Missouri AG lawsuit shows KC contractor policy working

Here we go again.

That was my initial, exasperated reaction after Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s office announced a lawsuit against Kansas City, alleging the city’s minority- and women-owned business contracting program discriminates based on race and gender.

In the federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Hanaway alleges the city’s decadeslong minority- and women-owned business enterprise or MWBE program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The suit asks the court to strike down a city ordinance that mandates large-scale projects include a certain percentage of businesses run or operated by minorities and women. In other words, Hanaway is arguing the city’s commitment to business diversity is an affront to white people — mainly white men.

“Kansas Citians deserve a system based on fairness, merit, and equal treatment, not one that sorts people and spends taxpayer dollars based on race or sex,” Hanaway said in a statement. “The city’s unlawful quotas violate the core promise of equal protection under the law, shut out qualified businesses, and deny hardworking Missourians the chance to compete on a level playing field.”

Quinton Lucas: ‘Another political stunt’

Who are we kidding here? If you ask me, this legal action represents the Missouri AG’s office’s latest attack on programs designed to level the playing field for minorities and women. The suit is just the latest example of a culture war Hanaway has undertaken since being appointed to the position by Gov. Mike Kehoe. Recently, Hanaway threatened legal action against Major League Baseball after the league warned three San Francisco Giants players that their Pride Night protest violated uniform policy by inscribing Bible verses on their ball caps. In another lawsuit filed against the Missouri State High School Activities Association, the AG’s office claimed the way the governing body chooses its at-large board members discriminates based on race and sex.

Just as I wrote when the case against MSHSAA was filed, I urge Kansas City officials to fight this waste of taxpayers’ dollars in court. In a statement, Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city would do just that, describing the lawsuit as political grandstanding that could put women and people of color out of work.

“I had much hope that Missouri finally had an Attorney General committed to fighting human trafficking, eliminating elder abuse, and protecting Missouri’s seniors from fraudsters,” Lucas said. “Unfortunately, we still do not, as our new Attorney General takes part in yet another culture war issue. Our lawyers will handle it. The people of Missouri and Kansas City will lose, as talented young lawyers in her office spend their time on another political stunt rather than the safety of Missourians.”

Racial wealth gap remains vast

It’s important to remember, the U.S. racial wealth gap remains vast, according to a 2024 report from the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C-based think tank. Federal Reserve data showed the median white household had over six times the net worth of the median Black household and nearly five times that of the median Hispanic household, Brookings reported. In 2022, for every dollar of wealth held by white families, Black families possess about 15 cents and Latino families own roughly 19 cents, according to the report.

In Missouri, the household income gap between white and Black households sits around 36.9%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. White households report a median income of roughly $72,475, compared to $46,668 for Black households, the survey found.

So when Lucas expresses concerns about people of color losing their ability to make a living in Kansas City, he isn’t wrong. The income and broader wealth gap nationwide is largely attributed to historical discriminatory practices in lending and housing, residential segregation, unequal access to higher education, and systemic employment barriers, a WalletHub study concluded.

“Centuries of discrimination in public policy, financial practices, and societal norms that limited Black wealth accumulation have not been overcome, and will require broad structural changes to rectify the long-lasting impact of inequality,” the Brookings report stated.

Company in suit won city contracts

Another important detail to note: According to The Star, Hanaway’s office filed the lawsuit on behalf of Charles Cacioppo, Jr., owner of the Kansas City-based company Industrial Salvage & Wrecking Co. Inc. Interestingly, the lawsuit contends that Cacioppo’s company has won bids for competitive contracts, but wants to do so in the future without race or sex being considered. If you’re scratching your head about that particular tidbit, you’re not alone.

In an email, I asked Cacioppo to explain how the company was being discriminated against despite being awarded city contracts. He declined to comment.

“At this time, we are not able to comment on the pending litigation,” Cacioppo wrote. “Our company is subject to a gag order regarding this matter, so we are unable to answer questions or provide statements related to the case.”

A disparity study presented to the City Council in June recommended the city adopt a race- and gender-neutral measure focusing on small businesses. In the lawsuit, Hanaway cited the study to illustrate that the city’s current program is discriminatory.

“This data made clear that Kansas City’s ‘current race- and gender-conscious program’ cannot continue because there is not a factual basis supporting continued discrimination based on race and sex,” the lawsuit contends.

To me, the study gives credence to the idea that the city’s program is working as intended. Without it, people of color and women would most likely be left out in the cold, as Lucas alluded to in his statement.

In this case, I can’t say that I disagree with Lucas. Could you?