{"id":28813,"date":"2025-01-29T23:53:13","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T07:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/advocacy-group-files-motion-to-intervene-in-dbe-case\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T23:53:13","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T07:53:13","slug":"advocacy-group-files-motion-to-intervene-in-dbe-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/advocacy-group-files-motion-to-intervene-in-dbe-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocacy group files motion to intervene in DBE case"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/static\/images\/audio_icon.svg?482016190122\" alt=\"-\"><\/p>\n<p>        Listen to the article<br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">4 min<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dmgi9movl\/video\/upload\/q_1\/v1738163774\/news\/text_to_speech\/motion-to-intervene-dot-dbe-dei_gtgyda.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Dive Brief:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>A liberal-leaning advocacy group <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/democracyforward.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/57-DBEs-Motion-to-Intervene.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>has filed court papers to defend<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> the DOT\u2019s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program in the wake of President Donald Trump\u2019s executive orders <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrdive.com\/news\/trump-dei-executive-orders\/737810\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>axing DEI efforts<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u00a0at federal agencies.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Democracy Forward, a legal organization that frequently challenged President Donald Trump\u2019s first administration in court, filed a motion to intervene on Jan. 24 in a case that has already successfully blocked DBE goals for certain contracts in at least 23 states.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cThis program is a lifeline that deserves defending,\u201d said Skye Perryman, Democracy Forward\u2019s president and CEO, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/democracyforward.org\/updates\/coalition-seeks-to-defend-lifeline-for-transportation-businesses-owned-by-women-and-people-of-color\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>in a news release<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. \u201cEspecially in an industry as reliant on relationships as construction is, longstanding attempts to shut women and people of color out have persisted and can determine if a business thrives or is forced to shut down.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Dive Insight:<\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The filing makes the case that Democracy Forward should be allowed to defend the DBE program in lieu of Trump\u2019s orders to federal agencies, including the DOT.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cRecent action by the Executive Branch shows a dramatic shift in the Department\u2019s position,\u201d the motion, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, reads. \u201cRather than adequately representing the interests of \u2026\u00a0DBEs and countless similar companies, as it has been doing for months, the Department is now poised to support Plaintiffs\u2019 efforts to end the DBE program altogether.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In November, a federal judge <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/dbe-injunction-more-states\/732223\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>expanded a limited preliminary injunction in the case<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<span><span><span><span><span><span>Mid-America vs. U.S. DOT against the DBE program, which was created by an act of Congress and sets aspirational goals that at least 10% of federal contracts be awarded to women- and minority-owned firms.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The judge ruled that the program\u2019s presumption that certain groups, including women and minorities, were disadvantaged due to their gender or race, was likely unconstitutional.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Following that ruling, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/highways.dot.gov\/sites\/fhwa.dot.gov\/files\/2024_dbe_preliminary_injunction_implementation_memo_all_states_11-18-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>the Federal Highway Administration issued a memo<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> that brought those goals down to 0% for contracts that the plaintiffs in the case, Jeffersonville, Indiana-based Mid-America Milling Co. and Memphis, Indiana-based Bagshaw Trucking, had bid on or intended to bid on, while expanding the number of states impacted to 25.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>A chilling effect<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>That memo, combined with Trump\u2019s orders targeting DEI initiatives, has had a chilling effect on the program in general, according to attorney Danielle Dietrich, who specializes in DBE contracts at Washington, D.C.-based Potomac Law Group.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cAt least until there\u2019s court intervention, I don\u2019t foresee FHA or anyone else enforcing any contract goals that require good-faith efforts for DBE,\u201d Dietrich said.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In her view, Democracy Forward\u2019s motion makes a viable argument for intervention now given proceedings in the case to date.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cIt\u2019s appropriate, because trial is not for another year,\u201d Dietrich said. \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of time and discovery doesn\u2019t end for several months. So there\u2019s really not a whole lot of prejudice to the plaintiffs in that case.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Potentially moot<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>However, Chris Slottee, a DBE attorney at Schwabe, Williamson &amp; Wyatt in Anchorage, Alaska, said there is a risk the group\u2019s petition has come too late.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cThe court has already issued a decision that is effectively on the merits, and so letting the intervenors come in and make arguments could be viewed by the Court as merely permitting them to reargue points already raised and decided,\u201d Slottee wrote in an email to Construction Dive.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>He also said that since DOT has effectively eliminated the presumption of discrimination from the program via its memo, there may not be a compelling reason to grant the request. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span>he federal court could also view the intervenor\u2019s request as effectively moot, given the new administration\u2019s stated intent to remove any race-based affirmative action in government contracting,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Regardless of the outcome, more efforts to defend the DBE program are likely. On Friday, another group, DBEs of America, held a conference call with more than 175 attendees to raise funds for more litigation. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cJust tell me where to send the check,\u201d one attendee commented. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/motion-to-intervene-dot-dbe-dei\/738569\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive &#8230; <a title=\"Advocacy group files motion to intervene in DBE case\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/advocacy-group-files-motion-to-intervene-in-dbe-case\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Advocacy group files motion to intervene in DBE case\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[457],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-dive","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28813\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}