"Connecticut taxpayers expect and deserve to know that contracts awarded with their money are handled according to the strictest standards of fairness and accountability -- free from any political influence or consideration," Governor Rell said. "This proposal was among the very first I promoted when I became Governor and I will continue to push this crucial legislation during this year's session."
The Governor established a State Contracting Standards Board through an Executive Order last year after she was twice forced to veto legislation creating the board but also containing unacceptable language that would have hurt non-profits, small businesses and minority-owned businesses. Those entities would have been forced to pay state-employee wage levels.
The Governor's 2006 bill creates a State Contracting Standards Board as an independent state agency charged with establishing uniform state procurement standards, auditing state contracting agencies and disciplining any agency that fails to comply with the bill's requirements. The Governor's Executive Order governing the awarding of contracts will remain in place until new legislation is passed.
The contracting reform bill grew out of a working group the Governor created shortly after taking office in the summer of 2004.
