JEFFERSON CITY—Today, Senator Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, stood to speak out against the Missouri Department of Revenue’s practice of awarding motor vehicle fee offices based on payments of a portion of fees to the state. Contrary to recent legislation directing that non-profit groups be given preference in awarding fee offices, the department has created a point system that rewards payments by the fee office back to the state, but not payments to the communities they serve.

Commonly called ‘pay-to-play,’ Sen. Walsh vowed to end the practice in legislation, by co-sponsoring Senate Bill 389. This measure is in response to the department’s refusal to compromise on changing their own internal point system.

Senator Walsh spoke to the history of fee offices during floor debate, “Twenty-five years ago, the late Gov. Mel Carnahan, in an early effort to eliminate politics from the process of awarding license offices to political allies, took the bold step of going in a different direction by awarding the Florissant license office to the local Rotary, with the provision that the profits would be used strictly for charitable purposes.”

Local agencies that are recipients of the Rotary’s contribution to the community include: the Emergency Assistance Ministry Food Pantry; Valley Industries Sheltered Workshop; SSM DePaul Hospital Foundation; A Soldier’s Wish List; Florissant Police Department’s Explorer Scouts Post; United Service Organizations; as well as numerous students attending the Hazelwood and Ferguson-Florissant School Districts who are provided with scholarships and dictionaries.

Senator Walsh made her objections public, during debate on the confirmation of the new director of the Department of Revenue, Nia Ray. Ms. Ray was unanimously approved.

“Ms. Ray is a talented young attorney who is approachable, eminently qualified and genuinely concerned about strengthening the bidding process,” Sen. Walsh stated. “It would be unfair to hold her accountable for the poor, past work of the department; however, we must level the playing field to follow the law and give preference to non-profits like the Rotary.”

For more information on Sen. Walsh’s legislative actions, visit her official Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/walsh.