Governor calls special session for economic development
Gov. Jay Nixon announced on July 21 that he will call lawmakers back to Jefferson City in September in an attempt to pass economic development legislation aimed at reviving Missouri’s sluggish economy.
A specific date for the special session has not yet been scheduled, but the General Assembly will convene Sept. 14 for the constitutionally mandated veto session. Lawmakers were unable to pass a cohesive economic development bill during the 2011 legislative session, which adjourned in May.
“By working together in a bipartisan fashion, as we have successfully done in the past, we have an opportunity to make transformational change for the future,” Nixon said. “We are poised to accelerate businesses, secure new trading partners with access to huge new markets, fuel innovation and nurture startups.”
Nixon has outlined six priorities that he would like to see included in an economic development bill:
• Compete Missouri, which would cut red tape and make the state’s economic development tools more effective and user-friendly.
• Foreign trade incentives, which would make substantial investments in the infrastructure around Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and make Missouri a hub for international exports and the sale of American-made goods overseas.
• Tax credit reform, which would sharpen Missouri’s existing economic development tools and provide funds to pay for these additional incentives.
• Resources to pay for critical disaster recovery priorities in the most efficient, responsible manner possible.
Since adjourning in May, the House and Senate have been meeting to develop economic development legislation. The day before Nixon announced plans for the special session, House and Senate leaders flew around the state to announce their own job creation and economic development plan. The lawmakers made stops in Columbia, St. Louis and Kansas City.
“The people of Missouri expect us to work with one another to find common sense solutions,” said House Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville. “We now have a plan with a broad support that will save taxpayers billions of dollars while securing the future of innovative and financially responsible tax incentive programs to help keep and relocate businesses to Missouri.”
The House and Senate plan is largely in line with that of the governor’s, with two additions:
• An amateur sports attraction tax credit to assist in attracting sporting events to Missouri.
• Funding to assist the Kansas City region with retaining jobs that have been moved to Kansas and other states.
A specific date for the special session has not yet been scheduled, but the General Assembly will convene Sept. 14 for the constitutionally mandated veto session. Lawmakers were unable to pass a cohesive economic development bill during the 2011 legislative session, which adjourned in May.
“By working together in a bipartisan fashion, as we have successfully done in the past, we have an opportunity to make transformational change for the future,” Nixon said. “We are poised to accelerate businesses, secure new trading partners with access to huge new markets, fuel innovation and nurture startups.”
Nixon has outlined six priorities that he would like to see included in an economic development bill:
• Compete Missouri, which would cut red tape and make the state’s economic development tools more effective and user-friendly.
• Foreign trade incentives, which would make substantial investments in the infrastructure around Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and make Missouri a hub for international exports and the sale of American-made goods overseas.
• Tax credit reform, which would sharpen Missouri’s existing economic development tools and provide funds to pay for these additional incentives.
• Resources to pay for critical disaster recovery priorities in the most efficient, responsible manner possible.
Since adjourning in May, the House and Senate have been meeting to develop economic development legislation. The day before Nixon announced plans for the special session, House and Senate leaders flew around the state to announce their own job creation and economic development plan. The lawmakers made stops in Columbia, St. Louis and Kansas City.
“The people of Missouri expect us to work with one another to find common sense solutions,” said House Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville. “We now have a plan with a broad support that will save taxpayers billions of dollars while securing the future of innovative and financially responsible tax incentive programs to help keep and relocate businesses to Missouri.”
The House and Senate plan is largely in line with that of the governor’s, with two additions:
• An amateur sports attraction tax credit to assist in attracting sporting events to Missouri.
• Funding to assist the Kansas City region with retaining jobs that have been moved to Kansas and other states.