By Maria Carter
Kansas City, Mo. – Missouri Governor Jay Nixon stopped in Kansas City, Mo. on Tuesday morning for a bill signing ceremony promoting research and technology businesses. MOSIRA (Mo-Sigh-ra), Missouri Science Innovation and Reinvestment Act, would use state income taxes collected on growth in science and high-tech industries to reinvest in those industries.
Governor Nixon was at MRI Global and lauded the bill as building on a strong base. "Missouri is a state where some of our biggest corporations - Cerner, (Ewing) Kauffman's Marion Laboratories - were created by entrepreneurs, scientist and entrepreneurs," says Nixon. "That mix of the two is really, really important."
There could be one hitch in MOSIRA. It was passed during special session, and one clause makes it contingent on the passage of a broad economic development bill the House and Senate never worked out.
Nixon says he's moving forward with MOSIRA and will work with the General Assembly to fix the language.