A rural-urban split broke out in the House as rural lawmakers attempted to divert two million dollars budgetted for maintenance of the Dome in St. Louis to pay-off the state’s obligations to ethanol plants. The state spends $10-Million each year paying off the bonds that built the Dome. Another $2-Million is budgetted for maintenance. Representative Wes Shoemyer of Clarence argues diverting the two million wouldn’t breach the state’s obligation to the Dome – an argument House Budget Chairman Carl Bearden rejects. The House rejected the diversion attempt. Rural lawmakers grumble that the state seems to make sure it fulfills its obligations to the cities, while it seems unconcerned that payments to ethanol plants have lagged nearly $9-Million behind.
