Dems complain about license office contracts

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Democrats filed an ethics complaint Wednesday challenging a decision by Gov. Matt Blunt's administration to award a driver's license office to a Republican Senate staff member.

The Department of Revenue recently announced more than 100 people tentatively were awarded contracts to run license offices around the state. Among them is Martin "Bubs" Hohulin, a former House member who works for Sen. Carl Vogel, R-Jefferson City. Hohulin tentatively was given the Lamar license office.

Democrats said state law prohibits state employees from doing work for an agency for compensation beyond their regular salary without a competitive bid.

Traditionally, license office contracts have been awarded without bids at the governor's discretion, often to political allies.

Hohulin said he hasn't decided whether to accept the contract, but that if he did, he would stay in the Senate job and his wife would run the license office.

Blunt spokesman Paul Sloca said the governor does not believe the contract offer was illegal.

Shortly after taking office last month, Blunt announced plans to penalize license offices for errors and require them to be open more hours.

"It's unfortunate that Democrats would see these kind of improvements as ethical questions," Sloca said.