With Democrats bashing Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt over the way he's been awarding state fee offices, Republican Rep. Ryan Silvey of Kansas City probably isn't helping matters any.
Silvey on Friday announced that he some other House members would be announcing a plan on Monday to reform the way in which fee offices -- where Missourians renew their licenses and get tags -- are awarded. Governors have always awarded the fee offices to political supporters, but the the FBI has launched an investigation into how Blunt's office has been giving out the lucrative offices.
Democrats call Blunt's fee office system "patronage on steroids."
A press release from Silvey's office said he would announce a "major fee office reform plan" at stops in Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield on Monday.
Silvey was unavailable for comment on the proposal, but Rep. Jim Lembke, a St. Louis Republican who is supporting Silvey's effort, said he believed the plan involved awarding the fee offices to local non-profit agencies.
"I think there's an opportunity for us to get away from this patronage deal," Lembke said. "I think we have to put a stop to it, to say enough is enough."
All of the planned announcements are scheduled at libraries. Could libraries benefit under Silvey's plan?
No word either on who is paying for the airplane to fly Silvey around the state to promote his plan.
Posted by Tim Hoover
Doug Harpool, state senate candidate from Springfield (and a former rep in the '80s and '90s) has already announced his own plan to overhaul the fee agent offices. Glad to see the GOP is finally catching up to him.
Posted by: | June 23, 2006 at 03:43 PM
Oh yeah. Read all about it at
http://harpool06.com
Posted by: | June 23, 2006 at 03:44 PM
With all due respect to Representative Silvey and senate candidate Harpool, Representative Henke has filed this bill the past 2 legislative sessions. In 2006, Representative Henke filed HB 1336 which required the Department of Revenue to award fee office contracts with a priority given to school districts and charitable organizations over individuals in a competitive bid process. He also filed a similiar bill (HB541) in 2005.
Both years, the chairman of the committee (Representative St. Onge in 2006 and Representative Roark in 2005) refused Representative Henke’s request for a hearing on the bill. In both years bills that were filed much later in the process were heard in committee, voted out of committee, and became law.
On at least six different occassions Representative Henke attempted to amend his bill on to other bills. The amendments were ruled out of order by the Speaker or voted down by the Republican majority.
Representative Silvey supported none of these amendments when they were offered by Representative Henke. He did support a somewhat related amendment along with a few Republicans and nearly all of the Democrats that would have prohibited repeat drunk drivers from running fee offices. It was alleged at the time that some of the fee agents appointed by Governor Blunt had multiple drunk driving convictions, including one appointee that was a former legislator. The amendment ultimately failed on a nearly straight party line vote.
Posted by: Terry Jackson | June 23, 2006 at 07:15 PM
Silvey is a waste of flesh.
Posted by: crose | June 27, 2006 at 07:29 AM
IS it just me, or does this guy remind you of "Pip the elder" from the old Black Adder III BBC series? This guy is practilcy a kid. He hasn't even had a real job yet. Another yuppie wanna be turned politician.
Posted by: guitarzan | June 27, 2006 at 10:04 AM