Gov. Jay Nixon made a trip to the Coliseum on the Missouri State Fairgrounds this afternoon to sign three bills that will benefit Missouri farm families and agribusinesses across the state. 

Senate Bill 657 will promote the installation of blended fuel pumps at more gas stations throughout the state by the liability insurance required for gas stations also covers dispensing blended fuels from incompatible storage tanks. Sen. Brian Munzlinger was the primary sponsor of the bill.

Senate Bill 664, a proposal from Secretary of State Jason Kander, waives the requirement that an authorized farm corporation or family farm file an annual corporate registration report with the Secretary of State, when there has been no change to the corporations reported information.

Senate Bill 655 revises Missouri's fertilizer laws. One of the changes includes setting time frames in which fertilizer samples taken for inspection must be analyzed and the results reported.

"Agriculture is Missouri's number one industry, and that's why we have to work hard to help family farms by cutting red tape and promoting the sale and success of Missouri-grown products," Nixon said at the 110-year-old Coliseum during a signing ceremony. He was backed by several dignitaries, including Director of Agriculture Richard Fordyce and Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe.

"The Coliseum stands for a rich tradition in our state," Nixon said of the location for the signing ceremony. The event took place less than seven weeks from  the state of the 2016 Missouri State Fair, which runs Aug. 11-21.

Fordyce thanked Nixon for the opportunity to serve as Director of Agriculture during his administration. "There were a thousand people or more that he could have chosen (for the position)," Foryce said is his remarks to introduce the governor. "It's been a great two-and-half years," he said, "I will always be in his debt."  Fordyce added that the the state is very fortunate to have a governor who values the agricultural industry.

Nixon promised that he and his office will be as productive the last 100 days of his administration as the first 100 were. He thanked Fordyce for his service as well as Mark Wolfe's dedication to the Missouri Fair.

Gov. Nixon noted that the Show-Me State's $12 Billion agriculture industry is comprised of 100,000 family farms covering  28 million acres of farmland.

 

 

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