The State Senate has approved legislation requiring a ten percent ethanol blend in all gasoline sold in Missouri. But the measure did not pass easily. Senator John Cauthorn of Mexico and other rural Republicans touted the benefits of clean burning ethanol, which comes from corn grown in Missouri. Opponents, like Senator Matt Bartle of Lee’s Summit, opposed the idea of the government mandating such a requirement. Opponents also claim that while the ethanol is clean burning, it gets less fuel efficiency than oil and amounts to a tax on Missourians. In the end, the legislation passed by a vote of 26 to 7. A conference committee will now reconcile the Senate version of the bill with its House counterpart. The bill is HB 1270.
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Missouri HB 1270