Covered California awarded $184 million in contracts without following the typical standard competitive bidding process, reports the Associated Press. The funding went to a variety of projects, like paying for ergonomic adjustments to workstations. No-bidding contracts are pretty unheard of since state government rules seek to promote fair competition to give taxpayers the best deal possible, the AP reported. While the state's exchange uses a significant amount of taxpayer money at the moment, officials hope to rely less on private contractors as the system matures. Many urge more transparency in the process since so much money goes into such work. Article