Lawmakers have passed a bill to stop the state from considering how much money a bidder would return to Missouri if awarded a contract to run a licensing office.
The House on Monday voted 146-5 in favor of the bill, which now heads to Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's desk.
The bill is aimed at stopping what some lawmakers have called pay-to-play.
At issue is a Revenue Department policy of awarding contracts to run offices to issue vehicle and driver's licenses in part based on how much of the profit bidders promise to pay back to the state.
A 2009 law required that bidding process to end political patronage.
A measure to exempt some bids by St. Louis' convention center from the state's sunshine laws was added to the bill.
