FALLERT BILL COULD SETTLE TOURISM TIFF

STE. GENEVIEVE - State Rep. Herb Fallert is hoping that he has a compromise that will satisfy both agricultural and tourism interests about when schools should open each fall.

Several years ago, the General Assembly passed a law requiring schools to open after Labor Day, largely because of concerns from the state's tourism industry that schools were starting too soon. The early openings reduced August vacations and dried up youth labor pools in mid- to late August, tourism officials complained.

But the agricultural interests balked at the idea of starting later and said opening school in mid-August enabled the school year to end by mid-May so that students could assist on the farm.

So, the law contained an agriculture exemption, which school boards could take to circumvent the Labor Day opening requirement. But the law had no criteria for claiming an agriculture exemption, which meant any school board in the state could claim it and open early, regardless of whether farming was a major industry in their district.

Last year, Fallert sponsored a bill that would eliminate the agriculture exemption. The measure was passed out of his tourism committee but got nowhere beyond that.

As a compromise, Fallert has a bill this year to require all Missouri schools to open after Sept. 1, and there would be no agriculture exemption any longer.

Fallert said setting a date of Sept. 1 rather than just saying Labor Day should make the bill more acceptable. Fallert's bill was passed out of the committee that deals with tourism Wednesday night, and will likely make it to the full House later in the session.

"We think this is a compromise for the tourism industry and also for the people in education," said Fallert. "Since this sets a firm date, the tourism people at least know how long this school-age labor force is going to be available to them."

The school opening bill is the second highest priority bill of the tourism panel. The other, also sponsored by Fallert, would provide for riverboat gambling on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers in the state. The measure will likely be debated on the House floor late next week or the following week.

Fallert stressed that while the bill provides for gambling on riverboats, it also protects the river tourism for the state. The boats can also provide people an opportunity to take a river cruise, have a dinner, and be entertained with music and dancing.

The bill was defeated on the House floor last year, but this session Fallert said he believes lawmakers are more receptive to the idea because they realize Missouri is going to lose its riverboats to other states that are legalizing riverboat gambling.

Not only that, but Fallert said his measure would open up tourism so that families can enjoy cruises on the rivers.

"In talking with people this year, I think they are more receptive to the idea of keeping our boats as a tourist attraction," observed Fallert.

A bill almost identical to Fallert's has been passed out of committee in the Senate and is awaiting floor debate.

Fallert said there is no Senate version of his bill to start school after Sept. 1.