Skip to content

Bill Newton

News

PEEHIP Board Raises Health Insurance Premiums on Education Employees

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Wednesday, April 27, the PEEHIP (Public Education Employees Health Insurance Program) board voted 7 to 6 to increase the monthly health insurance premiums for education worker and retirees insured by the plan. Beginning on October 1, 2016 single plans will see a $15 a month rate increase. Family plans … Continued
April 29, 2016

STAARS Still Failing Alabama

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—The $47 million no-bid software package known as STAARS, a statewide government accounting system, is now going to require more full-time staff at the Department of Finance, according to a presentation made to agency heads last week. SEE HANDOUT The multi-million dollar system, touted as a cost-saving measure, will … Continued
April 20, 2016

Debate Over Design-build verses State Law Continues

By Bill Britt Alabama Politcal Reporter MONTGOMERY—The battle: Design-build vs State-Law-mandated Design-bid-build, for the $800 million prison project has become so contentious, that Gov. Robert Bentley is reportedly ready to kill the whole project if the contract for construction is not awarded under Design-build, rather than the traditional bid process. Gov. Bentley’s office has refused … Continued
March 23, 2016

No Bid Prisons, Questions Unanswered

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Recent turmoil and violence at the Holman Prison has brought sharp focus on the boiling caldron that is the State’s Department of Corrections. Gov. Robert Bentley has championed the Alabama Prison Transformation Initiative Act as a potential solution to prison overcrowding and other ills……but at what cost? On the … Continued
March 16, 2016

2008 Memo States STAARS Must Be Bid

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—The $47 million STARRS accounting software system was signed under a no-bid contract with CGI. Acting Finance Director, Bill Newton, claims the contract was simply an up-grade of the million-dollar-a-year maintenance contract the State has held with the company for over two decades. This is the reason Newton has … Continued
January 20, 2016

Pallets of Phones Gather Dust Under Newton’s Orders

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Pallets stacked with expensive Cisco phones, perhaps representing millions in State tax dollars, sit silently gathering dust in a warehouse, because someone at the State Department of Finance thinks they have a better idea. After reporting on the botched rollout of the STAARS accounting system, more than two-dozen confidential … Continued
January 19, 2016

Some Important Dates to Mark Down in 2016

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter Happy New Year. Tomorrow is the last day in a dreadful 2015. Good riddance, I say. But I’m looking forward to a momentous 2016. Can’t wait for it to get here. My wife and I usually do very little on New Year’s Eve. We have too many dogs who … Continued
December 30, 2015

Bentley Administration Doubles Down on STAARS: Spin or Cover-up?

By Bill Britt and Susan Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Late Friday evening, Gov. Robert Bentley’s administration published a lengthy press release announcing the “re-launch” of Open Alabama, and defending the $47 million STAARS software program. The carefully parsed statement from the Governor’s office was particularly nuanced and did not directly address the concerns that State … Continued
December 21, 2015

Finance Director Threatens State Employees Who Speak with Media

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Acting Finance Director Bill Newton warned department heads to inform State personnel not to speak to the media, and report any contact to him immediately, or else. On Thursday afternoon, Dec. 8, alreporter.com published an investigative report chronicling the failing implementation of the accounting software known as STAARS—the story … Continued
December 21, 2015

Financial Software System Still Failing Despite Spin

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter The State Finance Department’s failed implementation of a $47 million dollar software solution has led to tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills, thousands of angry vendors, and frayed nerves, throughout almost every State agency, yet, it is still being dismissed by those responsible for the debacle as … Continued
December 14, 2015