IL Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief urging the court not to approve an agreement that would threaten the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program administered under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. The DBE Program, created by Congress in 1983 under President Reagan, tasks states with overseeing the administration of major federally funded transportation and infrastructure projects. It also ensures that contracts are awarded in a fair and nondiscriminatory way and has given minority and women-owned small businesses the ability to compete for major infrastructure projects across the country. “For 42 years, the DBE program has helped level the playing field for minority and women-owned businesses in maintaining and expanding America’s transportation infrastructure. I will continue to stand with my fellow attorneys general and others who are challenging this administration’s misguided attempts to eliminate these programs and erase decades of progress we have made towards equity.” – AG Raoul