Wednesday, November 9th, 2011 - Signing ceremony for MOSIRA at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO.
State officials in attendance were Governor Jay Nixon and state
legislators from left to right: Rep. Clem Smith, Rep. Scott Sifton, Rep. Margo McNeil,
Senator Eric Schmitt, Rep. Jill Schupp,
Rep. Mary Nichols and Rep. Eileen McGeoghegan
2011 Special Session:
On Friday, September 23rd Senate Bill 7, the Missouri Science and Innovation and Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA), was given final approval by the Missouri House of Representatives, sending this bill, that originated in the Senate on to the Governor for his approval. MOSIRA reflects landmark technology-based economic development legislation, the broadest statewide strategy for direct investment in innovation to date.
MOSIRA's journey in the Special Session began in the Senate as President Pro Tem Rob Mayer sponsored the omnibus economic development legislation in Senate Bill 8. SB 8, better known as the Aerotropolis Bill, contained incentives for international cargo shippers to use St. Louis, Governor Nixon's Compete Missouri, data storage centers, Kansas City retention monies, and sweeping tax credit sunsets and caps recommended by the Tax Credit Review Commission. MOSIRA was originally included in SB 8, but during the committee hearing, Senator Mayer, fearing a Hammerschmidt violation of conjoining multiple subjects within one bill, removed MOSIRA and presented it as an independent piece of legislation, Senate Bill 7. Following Senate debate, MOSIRA was passed out of the Missouri Senate with a 30-4 vote on September 14th. The bill then moved on to the House.
In the House, there were two critical votes, and our MOSIRA Coalition prevailed on both.
First, an amendment was offered to make MOSIRA subject to a restrictive anti-stem cell section of previous law. This amendment reflected poison pill language that the MOSIRA Coalition predicted would jeopardize the entire intent of this economic development bill. A vote against the amendment was a vote in support of our MOBIO position. The amendment, advocated with immense pressure by Missouri Right to Life, was defeated by a vote of 68 for, 74 against. (See amendment vote.)
Following the house debate on the above amendment, which was provided to give pro-life legislators an opportunity for an up or down vote, the House backed away from their House Committee Substitute for SB 7, and instead took up and passed the senate version of MOSIRA, thereby avoiding the need to go to a conference committee. MOSIRA was approved on a final vote by the House of 94-48. (See final house vote.)
MOBIO extends congratulations to the entire life sciences community, and specifically our partners within the MOSIRA Coalition who have collaborated for the past several years to reach this legislative achievement. By working together, the MOSIRA Coalition showed that incredible political hurdles can be overcome with a strategic effort built on persistence and facts.
MOBIO members should be exceptionally proud of this achievement, and appreciative of our citizen legislators who embraced the meaningful opportunities of biotech job creation.
2011 MOSIRA Briefing Paper
2011 Regular Session MOSIRA Background:
Legislation, House Bill 468, filed at the beginning of the 2011 legislative session creates the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act for the purposes of enhancing the national position of the state to make it a leader in life sciences and technology, to help retain, grow and enhance both existing and new science and technology companies in Missouri, and to enhance the high-tech workforce development environment to foster economic growth and create quality jobs for all Missouri residents.
The Act does not create any new taxes nor does it seek budget money currently being directed to Missouri general revenues. Rather, after a set base year, it will capture part of the increase in gross receipts from state income taxes generated by employees working within designated science and innovation fields.
The Act will strengthen the governing authority of the Missouri Technology Corporation which will be overseen by a public board of directors with expert advisory boards to ensure projects are sceince based with the greatest potential economic return to the citizens of Missouri.
The Act is written broadly to enable the MTC to undertake the strongest opportunities, such projects could include: recruitment of aligned companies to Missouri; company creation; capital formation; infrastructure needs including incubators, lab space, research parks and district development; professional workforce training at all levels; and attracting and retaining scientists, entrepreneurs, and others with science expertise to Missouri.
MOSIRA Needs Your Support: Update
Legislation, House Bill 468, and Senate Bill 79 creates the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA).
