COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) — Governor Henry McMaster signed an Executive Order 2025-40 that would put a stop to race-based quotas and set-asides in South Carolina state government contracting.
Under existing state law, agencies, including the Department of Transportation, were required to allocate at least 5% of certain contracts to minority-owned firms, while others operated under 10% minority-business participation goals. The order mandates agencies to suspend these requirements for all future contracts, though it does not alter or cancel any agreements already in place.
McMaster said the move is intended to bring state contracting practices in line with the U.S. Constitution, arguing that taxpayer-funded contracts should be awarded based on merit rather than race. He pointed to recent U.S. Supreme Court guidance stating that race-based programs must pass “strict scrutiny” and eventually come to an end…