Missouri Ag Connection - Corn: Missouri Legislative Session Wraps

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Corn: Missouri Legislative Session Wraps
Missouri Ag Connection - 05/26/2016

The 2016 Missouri General Assembly adjourned with substantial victories and one disappointing roadblock at the end of session. The Missouri Corn Growers Association quickly secured a win on the first priority for session in January, moving a resolution through the House and the Senate. This move struck down the State Tax Commission's recommendation to increase property tax assessments on agricultural land. With ample bipartisan support this priority officially passed Jan. 28.

Next, the Missouri Corn reports that its grassroots team shifted focus to extending the sunset of the Missouri Qualified Fuel Ethanol Producer Incentive Fund. This fund, subject to appropriation, was used to jumpstart all six of Missouri's majority farmer-owned ethanol plants. Over the fund's life, the corn and ethanol industries pumped over $13 billion into Missouri's economy - an amazing return on the state's investment. Missouri Corn worked hard on this measure and corn producers from across the state traveled to Jefferson City to share ethanol's success story.

Being an election year, politics played a heavy role in the fate of the measure. Though Republicans have traditionally been supportive of agriculture priorities, there has been a surge of ultra-conservativism in which legislators oppose any bills encouraging economic development. This put the ethanol incentive fund in the crosshairs, and we had to work twice as hard to move the legislation forward. A huge thank you to Reps. Houghton (R-Martinsburg), Reiboldt (R-Neosho), Rowden (R-Columbia), Redmon (R-Canton), Dohrman (R-La Monte), McCreery (D-St. Louis), and Webber (D-Columbia) for their leadership on the House floor where the measure passed 104-47.

Unfortunately, the bill met its demise in the Senate. Sen. Ed Emery (R-Lamar) blocked the stand-alone version on the Senate floor. Sen. Rob Schaaf (R-St. Joseph) then single-handedly removed the incentive fund from the ag omnibus bill despite having an ethanol plant in his district.

Several other key bills pushed by Missouri Corn were successfully passed and await Gov. Nixon's signature:

-- Privacy protection for data/personal information of farmers and ranchers voluntarily participating in state government programs;

-- Protections for gas stations and convenience stores selling renewable fuels from frivolous lawsuits brought by consumers who misfueled;

-- Changes to the Fertilizer Control Board moving the power to make decisions from a director to a board of ag producers and agribusiness representatives;

-- Renewal of Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA) tax credits including: the New Generation Cooperative Tax Credit, Qualified Beef Tax Credit and Ag Product Utilization Tax Credit.

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