Missouri’s special legislative session is over.
President Pro-tem Rob Mayer (R, Dexter) adjourned the Missouri Senate exactly seven weeks after lawmakers returned to Jefferson City. Only two bills were passed, the “Facebook Fix” and a high-tech jobs measure – but the top priority, an economic development bill, died because House and Senate leaders couldn’t agree on expiration dates for historic preservation and low-income housing tax credits.
“We haven’t passed (an) economic development bill of any proportion out of the legislature the last three years, and so I thought that it was worth the risk to come back into session,” Mayer told reporters.
The House voted last week to go to conference to negotiate a final version of the bill, but Mayer says that would have been a waste of time.
“I wanted this to happen," Mayer said. "No one is more disappointed or frustrated than I am, but I recognize that we’re at a point where we’re at a stalemate and we can’t go forward.”
The bill also contained incentives for data storage centers, amateur sporting events and air cargo.
Legislation that would have moved Missouri’s presidential primary date to March, along with one that would have canceled the primary in favor of caucuses, also failed to pass – and once again the disagreement over tax credits also doomed the St. Louis Police local control bill.
The House, meanwhile, is still scheduled to hold a technical session on Thursday. Majority Floor Leader Tim Jones (R, Eureka) says after that, House leaders will allow the special session to expire on November 5th.
