Missouri’s special legislative session cost more than average yearly household income
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - After sending three bills to the governor’s desk, Missouri lawmakers wrapped up their special legislative session Wednesday. The bills to incentivize professional sports teams to build stadiums in the state, provide financial relief to tornado victims, and fund several economic development projects. But coming back for a special session means spending taxpayer dollars.
Each extra day lawmakers are in session costs taxpayers money. Representatives and Senators make the same daily pay for each extra day they’re in session: $142.40.When the pay for all the lawmakers in attendance on the 7 days, at least one chamber was meetin,g is added up, it comes out to $70,916.20. In addition, lawmakers get a travel stipend of 66 cents per mile.
The average household income for Missouri is $68,000, according to the U.S. Census.
That’s on top of the millions from each bill. The bills ed provide financial relief to storm victims, fund projects around the state, and provide incentives for professional sports teams to build stadiums in Missouri. If you add up the fiscal note from all of these, it’s about $485 million.
Ste. Genevieve Republican Rep. Bryant Wolfin is a fan of small government. While he ed the money going toward tornado relief, he is adamantly against government incentives for stadiums.
“If there’s a day that we do nothing, well, it could be argued that we potentially wasted taxpayer money,” Wolfin said.
But even lawmakers in favor of these policies question the use of a special session, like House Minority Leader Ashley Aune.
“An effective legislature would’ve done all of this during regular session, and I don’t think that it’s necessary that we have to come back and spend taxpayer dollars,” Aune said.
Gov. Mike Kehoe, who called for this special session, was quick to applaud lawmakers for ing these three bills yesterday. His office said they’re reviewing them now and he’s expected to sign them in the coming days.
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