Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed a bill in April passing data center tax incentives. The governor vetoed a similar measure in 2014 on the grounds that it lacked protections from abuse. However, the newest version of the bill adds a minimum investment, a cap on incentives and job creation requirements.
To qualify under the new law, a data center operator must invest at least $25 million and create 10 jobs per data center in order to be eligible for the next tax breaks. Each subsequent expansion must bring at least $5 million and five jobs. Further, the jobs themselves must pay 150 percent more than the county's average wage to qualify under this law.
"Consistent with the fiscally responsible approach to economic development we've pursued from day one, this bill will help attract high-tech data center investments and jobs – without putting our budget or taxpayers at risk," Nixon told The Missouri Times.
This new bill allows Missouri to follow in the footsteps of states such as Arizona and Minnesota, which have passed similar legislation.
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