House Speaker Tim Jones Says Missouri’s Pro-Growth, Pro-Jobs Policies Are Responsible for 700 New Boeing Jobs in the St. Louis Area
ST. LOUIS – As Boeing revealed its plans to bring as many as 700 new jobs to the St. Louis area, House Speaker Tim Jones said the decision is a clear indicator that Missouri’s pro-growth, pro-jobs policies are working. He also said the announcement is a reminder that great things are possible when the governor works with, rather than against, the legislature.
Boeing announced Monday afternoon that it would create as many as 700 new jobs to produce portions of the 777x airliner such as wing, rudder and elevator components. Jones said the new jobs are a byproduct of the efforts the legislature made last year during a special session to create an incentive package to bring production of the plane to Missouri. While Boeing ultimately opted to keep production in the state of Washington, Jones said the willingness of the state and the legislature to quickly produce a competitive bid made Missouri an attractive location for expansion.
“This is great news for Missouri and proof positive that our efforts to lower the tax burden, reduce the bureaucratic red tape and invest in our work force are paying enormous dividends in the form of new family-supporting jobs,” said Jones, R-Eureka. “We put our best foot forward last year as we did all we could to bring the 777x production line to Missouri. It was one of the few times the governor followed our lead and I think the results prove it is something he should have done more often during his time as the chief executive.”
Jones added, “The bottom line is that when the governor works with the General Assembly and follows our lead, we succeed as a state as we create new jobs and grow our economy. When he reverts to his obstructionist tactics and turns his back on bipartisanship, our state suffers.
These are jobs that will support Missouri families for decades and the kinds of jobs we must continue to work to create through pro-jobs, pro-growth initiatives like the ones this Republican-led legislature have consistently championed.”
Jones said the Missouri Department of Economic Development helped secure the new Boeing jobs by using a combination of incentives from the Missouri Works program in addition to the incentives package passed by the legislature during the December 2013 special session.
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