St. Louis’ Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise program has resumed and will continue accepting new contracts for public works projects. The program, which Mayor Cara Spencer had paused in August, will have new goals to help equitably hire construction contractors.

Spencer paused the program after the city received a letter from the U.S. attorney general’s office and the Department of Transportation pressuring it to comply with the Trump administration’s policy around DEI programming.

The St. Louis Development Corporation will begin working on issuing hiring rules on how to calculate specific project goals instead of having an overarching program goal for public contracts.

“The City of St. Louis proudly remains committed to using its spending powers in a way that effectively

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