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Missouri Governor Calls Special Session For Boeing Deal

Boeing
File photo of a Boeing 777 jetliner.

Sound familiar? Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has called a special session so lawmakers there can work on a plan to land Boeing's 777X assembly line.

Boeing’s defense division is headquartered in St. Louis.

Last month, Washington Governor Jay Inslee called lawmakers into special session to pass $8.7 billion worth of tax incentives over 15 years for Boeing. Now Missouri lawmakers will consider a more modest package worth about $150 million a year.

Alex Pietsch of Washington’s Office of Aerospace considers Missouri a real threat to Washington. “It is clear to me that this is a competition and the company is serious about potentially taking this work elsewhere,” said Pietsch.

More than a dozen states are said to be vying for the 777X work. Boeing has set a mid-December deadline for proposals.

The Chicago-based company opened up the competition after unionized machinists in the Northwest rejected a long-term contract offer that included an end to traditional pensions.

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."