By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri Senate has passed a revised bill that would give a Canadian aircraft builder up to $240 million in tax breaks to build a plant in Kansas City.
The original plan could have provided up to $880 million in tax credits to Bombardier Aerospace, but strong opposition arose in the Senate.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Charlie Shields (R, St. Joseph) sponsored the revised proposal.
He says the economic impact would stretch beyond Kansas City.
"You could have suppliers located throughout the state...the suppliers for equipment to make those aircraft could be in mid-Missouri very easily, because they have close proximity...they would be within three hours of the plant," Shields said.
The revised plan still wasn't enough for some Senators. Matt Bartle (R, Lee's Summit) criticized the plan as too financially risky.
"We are voting to prefer this French Canadian company over every other employer in the state of Missouri...instead of giving a tax cut of a quarter-billion dollars and spreading it across all Missouri employers, we are putting 240 million eggs in one basket," Bartle said.
The bill passed 24 to 8. It now goes to the Missouri House.
If approved, the tax credits would not be issued until the year 2013.
A decision on where Bombardier will award the new plant is expected in July.