The Boeing incentives bill continues moving forward during Missouri's special legislative session.
The version of the bill passed Wednesday by the Senate easily sailed through both the House Economic Development Committee and the Rules Committee Thursday, even though the Senate added a few amendments to satisfy the bill's opponents. They include language requiring Boeing to annually report on outreach efforts to hire women and minorities, and language requiring that Boeing's 777X project be profitable in ten years. State Representative Anne Zerr (R, St. Charles), who's handling the Senate bill, says she thinks the additional language makes it better.
"These changes did not affect the fiscal note in any way, but I think they are good changes in that they provide a little more transparency in the process," Zerr said.
More details on the amendments can be found here. House Member and former State Senator Kevin Engler (R, Farmington) also endorsed them, although a bit sarcastically.
"I'm gonna support these fine amendments, because they are completely redundant and do nothing," Engler told fellow Economic Development committee members. "They don't kill the bill, so I'm sure they made the 'offer-ers' feel very good, and as long as they feel good and (because) we'd have to send it back over to them to change it, I think we should all just hop on board this happy train."
Engler did vote for the bill, but he also complained that the state seems to limit its aggressive efforts at job creation to the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas, while ignoring rural Missouri.
The Boeing bill now goes to the full Missouri House for debate, which is set for 9:00 a.m. Friday.
Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter: @MarshallGReport
