Governor Parson Rescinds Order on State Contracts for Women, Minority Firms [Video]

Missouri Governor Mike Parson has rescinded an executive order that set benchmarks for state agencies to procure goods and services from businesses owned by minorities and women, citing “legal concerns.”

Parson, a Republican nearing the end of his term, on October 23 canceled 177 executive orders, some of which dated to the 1980s. The governor’s office said the orders were no longer “necessary or applicable,” according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Among the rescinded orders was one issued by former Democratic Governor Jay Nixon in 2015 that set a target for state agencies to allocate 10 percent of their purchasing to businesses owned by minorities and another 10 percent to those owned by women.

Concern Among Advocates …