MOSIRA has enjoyed strong past legislative support. In the 2011 regular session, it has strong hearings in both Chamber's jobs and economic development committees. MOSIRA was voted positively out of each committee. MOSIRA has passed in both chambers, but never on a bill that was able to make it to the Governor's desk. MOSIRA (HB 468 Third Read and Passed) passed the Missouri House on April 7th by a 144-7 vote, and MOSIRA (House third read vote on HCS#2 SCS Senate Bill 100) again passed overwhelmingly in the Missouri House on the final day of session, May 13th, by a vote of 110 to 35.
MOSIRA passed strongly in the Senate on May 2, 2011 – ( House Bill 116 ), with a vote of 32-2.
House Bill 468 took on one unfavorable amendment in the House committee in March that was unworkable, and MOSIRA's lobbying team focused on getting the bill cleaned up so it could move further in each chamber.
SB 79 was rolled into a larger economic development bill, SB189, by Senator Eric Schmitt which has then advanced from his committee.
More than 25 companies and organizations testified in support of MOSIRA in the Senate hearing, leaving one freshman senator to inquire"can anyone tell me why this hasn't passed yet?"Once again, Missouri Right to Life, was the lone opponent to this economic development legislation. Former Speaker of the House and current State Senator Ron Richard of Joplin responded in the committee to the MRL Lobbyist: "I have been up here for nine years, and your group has never supported one economic development bill in that whole time. No one is more pro-life than I am, but I have never seen a more negative group in my whole life. I hope you are working with the senator and the representative like you claim you are, but I doubt it." Senator Richard is the vice chair of the Senate Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee. MOBIO members are strongly encouraged to get involved in efforts to support this important legislation that will grow, enhance and attract both existing and new biotech, science and innovation companies across Missouri, and enhance high-tech workforce development to foster economic opportunities and create quality jobs for Missouri residents.
On April 11, 2011 theStrategic Initiative for Economic Growth final report was released by Governor Jay Nixon and representatives from across Missouri. This link provides details behind tactic 4.1: "Develop a Science and Technology/Innovation Fund in Missouri to facilitate the creation of best-practice capital-provision, support and infrastructure-dvelopment programs and projects". This initiative engaged representatives from business, labor, higher education, and economic development to chart a path for transforming the Missouri economy into a long-term, sustainable, 21st century growth economy. The report is research-based, data-driven and holistic process to define Missouri's future roadmap for economic success.
We would like to thank Governor Jay Nixon for including the following life science leaders in this working group:
Jim Anderson – President, Springfield Chamber of Commerce
Richard Fleming – President & CEO, St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association
Daniel Getman, Ph. D. – President, Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute
Kelly Gillespie – Executive Director, Missouri Biotechnology Association
Steven Harris – Partner, RubinBrown LLP
Michael Helmstetter - President & CEO, MRIGlobal
Robert Marcusse - President & CEO, Kansas City Area Development Council
Daniel Mehan - President, Missouri Chamber of Commerce & Industry
William Peck, Ph. D. – Director, Center for Health Policy, Washington University
Donn Rubin – Executive Director, Coalition for Plant & Life Sciences
Senate Bill 79
Senate Bill 79 was sponsored by Senator Jolie Justus (D-10, Kansas City) was heard on Wednesday, March 2nd in the Senate Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee, chaired by Senator Eric Schmitt (R-15, Glendale.) It became a part of Senate Bill 189, which later evolved into SB 100 - the Senate's economic development bill.
Senator Jolie Justus, Democrat, District 10 - Kansas City, was the primary 2011 sponsor. Senator Justus received significant support from Sen Ron Richard, Sen Eric Schmitt and Sen Tom Dempsey in advancing MOSIRA throughout 2011.
House Bill 468
House Bill 468 was sponsored by Representative John Diehl (R-87, Town and Country) and enjoyed 21 co-sponsors. The heavy bi-partisan appeal to this legislation was demonstrated by Rep Diehl asking the Minority Caucus Leader, Rep Mike Talboy of Kansas City to serve as a lead co-sponsor. Representative Thomas Long (R-134, Battlefield) continued to work behind the scenes to aggressively advance MOSIRA, serving as a key advocate within the large Freshman class.
