By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – Missouri Governor Matt Blunt says the state has done what it needs to in order to keep auto industry jobs in the state.
Blunt met with Ford and GM officials in Detroit Monday.
He says the auto makers were glad Missouri lawmakers tightened workers compensation standards and caps on liability awards during the last session.
The governor says there's not much more that can be done in Missouri.
"Because of the workers' compensation and tort reform a lot of folks will tell you we've done what we could at the state level," Blunt said. "We need to continue to work with our policy makers in Washington D-C to ensure that we're not creating a national regulatory environment that drives manufacturers out of our country."
Blunt says his biggest concern is for the Ford plant in Hazelwood, in part because the company has threatened to close it in the past.
The governor is more confident about GM's Wentzville plant, despite that company's announcement last week that it would cuts about $25,000 manufacturing jobs.