Federal judge strikes down City of Houston’s minority, woman, small business program as unconstitutional

HOUSTON – A federal judge has ruled the City of Houston’s Minority Women and Small Business Enterprise Program is unconstitutional.

Court records show U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled against the City of Houston in a lawsuit brought against the city by two landscaping companies.

The companies challenged the city using racial preferences in local government contracts.

In his ruling, Hittner barred the city from administering the “race-conscious” portion of the program or using similar racial preferences in the award of public contracts.

“The racially discriminatory aspect of Defendant City of Houston Texas’s Minority Women, and Small Business Enterprise program is declared unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the judgement reads.