The spin on tires
My friend Taft Wireback has been writing about problems with the state tire contract for a while now, including a proposal to fix the current system.
The bill in question comes in both House and Senate flavors, and it is the Senate version that looks like it might run first.
The Senate Commerce Committee heard the bill today but was on the verge of voting the thing down before Chairman R.C. Soles figured out it was about to die and ended the meeting. It would come back another day, he said.
Ralph Edelberg, an engineer with the Division of Purchasing and Contracts, helped cause the delay. He said the bill would restrict the division's ability to get contracts that various state agencies want.
Members of the committee were concerned that the bill's language would specifically exclude White's Tire Service, of Wilson, from bidding on the state tire contract because of the "bead-to-bead" process they use to repair process.
Sen. Tony Rand, the Senate majority leader, said that he thought the bill was suppose to open the state tire contract to more competition. But he complained that it looked like it went to the opposite direction, making it so at least one company could not compete.
"It looks to me like we're just flipping it, we're favoring the other side," Rand said.
That "other side" would be companies like BesTreads in Winston-Salem and Snider Tire of Greensboro.
Meanwhile, Sen. Katie Dorsett said he objection was that the state purchasing division had not been consulted on the crafting of the bill.
More to come on this one.
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