Proposed Contractor Bill Debated

Proposed Contractor Bill Debated

Lawmakers split on effects of a proposed contrator bill

The proposal is supposed to keep contractors with the state honest in the wake of the past year's corruption scandals.

But so far the biggest opposition to a bill — which passed through the Democrat-controlled legislature last week — has come from groups serving the poor and disabled.

"The bill certainly limits our ability to reach out to people who need service and are on a waiting list," said Tom Fanning, president of Ability Beyond Disability, a Brookfield organization that provides services for disabled people. "Over the long period, could this totally erode the non-profit sector? I believe it could."

The threat, according to the non-profit sector, is the bill requires the state to do a cost-benefit analysis before letting a private agency take over a government project. Under this portion of the bill, a private organization or company would have to offer comparable employee pay and benefits to what state employees have.

The generous state benefits package can be tough for non-profit groups to match, Fanning said. His concerns echoed those of others. For companies, this rule would kick in next July. For non-profit groups, it wouldn't take effect until 2008.

The Connecticut Association of Non Profits has lobbied against the bill, which Gov. M. Jodi Rell said she would likely veto.

The cost-benefit analysis is just one portion of the bill. The legislation calls for the establishment of a State Contracting Standards Board that would create rules for disqualifying certain firms from bidding for a contract, and to terminate contracts if a firm is not living up to its agreement.

The bill was passed the same week Peter Ellef, former chief of staff for imprisoned ex-Gov. John G. Rowland, pleaded guilty to bribery charges. Earlier this year, Rowland was sentenced to one-year in prison for accepting more than $100,000 in illegal gifts from state contractors.

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