now we're adding this onto it.""

Texas acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced the removal of women- and minority-owned businesses from the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program and rebranded the program as "Veteran Heroes United in Business" (VetHUB). The change aims to align state contracting with anti-DEI executive orders and restrict HUB certification to small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. An internal catalogue indicates zero women will qualify under the new rules. The state emailed emergency rules stating businesses previously certified based on race, ethnicity, or gender will no longer qualify. Industry leaders warned the move creates uncertainty for small businesses seeking government contracts.

Read at Jezebel