Disputed Contracts Place Procurement in Spotlight

Disputes over recent state contracts have put Republican lawmakers at odds with the Republican governor, angered potential vendors and muddied understanding on what businesses can expect from the process of awarding state work. Since December, procurement issues have embroiled the governor’s office and bedeviled state agencies and the Legislature, while scrutiny has grown for the Office of State Procurement. That office, part of the state Department of Finance & Administration, oversees the competitive bidding meant to save taxpayer money and assure that public business isn’t steered to cronies or political favorites. “This procurement stuff is not glamorous or pretty. Actually, it’s kind of boring, but it’s where the money is,” said state Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, a leader in a movement to revise the system. Hickey and Rep. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, filed a bill this month to make bottom-line pricing a greater factor in state bid solicitations and to make the judging system in competitive situations more transparent to those seeking state contracts. The bill, to be considered in the waning weeks of the current legislative session, is being revised, Hickey said last week. But he is convinced that a new focus on pricing is essential to getting the best deal for taxpayers and for bolstering businesses’ confidence that the system is fair and bias-free. Mary Scott Nabers, a former Texas railroad commissioner who now leads Strategic ...
Source: Arkansas Business - Health Care - Category: American Health Source Type: news