Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri has spent tens of millions through emergency contracts that bypassed the normal bidding process.
Now, some lawmakers are looking to ensure the state moves back to competitive bidding and increases transparency for when the state does use emergency contracts. We agree that such steps are in the best interest of state government and Missourians.
We recently published a story by The Missouri Independent about a House hearing for bills by two representatives. Each would mandate more reporting requirements on state purchasing when normal processes aren't used.
Rep. Brad Hudson, R-Cape Fair and the chair of the Subcommittee on Appropriations, said the bills are "the beginnings of an attempt at (request for proposal) reform in Missouri," the Independent reported.
The bills would limit no-bid contracts to one year when only one vendor can provide the needed services or when emergency procurements are issues, the news source reported.
It said that when emergency procurements are awarded, the state must plan to implement a competitive bid process within a year, and emergency procurements could be extended if necessary while a competitive bid process is ongoing.
No one opposed the bills at the hearing, and only the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and industry testified in support of them.
"We want to make sure that our process is both efficient and effective for taxpayer dollars," said Kara Corches, the chamber's vice president of governmental affairs, the Independent reported.
The pandemic forced changes in the way we do many things. Quick action sometimes required bypassing traditional bidding processes.
These bills will help ensure the state returns to a competitive bidding process as it is able to, and offer transparency to Missourians when it isn't.
News Tribune