Committee gives its backing to economic package

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- An economic development package offering state aid for communities across Missouri gained a committee endorsement Monday after overcoming a procedural error and attempts to expand it.

The proposal specifically includes money for stadium developments in St. Louis and Kansas City, an exposition center in Springfield and a convention center and arena in Branson.

Backed by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, the bill cleared the Senate Pensions and General Laws Committee by a 5-4 vote.

All three senators representing Southeast Missouri serve on the committee. In addition to Kinder, state Sen. Danny Staples, D-Eminence, voted for the bill. State Sen. Bill Foster, R-Poplar Bluff, voted against it.

The vote was the second cast by the committee. The first was voided because the committee approved the measure while the Senate was in session -- a violation of chamber rules -- and the panel had to meet and vote again later in the day.

Despite the confusion, the legislation could be debated on the chamber floor as early as next week.

Getting the bill through the committee was tougher than expected.

The committee defeated two amendments that would have allocated state tax revenues for maintenance of two existing St. Louis-area arenas. One would have set aside $2.9 million a year for the Savvis Center, home to the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues. The other would have given between $200,000 to $300,000 a year for the Family Arena in St. Charles, which plays host to a minor league hockey team.

All three Southeast Missouri senators voted against subsidizing those arenas. Kinder said he is opposed to adding too many other projects to the bill, including a proposed minor league ballpark for Cape Girardeau that he said supporters pitched to him last week.

"My enthusiasm for that project at this state of the game is well contained," Kinder said.

"This is a work in progress, and there are a bunch of issues still open," Kinder said. "When you try to advance something this large and this positive for the state, there are going to be people who try to hop on in the last minutes."

Sen. Chuck Gross, R-St. Charles, offered several amendments to the bill, including the St. Charles proposal. He made no secret about his opposition to the proposal.

"I didn't have a problem with the proposal that contained one or two projects, but I have concerns because more and more projects have been added to it," Gross said. "It's a huge package, and the bigger the package the more discussion there will be."

Hundreds of millions

The legislation authorizes the state to contribute up to $210 million over 30 years to pay off bonds used to build a new St. Louis Cardinals baseball stadium. The stadium would be part of a downtown residential and commercial development.

It also allows state contributions of up to $294 million over 30 years to finance renovations at Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums, where the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs play. That plan is dependent upon local voter renewal of a sales tax that also would be used for art and cultural projects.

The Springfield plan in Kinder's bill would allow up to $18 million in state aid for an exposition center.

Branson would get up to $32 million over 23 years as the state's share for a convention center and arena.

The legislation gives other communities the chance to tap into new economic development funds that would be split among four geographic regions -- northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest -- with cities and counties competing against others from their area for the money.

The bill also authorizes, but provides no money for, a business development area in Kansas City. The bill originally specified a "life sciences related business development," but that was deleted in committee after attempts were made to attach an amendment limiting research involving such things as abortion or human cloning.

Staff writer Marc Powers contributed to this report.