preference

Editorial cartoon

Group sues Milwaukee over minority-preference ordinance (UPDATE)

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin is suing Milwaukee to kill an ordinance that sets race-based preferences and goals for city construction contracts.

Milwaukee preps for minority contracting preference

By Marie Rohde Milwaukee is cautiously building toward a law that would direct more public contract money toward women- and minority-owned companies. The caution stems from a 1989 U.S. Supreme […]

Illinois preference law rattles contractors along the border

By Tony Anderson Special to The Daily Reporter An Illinois law requiring the use of state residents on public projects has Wisconsin contractors gauging the potential damage to their bottom […]

Milwaukee bid preference cuts city contractor

By Sean Ryan M.J. Construction Inc. fell $17 short of winning its seventh Milwaukee contract under the city‘s local preference law. The law requires Milwaukee give a 5 percent bid […]

Judge upholds local bid preference (UPDATE)

By Sean Ryan Milwaukee’s local bidder preference Monday withstood legal challenges filed by sewer contractors that lost projects because of the law. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge William Pocan ruled […]

Women-, minority-owned preference good in theory, bad in execution

By Chris Thompson

editor

State Sen. Glenn Grothman has taken to an extreme his opposition to preferences for women- and minority-owned companies. But he still presents a relevant argument.

Letter to the editor: One bad idea after another

To the editor: Financial incentives funded by the taxpayer for where a business is located? Financial incentives funded by the taxpayer for the geographical area in which employees live? Neither […]

Contractor warns county of the price of preference

By Sean Ryan A contractor is warning Milwaukee County that paperwork, oversight and program management are unavoidable costs of a local hiring preference for projects. “It might not cost bids, […]

Milwaukee County inches toward bidding preference

By Sean Ryan Milwaukee County soon could give a bidding advantage to the contractor that hires the most county residents for a project. The goal of the county resolution, sponsored […]

Disputed sewer contracts awarded to MJ Construction

By Sean Ryan Milwaukee has awarded two sewer projects that were caught in a dispute over the city’s bidding preference for local contractors. The two sewer construction and repair contracts, […]

Subcontractors seek project delivery guarantees

By Paul Snyder Subcontractors want guarantees the lowest responsible bid still will win the jobs before the Wisconsin Legislature passes a bill changing delivery methods for state projects. The bill […]