NY Increases Contracts With Women- And Minority-Owned Firms

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state is awarding more of its contracts to businesses owned by minorities and women.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration has announced that in the last fiscal year 25 percent of state contracts were given to minority- and women-owned firms, up from 23 percent the year before.

The total amount of all the contracts was approximately $2 billion. Fifty percent of the contracts were for construction projects.

Cuomo, a Democrat, has set a goal of raising the percentage to 30 percent.

[STORY BY: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]