Bedke: State contract process ‘needs improvement,’ and ‘must be corrected’

House Speaker Scott Bedke issued a statement this afternoon in response to the Idaho Education Network lawsuit ruling yesterday, saying legislative leaders are working on ways to meet schools’ broadband needs this year and to reform Idaho’s procurement practices “to ensure that state contracts are fair and open.”

“We were all under the good-faith assumption that the contracting process in place was one that protected the state from this type of mishandling,” Bedke said. “The process appears to need improvement and must be corrected.”