Ala. legislative panel seeks citizen to refile lawsuit to stop $13 million computer contract

Alabama panel seeks citizen to refile lawsuit

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The chairman of a legislative oversight committee says efforts are being made to find an Alabama taxpayer to refile a lawsuit seeking to block a $13 million unbid computer contract signed by Gov. Bob Riley.

Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Tom King last month threw out the lawsuit to stop the state Finance Department’s contract with Paragon Source LLC. The suit was filed by the Legislature’s Contract Review Committee and its chairman, Democratic Rep. Alvin Holmes of Montgomery.

King said in his ruling that committee members did not show they were personally harmed by the contract.

Holmes said at Thursday’s committee meeting that he expects the lawsuit to be refiled by a taxpayer or a computer company that wanted to bid for the contract.