Minority and women business list moves to Senate

A bill to allow businesses register as owned by women or minorities moved to the Senate Wednesday in a 60-15 House vote.

Rep. Mark Wheatley, D-Murray, said he's sponsoring HB352 to help attract lucrative contracts to Utah. He said the Small Business Administration awarded $140 million in minority contracts last year. Wheatley's bill would create an up-to-date registry of eligible businesses.

"If Utah had a current list, these could go much higher," he said of the contracts.