A new temporary committee has been created in the Missouri House to examine how the Governor’s Office of Administration (OA) awards government contracts.
The Interim Committee on Government Bidding and Contracting may also be used to recommend new legislation for next year’s regular session. State Representative Sue Allen (R, Town and Country) will chair the committee. She says last year’s controversy surrounding former Medicaid contractor SynCare LLC played a part in the committee’s creation.
“OA took the wrong contract, and their process must have been significantly flawed or we would not have had the outcome that we had with SynCare," Allen said. "I have to believe that that is not the only instance where OA has possibly not chosen the best company, the best contract, and I want to know what they're doing with all the other contracts.”
Allen says they may also look into how bids for driver’s license fee offices are awarded.
“We’re gonna look (at) how OA function(s) and how they select contracts," Allen said, "what they look for, how objective (The Office of Administration) is.”
Allen says the committee may also examine how contracts and incentives are doled out by other state agencies. The interim committee will expire at year’s end, unless the incoming House Speaker decides to extend its life span.
