While lobbying in Jefferson City for the tea party ideals of Fiscal Responsibility and Constitutional Principals I observed the movement of the Aerotropolis bill during this year’s legislative session.
The Aerotropolis bill is a joint venture between Democrat Mayor Slay of St. Louis and Republican Speaker of the Missouri House Steven Tilley (R-Perryville) with the benefit of the tax credits going to developer Paul McKee. The area to receive the tax credits is a corridor running along highway 70 from St. Charles to downtown St. Louis--an area with 18 million square feet of available warehouse space. Trade with China is the incentive and the carrot to attract legislative support.
The bill passed easily in the House of Representatives because it was a priority for Republican leadership and especially Speaker Tilley. The only opposition I observed was voiced in debate on the House Floor by Representative Jeanette Mott Oxford (D-St. Louis). From the gallery I observed Mott Oxford question the soundness of tax credits to be issued to one man during these tough economic times when balancing a budget is tough with the unknown of future revenue collection. If Aerotropolis passed, the state would have to slash other services to meet the tax credit payouts. When Mott Oxford specifically mentioned that the Aerotropolis bill was designed for developer Paul McKee, she was gaveled out of order for mentioning Mr. McKee’s name, discussion was then ended and the bill was overwhelmingly passed out of the House of Representatives.
It was later that tea party friendly legislators began voicing their displeasure at how quickly the bill was pushed through the house of representatives and many voiced displeasure at the veiled threats by Speaker Tilley to intimidate republican legislators. Republicans opposed to the Aerotropolis bill were afraid of removal from choice committees and the death of bills important to their individual constituency groups back in their home districts. Some state representatives voiced displeasure at the amount of tax subsidies directed to the St. Louis area, to the detriment of their represented areas and the state as a whole.
The Senate addressed the Aerotropolis bill the last week of session and a battle developed between Speaker Tilley, who refused to make concessions and fiscally responsible Senators. A number of Senators requested St. LouisTea Party support to defeat Aerotropolis because of the lack of sunsets, lack of caps on spending, and timetables that the subsidies would be paid out to developer McKee. One Senator advised me Aerotropolis in the present condition would blow up any future budget predictions.
The Aerotropolis bill never received a final fiscal note and died at the conclusion of the session this year. It's possible that Governor Jay Nixon (D) could call a special session for Aerotropolis.
