About 1,000 people are expected to attend the Missouri Governor’s ham breakfast Thursday morning in Sedalia.

The 65th Governor’s ham breakfast begins at 8 a.m. at the Director’s tent at the State Fairgrounds in Sedalia. Thursday is also Legislators and Judges Day.

The breakfast is a tradition and features lawmakers and politicians from both parties, as well as commodity group leaders and Missouri State Fair supporters.

Governor Eric Greitens (R), Lt. Governor Mike Parson (R) and several members of Missouri’s congressional delegation will attend the breakfast, including U.S. Sens. Claire McCaskill (D) and Roy Blunt (R). Many Missouri lawmakers are also expected to attend, including House Speaker Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, and State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport.

UM System President Dr. Mun Choi and University of Missouri-Columbia Chancellor Alexander Cartwright will also attend.

There will also be an auction on Thursday. The Missouri State Fair Foundation uses auction proceeds to pay premiums to winning exhibitors and to provide scholarships for youth in agriculture.

We’ll also learn details Thursday morning about efforts to increase the availability of broadband in Missouri.

The Missouri Farm Bureau says Senator Blunt, Governor Greitens and others will join Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst for a press conference Thursday morning at 11:45 on the fairgrounds. MU Vice Chancellor Marshall Stewart, Missouri Electric Cooperatives CEO Barry Hart and Missouri Telecommunication Association President Ric Telthorst will also address reporters at that time.

Senator McCaskill is also weighing in on the broadband issue. She notes that currently, more than 60 percent of Missourians in rural areas do not have broadband access.

McCaskill will host a roundtable discussion on the broadband issue Thursday morning at 9:30 at the State Fair. She’ll be joined by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, Ralls County Electric Cooperative in New London, USDA and others.

About 350,000 people are expected to attend the 2017 Missouri State Fair, which opened on August 10. The fair ends on Sunday.

Missourinet will be covering the Governor’s ham breakfast and the McCaskill and Missouri Farm Bureau events on Thursday.