On July 15th Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed the Manufacturing Jobs Act (MJA), which was passed by the General Assembly during special session. The bill authorizes $150 million in incentives over ten years for auto-manufacturers and related suppliers. The RCGA endorsed MJA because it will give Missouri an important tool to compete more effectively with other states for new auto production lines and facilities.
During both the regular legislative session and the special session, the fate of MJA was tied to a state employee pension reform bill, which some fiscally conservative lawmakers wished to pass to offset the "cost" of the incentive program. The pension bill requires some new state employees to contribute 4% of their incomes to the pension fund and increases the retirement age to 67-years-old for full benefits.
While both bills quickly passed the House at the beginning of special session, the Senate had to overcome several roadblocks to pass MJA, including removing Sen. Chuck Purgason (R-Caulfield) as chair of the Government Affairs and Fiscal Oversight committee. After withstanding and all-night filibuster led by Purgason and other conservative lawmakers, the Senate passed MJA 20-7 on July 14th, and the House approved the Senate version of the bill 101-40. A compromise version of the pension reform bill was also passed by both chambers that day. |
