The Senate convened a special session of the General Assembly on Monday afternoon to discuss legislation to provide incentives to help persuade Boeing Co. to build its next commercial plane in the state.
The Missouri Constitution requires the special legislative session that begins today to last at least five days.
Gov. Jay Nixon wants lawmakers to help persuade the Boeing Co. to build its planned 777X commercial plane in Missouri, by passing an incentives package worth up to $150 million a year.
If lawmakers approve, the incentives would be funded through four existing Missouri programs that help finance job training, infrastructure improvements and reward companies for expanding their payrolls.
But the Constitution - in Article III, Section 21 - says: "No law shall be passed except by bill."
And it requires "every bill (to) be read by title on three different days in each house."
That means any bill introduced to show lawmakers' approval of any Boeing incentives must be introduced on one day, assigned to a committee on a different day and then, if okayed by the committee, debated and voted on during a third day - before it can be sent to the other house, where the process must be repeated.