House lawmakers give initial approval to MoDOT changes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The House gave initial approval Wednesday to legislation that would create a new inspector general's position to check up on the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The bill does away with MoDOT's internal inspector general, who investigates everything from employee grievances to criminal allegations, and establishes an inspector general who would report to the legislature.

"The sole purpose is to move transportation forward in Missouri," said Rep. Larry Crawford, R-Centertown. "This is us looking at MoDOT, and that's different from them looking at themselves."

The measure received initial House approval on a 140-3 vote. Another vote is needed to send the bill to the Senate, where a different version of the proposal received initial approval Tuesday.

Another section of the House bill would alter the way appointments are made to the state Highways and Transportation Commission, which controls the transportation department.

Under current law, the six commissioners are appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate. The House proposes that the governor choose from a slate of candidates nominated by legislative leaders from both parties.

No such change is proposed in the Senate measure, although it does call for the legislature's Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight to hire someone to monitor the Transportation Department.

The House legislation calls for the new, external inspector general to be chosen by a committee consisting of the House speaker, House minority leader, Senate president pro tem, Senate minority leader and the chairman of the Highway and Transportation Commission.

Duties of the inspector general would include serving as executive director of the legislative Committee on Transportation Oversight, which currently has no director.

The House bill charges the inspector general with promoting efficiency, effectiveness and integrity in the transportation department and with preventing fraud and waste in the department.

Rep. Lanie Black, R-Charleston, successfully amended the bill to bar highway commissioners from taking part in political campaigns except those of a spouse or family member up to a second cousin.

He said the goal is to keep politics out of the transportation decision-making process.

"I say they would be better served if, when they served on that highway commission, they concentrated on building highways and not actively participating in the campaigns," Black said.

Several Democrats derided the amendment, alleging it could be unconstitutional to restrict the free speech rights of highway commissioners.

"This runs afoul of freedom of speech and ... puts what would be a good transportation bill in jeopardy," said Rep. Rick Johnson, D-High Ridge.

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Transportation bill is HB668 and SB481.