Tabor Neighbors!
We are less than one month into a new federal administration and the changes underway are astounding, especially for minority businesses. The “anti-DEI” effort will be significant for us and hurtful for the country as a whole.

I want to thank both Governor Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown in their solid support for programs that benefit everyone in the state and do not exclude certain groups because of skin color, national origin or gender. While they are the political figures at the top of state government, overall, our state’s political leaders are backing longstanding contracting programs that promote fairness and inclusion.

It is important to note that the DBE program, which is used in the allocation of federal money for various units of government in this state – WSDOT, Sound Transit, Ports, cities, counties, etc… was reauthorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act in 2021 and Congress is the only entity that can undo it. It is not subject to the whims of racist and sexist leaders.

Moving to another topic of discussion among Black and other minority contractors as well as women, is the proliferation of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and Community Workforce Agreements (CWAs). These agreements, which are used by many local governments and on some state government projects (WSDOT), have provisions that tend to create barriers for our firms. Tabor 100 is committed to examine the elements inside these agreements that hurt our companies and address them.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the recently introduced House Bill 1950, sponsored by Rep. Debra Entenman. The bill would make it so that mandatory union trust fund contributions would not be due unless the certified minority or women-owned business required to make the payment, was paid. Currently, the trust fund payment is due on a certain date, regardless of whether payment has been received. I urge all of you to support Rep. Entenman’s work on this critical issue.

There is so much going on that it is hard to address everything. I encourage you to attend the next Tabor 100 meeting at 10 a.m., Saturday, the 22nd at Tabor Headquarters – 7100 Fort Dent Way, for more. Join if you are not a member and enjoy access to the perks offered through membership. We need each other as all of us — minority and women-owned businesses, government agencies and non-profit partners — address some the most challenging times we’ve faced in modern history.