Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today said that a bill pending in the General Assembly would bring greater transparency to the awarding of state contracts. Senate Bill 1060, sponsored by state Sen. Scott Sifton, of Affton, requires individuals and entities entering into state contracts of more than $5,000 to disclose any payments of $500 or more they have made to political organizations. Those payments would be public information.
The "Transparency in Government Contracting Act" defines a political organization as any not-for-profit that qualifies for tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Currently, the identities of contributors to such organizations are anonymous, leading to what is referred to as "dark money." The bill would exempt donations to committees or other organizations that are required to file contribution and expenditure reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission, as those are already public information.
"Missourians deserve to know when taxpayer dollars are being used in state contracts that go to dark money contributors," Auditor Galloway said. "I support Senate Bill 1060, which would bring transparency to the contract process and prevent corruption in state government."
“Transparency and accountability in government are essential," Sen. Sifton said. "Missouri needs tougher protections against pay-to-play.”
legislation like this is sorely needed, but with our legislature I have doubts it will amount to anything. First of all you need people in an office overseeing any discrepancies and then a Attorney General willing to pursue or try the person. If it is a republican of note then it will be handled out of the court with slaps on the wrist and told to be less transparent. This State Auditor is to be commended for her duty to "trying" to keep graft and corruption under control, but it is a thankless job of enormous portions. She finds problems like the Goodman Fire Dept. and then the county prosecutor fails to bring the person to trial or gives them the "slap on the wrist". Same goes with Joplin city, Joplin school system and now the Neosho School system all doing things against established practices with little or no changes in said peoples behavior. Not even community service which if anyone travels down to Neosho can see volumes of trash along the roadside that needs to be collected. Let us not get started on the miserable condition of the interstate roads that MODOT has neglected or fixed in a shoddy manner and side roads are befitting of a third world nation. Missouri is going down in a massive whirlpool of a swirl to the toilet.
ReplyDeleteTransparency and accountability in government are unquestionably required beyond a shadow of doubt. I don’t know the details of Senator Sifton; but pay-to-play is absolutely verboten!!!
ReplyDeleteIt will always be lurking around, and has to be rooted out.
Harvey HUTCHINSON 303-522-6622 voice&text 24/7