By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Rosecrans Memorial Airport benefited greatly from the $51 billion state budget signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson.
The governor waited until nearly the last minute to sign the budget, signing it late Friday afternoon with the state fiscal year beginning today.
State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville, the Republican vice chair of the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee, says the nearly $10 million allocated to Rosecrans should put the 139th Airlift Wing in position to receive the latest C-130 cargo planes.
“What that is going to do is it’s going to enable the 139th to hopefully attract the new ‘J’ model series C-130s,” Luetkemeyer tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So those are the new planes that are awarded by the federal government. Last year, when we were up to get some of those new planes, we got passed over for a variety of reasons.”
The state budget includes $7.5 million for the planning, design, and construction of an aircraft maintenance facility for the 139th and $2 million to move a fuel farm used by both military and civilian aircraft.
State Rep. Brenda Shields of St. Joseph, a member of the House Budget Committee, agrees with Luetkemeyer’s assessment, saying the state funding is vital in making needed improvements at Rosecrans.
“So, for us to be able to secure that 7-and-a-half million for the maintenance building for the ‘J’ models will really make us competitive the next go round of determining who gets the ‘J’ models and the moving of that fuel farm was also an important part of that process to secure the ‘J’ models,” Shields tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
A year ago, the Air National Guard passed over the 139th Airlift Wing in allocating the first round of the new, modern cargo planes, the C-130J model. The Air Guard cited deficiencies that must be addressed before the 139th gets the new planes.
While Gov. Parson approved the $7.5 million for the maintenance facility, he cut $2 million from the $4 million approved by the General Assembly to move the fuel farm, used by both military and civilian aircraft.
“You know, I wish he hadn’t vetoed (the $2 million), but I don’t think that we’ll have a problem finding the match locally,” Shields says. “So, I think we’ll be able to be successful in moving that fuel farm as well.”
Luetkemeyer is also confident the money can be found to make up for the line-item veto.
“People seem pretty confident that we will be able to come up with the local $2 million match to be able to get that project funded,” Luetkemeyer says, referring to conversations he had after the budget signing with officials from the 139th.
The bottom line, according to Luetkemeyer, is the state has come through with the money that should insure the 139th gets the latest model of the C-130 cargo planes.
“I think there’s no question these new investments in Rosecrans are going to put us at the top of the list to get the new, ‘J’ model airplanes out at Rosecrans and that is going to secure the long-term viability of the 139th out at Rosecrans,” Luetkemeyer says.
In all, Gov. Parson made 173 line-item vetoes, totaling $1 billion, to the state budget approved by the legislature. Parson says he trimmed the budget to prepare the state for higher costs and lower revenue in the coming year.
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