From the desk of Senator David Pearce

Providing Missourians Job Opportunities Since the regular session ended on May 13, there has been talk of a special session in order to continue discussions on topics that lawmakers didn’t have the opportunity to fully debate and adopt. The biggest topic to be discussed, one that will affect every Missourian, is economic development and job creation. This week, my republican Senate colleagues and I met in Jefferson City to discuss a proposed jobs bill to be discussed during the upcoming special session. We met for over three hours to hammer out details in order to come up with a bill to benefit all Missourians. I am confident we can pass this jobs bill that will be an advantage to our entire state. Recently, leaders from both the House and Senate came together to announce that their continued summer discussions had been effective. An economic development agreement had been reached among leadership and a special session would be needed to fulfill its purpose. Luckily, the governor agreed and a special session, which will most likely coincide with the veto session, is set for September. The official dates have not been released as of this time. Other possible special session topics include the date of the presidential primary, early site permit legislation for another nuclear plant and local control for St. Louis police. The most pressing topic in our state is job creation. Missourians want to work and there needs to be jobs available to them. This economic development measure includes a number of ways to put many Missourians back to work. Among the items in the jobs bill that would be of particular interest to the 31st Senatorial District are incentives to open data centers, potential tax credit reforms for businesses, funding for the Kansas City area to assist with retaining jobs that have been recently moved to Kansas or other neighboring states, and the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA) that is targeted at bringing high-tech jobs to the state. Another item that will be beneficial to the whole state is the concept of Aerotropolis, a project that will turn the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport into an international hub for local exports and distribution. Also included in this measure are tax credit reforms that will limit some current programs and make them as efficient as possible, reducing their need for state income reduction. Any of these provisions could stand alone to help improve the state’s employment standings, creating new jobs and prospects across the state. I am in support this bill and what it stands for, creating a brighter economic future. Among the other issues that could be addressed during special session, I feel that economic development is the most important topic at this time. Our state and its citizens deserve these job creation opportunities. I can’t wait to get back to the Capitol to discuss this measure’s future with my colleagues. We will have a short window within which to accomplish these goals, but by focusing our efforts and getting into these discussions, I am positive that good things will come out of this special session. As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381. Senator David Pearce serves Bates, Cass, Johnson and Vernon counties in the 31st State Senatorial District.