Dan Getman, Ph.D., President- Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, Chairman- Missouri Biotechnology Association
Witnesses who testified at the hearing in support of the bill and those who submitted a form: (If we have missed your name, please contact Tony and make him aware)
Dan Getman, Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute
Mike Nichols, University of Missouri System
Steve Hobbs, Audrain Co Presiding Commissioner
Pat McCown, McCownGordon Construction
Jim Baker, Missouri State University
David Kerr, Department of Economic Development
Tomas Hode, Immunophotonics Inc.
Nancy Giddens, Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
Jewel Scott, Civic Council of Greater Kansas City
Gary Clapp, Institute for Industrial & Applied Life Sciences
Kirk Warden, Clayco
Jennifer Lodge, Washington University in St. Louis
Ryan Mooney, Springfield Chamber
Karla Goldstein, Danforth Plant Science Center
Ann Brand, St. Louis Community College
Jim Farrell, Cortex
Nick Rallo, Daniel & Henry Life Sciences Insurance Group
Jeff Craver, Advantage Capital Partners
Felicia Malter, RubinBrown LLP
Pat Woolley, Polsinelli Shughart PC
Duane Simpson, Monsanto
Tracy King, Missouri Chamber of Commerce
Donn Rubin, Coalition for Plant & Life Sciences
Bill Gamble, City of Kansas City
Beth Noonan, St. Louis County Economic Council
Bill McCoy, Department of Economic Development
Christine Snively, St. Louis RCGA
Kelly Gillespie, MOBIO
Summary and Talking Points:
MOBIO members are strongly encouraged to read and review the actual bill legislation and provide input in the spirit of making the MOSIRA Reinvestment Act even stronger.
Threat to MOSIRA: Inclusion of 2003 restrictive language
In contrast to the dozens of organizations businesses, institutions, universities who have expressed strong support for MOSIRA (through testimony in both the House and the Senate) ….The only opponent to testify and work against MOSIRA in 2011 was one organization, Missouri Right to Life. MRL has opposed all science, biotech, economic development and even higher education bills since 2006 once Amendment 2, the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, was placed in the Constitution by Missouri voters.
This year, five years later, they are insisting on adding a statutory reference to a 2003 abortion restriction placed on the life sciences research trust fund, even though this is a commercialization and innovation bill.
196.1127 establishes a cloud of job-killing, potential litigation that will subvert MOSIRA appropriations by undermining MOSIRA before funds are ever appropriated. Leaders of this group have been involved in filing frivolous cases in the past to tie up the courts and create legislative uncertainty.
MOBIO has been consistent in advocating that the legislature should declare the permissive territories it wishes to fund through the annual appropriations process. Capitol leaders understand this debate is ripe during the appropriations process, not in the statutory process. Missouri courts, in the Callahan decision, upheld in 2009 that the annual appropriations process is the correct place for the legislature to dedicate how new funds will be spent. The Roundtable for Life vs. Steelman case was eventually dismissed at the Western District Court of Appeals level.
We don’t need a black eye in the international biotechnology community caused by new restrictive language that states we are only partially open for business, and that we have a legislature that is inclined to support new regulations, not based on any scientific review protocols, as political winds blow.
Opponents are trying to create controversy where none exists. The 196.1127 language is unnecessary, as no one can point to any life sciences research projects, Missouri Technology Corporation grants or potential MOSIRA economic development projects that have come anywhere near being controversial.
At the close of the 2011 Regular Session, MOBIO at the request of the Missouri Catholic Conference, successfully negotiated new language that followed a Trust but Verify approach. The provisions simply required an annual appropriation review coupled with an annual reporting requirement on MTC of any life science projects already subject to the Constitutional reporting requirements as laid out in Amendment 2. During the summer, the Missouri Catholic Conference backed out of that deal, whereas MOBIO has communicated to legislators that we are still prepared to support this approach.
Letters In Support:
MOBIO members are strongly encouraged to draft their own support letters and communicate with legislators directly. In addition, please forward a copy of your correspondence so we can maintain an active file of supporters to use to influence legislators in the coming weeks.
Forward your letter of support to MOBIO's Alex Eaton for inclusion in MOBIO's files. Your letter is critical to our use in showing statewide, broad-based support.
Please keep an eye on MOSIRA progress at this location and learn how you can help!
