AMICK BILL WOULD INCREASE LICENSE FEE SERVICE CHARGE

JEFFERSON CITY - State Rep. Ollie Amick, D-Benton, is sponsoring legislation this session to require service charges to be assessed customers at branch offices of the Missouri Department of Revenue.

Presently, license fee offices around the state charge between $1.50 and $2 for each driver's license or motor vehicle license transaction. The fee is charged to cover the costs of operating the offices by individuals or civic groups that are responsible for them.

However, there are 11 revenue department branch offices scattered around the state where no fees are assessed. Under Amick's bill, the fees would be charged so that the state can recover its costs of operating the offices.

Amick said that in fiscal year 1991 there were almost 2.5 million transactions at these branch offices and another 1 million transactions by mail. If fees were assessed for these transactions, approximately $5.5 million in revenue would be gained.

Amick said he is studying what it costs the department to operate its branch offices, but he can see no reason not to charge the same fees as at other offices so the state can recover its operating costs.

He said he did not realize no fees were charged at branch offices until last year when he went to the main office in Jefferson City to have his driver's license renewed. Amick said he asked why no fee was charged and he was told they did not charge fees there.

Amick said he kept that in mind and when House Budget Chairman Christopher Kelly began asking legislators to find ways the state could gain revenue to help fund education without increasing taxes, he introduced his bill.

"I got to thinking, Just how much is the state losing in potential revenue?" said Amick. "Not every Missourian has access to these offices to bypass the fees."

Amick said he hopes this bill will be a step toward generating the additional $80 million Kelly believes the state needs to fully fund elementary and secondary education.

Amick said he is optimistic the measure will pass, but is concerned other legislators might try to use his bill as a way of raising license fees.

"I would rather that not get tied up with this bill. That is something we could look into later if we need to," said Amick.

"I hope it will stand on its own two feet and not be tied up in the politics of fee increases," said Amick.