State Rep Removed from Jobs Panel for Refusing to Promise His Vote

Republican St. Rep. Will Kraus of Lee’s Summit says he was “replaced” on an important committee for refusing to promise to vote for the Claycomo jobs bill.
Rep. Kraus says he was asked today by the Economic Development and Jobs Creation Committee Chair Tim Flook to promise to vote for the bill.
Kraus says he told Flook he couldn’t do that. Kraus says he wanted to listen to both sides in the committee hearing. Flook told him to go see House Speaker Ron Richard.
Kraus says that was where he learned he was being “replaced” on the committee. A statement for Speaker Ron Richard confirms the move.
“it is important to get this legislation to the floor for an up or down vote, and we have had to make several committee changes to expedite this goal.”
That panel voted 14-1 to send the bill to the House floor tomorrow. It includes an important change.
Rep. Flook changed the funding n the measure. The committee approved dedicating $15 million each year for the existing Missouri quality jobs act to cover the $15 million annual coast of the Ford tax break. This is the first day of serious work on the Claycomo Special Session. Democratic Governor Jay Nixon and the Republican Leaders of the Legislature are pushing the Claycomo bill hard.
The bill would provide a total of $150 million in tax breaks in 10 years ($15 million per year) to Ford, in return for the auto maker keeping the Kansas City plant open and adding another production line. The Kansas City plant employs almost 4,000 people.
Also today, a State Senate committee is expected to consider what may be the companion to the Claycomo bill.
A pension reform plan aimed at saving $315 million in the state employee pension system is the preferred way to cover the Claycomo tax break cost.
Without that, the tax break bill may not have enough votes to pass. Some law makers think the tight state budget cannot handle the Claycomo measure with out a way to pay for it. They believe the pension reform bill does that and solves another state problem at the same time.
Flook believes his action today, providing another Claycomo money source, may “divorce” the two measures from each other.
The state fears without the incentives for Ford, Missouri may lose one production line at Claycomo and hundreds of jobs–the worst case scenario is Ford may close the plant altogether.
Ford has not stated what its plans are for the future of the Claycomo. That decision may come later this summer.