COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new executive order from Governor Henry McMaster is directing South Carolina state agencies to stop considering minority ownership when awarding certain contracts. The order pauses parts of two state laws that set spending requirements for minority owned businesses.

Executive Order 2025-40 tells agencies not to award new contracts that factor in race. It affects two laws. One requires the South Carolina Department of Transportation to award at least 5 percent of specific contracts to minority owned businesses, while the second requires all state agencies to spend 10 percent of their controllable budget through minority owned companies.

To explain the legal basis, News19 spoke with Steve Matthews of HSB Law Firm, a constitutional law attorney. Matthews says the gover

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