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RALEIGH - School systems and state agencies would be able to choose from two different tire repair methods under legislation passed Thursday by a House Judiciary Committee.

If this latest edition holds up, the bill could end a tug-of-war between a Wilson tire company that had held the state contract to repair and retread tires for nearly three decades and other companies who use a different method.

"I have never heard so much about recap tire in all my life," said Rep. Ronnie Sutton, a Robeson County Democrat and the committee's chairman.

The bill has received an unusual amount of debate in legislative committees for what is essentially a technical issue typically left up to administrators.

But an auditor's report that said the state has paid too much for tire repairs, safety concerns and a mix of parochial interests moved the bill into the spotlight.

It will next go to the House floor and, if the Senate agrees with changes made in the House, on to the governor for his signature.

Provisions in the bill limiting how much the state would pay for spot repairs - fixes to small holes and imperfections - address concerns raised in a 2005 auditor's report. That language has largely been agreed to.

Debate has centered on two methods of retreading tires. One, known as bead-to-bead, is favored by White's Tire of Wilson, the only company in the state known to use the method. Other companies such as Snider Tire Co. of Greensboro say that the more common top-capping method costs less, performs just as well and does not remove critical manufacturer's information from the tire.

In the past three weeks, legislators have argued over a provision that would require that manufacturers' information to remain. Some say that it would be critical in the event of a recall or catastrophic problem. But White's and some legislators said there is no way to do the bead-to-bead process and maintain that information.

"What I am asking for my client is that they be able to be part of the process, to be able to bid," Steve Metcalf, a lobbyist for White's, told the committee last week.

Bead-to-bead is also more expensive. Workers in some agencies, particularly the Department of Transportation, say the method performs better on rough roads and work sites. If the state tire repair contract were issued on price alone, Metcalf said, his client would also be excluded and state agencies would not be able to buy the bead-to-bead tires.

A compromise reached Thursday will require the state to bid two separate contracts - one for bead-to-bead and one for the top-capping method. Agencies and school systems would then choose between the two methods and be responsible for justifying the extra cost if they picked the more expensive one.

When asked whether he was happy with the final version of a bill he has pushed, Rep. Nelson Cole said, "Everything here is a work in progress." The Reidsville Democrat added that he would ask the full House to approve the bill as the committee had amended it.

Contact Mark Binker (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com