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6/14 - Interim House Committee Will Take Closer Look at Government Contracting Process

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A newly-formed interim House committee will look for ways to add transparency and accountability to the process used by state government to receive bids and award contracts. House Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, said the Interim Committee on Government Bidding and Contracting will thoroughly review the standards and practices currently in place with the goal of ensuring they adequately protect taxpayer dollars.

“The contracts the state enters into put taxpayer money on the line and it is our duty to take every precaution possible to ensure the people of Missouri get what they pay for and that the process used to secure these contracts is open and transparent,” said Tilley. “We’ve taken a similar approach with our own budgeting process here in the House and I think the results have been incredibly positive. We want to make certain the bidding process used by state government has the same kind of commitment to putting the interests of taxpayers first.”

Tilley selected state Rep. Sue Allen, R-Town and Country, to chair the committee. He said Allen’s work to improve the level of accountability and transparency in state government makes her an ideal choice to lead the committee.

“Sue is someone who believes in a fiscally responsible approach that invests taxpayer dollars in the most efficient way possible,” said Tilley. “She has worked tirelessly to pass legislation to make state agencies more accountable through a comparative audit process, and she has played an important role in improving the level of transparency in our budget process through her work on the Interim Committee on Budget Transparency. I know she will use her dedication and experience to find common sense solutions that will greatly improve the current bidding and contracting process.”

“The people of Missouri deserve to be confident of the fact their government is using their tax dollars in the most efficient way possible,” said Allen. “That means putting the process we use to award contracts out in the open where the people can see what they are getting for their money. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee in the coming months to find ways to improve the process so we have the most transparent and most accountable standards possible in place.”

Allen will be joined on the committee by the following members: Reps. Sheila Solon, R-Blue Springs, who will serve as co-chair; Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City; Mark Parkinson, R-St. Charles; Diane Franklin, R-Camdenton; Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City; Marsha Haefner, R-Oakville; Chuck Gatschenberger, R- Lake St. Louis; Susan Carlson, D-St. Louis; Chris Kelly, D-Columbia; Gail McCann Beatty, D-Kansas City; and Kevin McManus, D-Kansas City.

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