JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri: Governor Jay Nixon wants state lawmakers back at the Capitol next week in hopes of persuading the Boeing Co to land its new 777X jet plant in Missouri.
Nixon called a special legislative session to begin tomorrow in order to approve an economic incentives package of up to $150m annually that he said must be completed quickly before Boeing decides where to the build the new commercial airplane.
The aid for “large scale aerospace projects” would be offered through four existing Missouri programs that help finance job training and infrastructure improvements and reward companies for expanding their payrolls.
Lawmakers will have to act quickly, because states face a December 10 deadline to submit proposals to Boeing, Nixon said. The company hopes to make a decision early next year. Boeing already employs about 15,000 people in Missouri, including thousands of machinists in the St. Louis region.
“Building this next-generation commercial aircraft in Missouri would create thousands of jobs across our state and secure our position as a hub for advanced aerospace manufacturing — and that’s why I am committed to competing for and winning this project,” Nixon said on Friday in an emailed statement.
Missouri lawmakers are to convene their regular session January 8. Calling a special session allows the governor to limit the focus of what lawmakers can consider — in this case, only the airline incentives. Deferring to the regular session could have created delays because the incentives would have competed with other topics on the legislative agenda.
Legislative leaders have generally supported the Boeing project but have reserved judgment on the specific incentives package.
“I think it’s exciting that we’re being considered, but we are a long way from being awarded the contract,” said House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka. “We just have to put our best foot forward.”
Jones said House Republicans will caucus Monday and rely on the Democratic governor to put forward specific legislation. He said it makes sense for that legislation to start in the Senate, where the proposal could face its biggest test from some Republicans who have sought to curtail other tax credits.
AP
