The not-so-new question of whether state governments should pour millions into pulling jobs across state lines within the same metropolitan areas was debated once more in a Missouri Senate hearing this week.
The Senate Economic Development Committee heard SB 182, sponsored by Senator Mike Cierpiot, that would prohibit such economic development tools from being used, provided Kansas practices similar restraint. The bill renews legislation that was passed and ultimately expired in 2016 without any agreement between the two states.
Sen. Mike Cierpiot
Senator Cierpiot says, “Missourians and Kansas have spent over $335 million shuffling businesses back and forth over state lines. By gaming the system and wasting important incentives, we are robbing ourselves of real opportunities. These are lost opportunities that could have led to real job growth, instead of simply shuffling employees across state lines.”
Associated Industries of Missouri joined a host of business groups in supporting the legislation. During testimony, some indicated new leadership in Kansas may be willing to enact such an agreement.
The committee heard, but took no action on the bill.
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