This week was a
good week in the Missouri legislature
for the tourism and travel industry.
Legislation to
extend the life of the tourism
supplemental funding mechanism that
provides financing guidance for the
Missouri Division of Tourism is working
its way to final passage as we enter the
final six weeks of the 2007 legislative
session.
The House Special
Committee on Tourism has approved
Senate-passed legislation (SB 376) to
extend the life of the tourism funding
mechanism from 2010 to 2015. The
mechanism would expire in 2010 without
this change.
And the Senate
Economic Development and Tourism
Committee has approved House-passed
legislation (HB 205) to do the same
thing.
The Missouri
Travel Council testified before both
committees in support of the funding
extension.
Legislation to
establish a better school opening law
(SB 64) has cleared the House Special
Committee on Student Achievement. The
Missouri Travel Council testified before
the committee in support of the
legislation.
Sponsored by Sen.
Jack Goodman, the legislation would not
allow school to start sooner than 10
days before Labor Day. However, a school
board could start school sooner than
that if it holds a public meeting on the
proposed date, then a majority of the
board votes for that earlier date.
The Senate
Appropriations Committee has begun the
process of developing a new state budget
after receiving the House-approved state
budget last week. Included in the
House-adopted budget is 20.6 million
dollars for the Division of Tourism, the
amount recommended by Gov. Matt Blunt.
