Tuesday, Oct. 4, marked the end of the General Assembly’s work in the extra legislative session called by the governor. 

After the House of Representatives put its stamp of approval on the Senate’s tax cut package, my colleagues and I approved the House’s agricultural incentives bill and sent it to the governor for his consideration.

House Bill 3 includes a variety of measures designed to expand economic opportunities for agricultural producers. When considered as a total package, the legislation could inject up to $40 million annually into Missouri’s Ag industry.

The extra session bill contains many of the provisions included in House Bill 1720, which was passed during the regular session, but vetoed by the governor due to language that only authorized the agricultural tax credit programs included in the measure for two years. The legislation we approved this week extends several of these programs for six years, addressing the governor’s concerns with the original bill.

The extra session Ag bill renews several programs administered by the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA) that expired at the end of last year. The bill also includes new tax credits for biodiesel and ethanol production and sales, a renewal of incentives to expand meat processing facilities, support for urban farms and specialty crop producers and a measure that will encourage Missouri timber producers to convert sawdust and other waste materials into energy.

The legislation also expands eligibility for programs offered through the Missouri’s Family Farms Act, eases regulations on logging trucks and streamlines oversight of anhydrous ammonia distributors — legislation I have sponsored for several years. All of these provisions were good for Missouri’s rural economy when originally passed as part of HB 1720, and now they’re even better under the new law, which gives producers more time to apply, arrange financing and reap the benefits of these incentives.

Overall, I am proud of the work accomplished by the General Assembly during this extra legislative session. By working together, we were able to pass the largest individual income tax cut in the history of our state, while also helping farmers and ranchers continue to be able to put food on the tables of countless Missourians.

Times are tough, but I firmly believe the legislation passed during the extra legislative session will make a real difference in the lives of the hardworking men and women of our state and make the Show-Me State an even better place to live, work and raise a family.