A barbershop owner sued Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday over coronavirus relief that was designated for minority-owned small businesses.
Etienne Hardre, who is white, said in the lawsuit that the relief is “unconstitutional” because access to the aid is based on race and the state failed to show the aid remedies discrimination or racism, according to the Denver Post.
“We have nothing against minorities, minorities are fantastic,” Hardre said. “However, everybody, all Americans, all Coloradans have been hurt. Business owners of all kinds, whites as well as minorities. We are doing our part to just raise a flag and say, ‘Hey, this doesn’t seem right to carve out the money for only one subsection of the Coloradans who have been hurt and ignore the others.'”
Hardre said he lost a third of his barbershop’s revenue during the pandemic and can’t apply for any available state aid because he can’t receive funds that are designated for minority-owned businesses since he’s white.
Hardre is naming the state’s Minority Business Office and its director as defendants in the suit, which aims to remove the race-based requirement from the aid.
In a relief package passed by the state Legislature on Monday, $4 million of $57 million designated for small businesses and arts organizations was set aside for minority-owned businesses. Of the rest, $37 million is earmarked for direct relief payments up to $7,000 for businesses that have been affected the worst by the pandemic.
The $4 million earmarked for the specific business must be at least 51% minority-owned to receive the benefits.
“The Supreme Court has held that if you are going to do race-conscious measures, you are required to specify the past or present discrimination you are remedying,” attorney Michael Kuhn said. “And societal, so-called systemic racism isn’t sufficient.”
Polis’s office declined to comment on the matter to the Washington Examiner.
