Gov. Mike Parson says the Panama Canal expansion is an opportunity to make greater use of the Mississippi River for shipping agriculture products. During the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association Convention in Columbia on Saturday, Parson says the two-and-a-half-year-old expansion can give an edge to Missouri farmers. Parson, a Republican, says alternatives must be found for state transportation funding, since Missouri voters have rejected a fuel tax increase more than once.
In November, Missouri voters rejected a gas tax increase to help maintain roads. The ballot measure would have boosted the fuel tax by 2.5 cents annually over four years.