Tourism
Days this week at the State Capitol was
a great success. More than 60 tourism
and travel representatives came to
Jefferson City to help continue
educating Missouri lawmakers on the
importance of the industry to our state.
Governor
Matt Blunt and Lieutenant Governor Peter
Kinder led a series of speakers that
addressed the group. Many in the group
also attended a joint meeting of the
Senate and House Tourism Committees,
which heard the annual report on the
Division of Tourism from Director Blaine
Leutkemeyer.
This
great turnout showed once again that
those in the industry are dedicated to
making Missouri the best tourism
destination in the United States.
The House
Appropriations Committee for Economic
Development has given initial approval
to a 20.8 million dollar budget for the
Division of Tourism, the amount
recommended by the governor. That is
full funding for the agency under the
Tourism Supplemental Fund and a 2.9
million dollar increase over the current
agency budget. Final approval is
expected to come this coming week. After
that, the proposed budget goes to the
House Budget Committee for approval.
The
Senate Appropriations Committee will
begin review of the proposed budget for
the Department of Economic Development
(which includes the Division of Tourism)
at 12:30 p.m. Monday, then recess at 4
p.m. and continue back again at 7 p.m.
Extension
of the sunset date for the Tourism
Supplemental Fund from 2010 to 2015 has
been approved by the House Special
Committee on Tourism as a consent bill (HB
205) and has been placed on the House
debate calendar.
Changes
in the school opening law (SB 64) also
have been approved by the Senate
Education Committee and may be debated
on the Senate floor this coming week.
The bill allows for school to open ten
days before Labor Day, but no earlier
unless a school district holds a public
meeting on the earlier date and the
local school board votes to approve that
date.
