The Tour of Missouri has been spared.
Gov. Jay Nixon announced Tuesday afternoon that the international professional bicycling event should go forward even though the state “faces tremendous financial challenges,” according to his statement. Last week, Nixon froze $1.5 million budgeted by the Division of Tourism to pay for part of the race. The race, which has a budget of $3.3 million, faced cancellation without the funds.
kAm$652=:2[ @?6 @7 `` 9@DE 4:E:6D 7@C E96 C246 7C@> $6AE] f E@ `b[ H:== AFE @? E96 :?5:G:5F2= E:>6 EC:2= A@CE:@? @? $6AE] ``] %96 %@FC @7 |:DD@FC:[ H9:49 762EFC6D E@A\E:6C 4J4=:?8 E62>D[ :D E6=6G:D65 H@C=5H:56]k^Am
kAmy24< |4x?E@D9[ 492:C>2? @7 E96 =@42= @C82?:K:?8 4@>>:EE66[ H2D A=62D65 E@ 962C @? %F6D52J E92E E96 C246 H@F=5 8@ 7@CH2C5]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D 366? D@ >F49 A=2??:?8 2?5 677@CE AFE :?E@ :E] ]]] xE H@F=5 92G6 366? 2 D92>6 E@ D66 :E 86E 42?46=65[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? 9:D DE2E6>6?E[ }:I@? D2:5 96 C6BF6DE65 E92E E96 ~77:46 @7 p5>:?:DEC2E:@? =@@< 2E DA6?5:?8 C64@C5D C682C5:?8 E96 AC6G:@FD EH@ C246D 2?5 E9:D J62C’D 6G6?E]k^Am
kAm“%96 C246 H:== 8@ @? E9:D J62C[ 2?5 |:DD@FC:2?D 56D6CG6 E@ <?@H E92E DE2E6 7F?5D 7@C E96 6G6?E 2C6 FD65 EC2?DA2C6?E=J 2?5 244@F?E23=J[” 96 D2:5] “%96J D9@F=5 <?@H AC64:D6=J 9@H >@?6J 7@C E96 %@FC @7 |:DD@FC: :D 36:?8 DA6?E[ 2?5 E92E E96 6G6?E :D 36:?8 CF? :? 2 H2J E92E >:?:>:K6D E96 4@DE E@ E2IA2J6CD]”k^Am
kAm$F3FC32? pE=2?E2\32D65 |652=:DE $A@CED :D >2?28:?8 E96 C246] (9:=6 E96 %@FC:D> s:G:D:@? AC@G:56D S`]d >:==:@? E@ 7F?5 E96 C246[ E96 C6>2:?56C 4@>6D 7C@> 4@CA@C2E6 2?5 AC:G2E6 5@?@CD 2?5 Sd__[___ 7C@> 2 DE2E6 7:?2?46 3@2C5]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2=H2JD @A6C2E65 23@G6 E96 3@2C5[” D2:5 {:6FE6?2?E v@G] !6E6C z:?56C[ H9@ 492:CD E96 |:DD@FC: %@FC:D> r@>>:DD:@?[ 5FC:?8 2 4@?76C6?46 42== %F6D52J 27E6C?@@?] “(6 92G6 2=H2JD 366? EC2?DA2C6?E ]]] E9:D H:== 4@?E:?F6]”k^Am
kAmz:?56C =@33:65 7@C E96 C246 2?5 925 D2:5 E96 DE2E6 4@F=5 =@D6 >@C6 E92? S`]d >:==:@? 3J 42?46=:?8 E96 C246 2?5 3C62<:?8 4@?EC24ED H:E9 G6?5@CD 2?5 9@DE 4:E:6D] z:?56C 2D<65 C246 DFAA@CE6CD E@ 4@?E24E E96 8@G6C?@C’D @77:46 E@ FC86 }:I@? E@ C6=62D6 E96 C246 >@?6J] ~? %F6D52J[ z:?56C E92?<65 2== E96 DFAA@CE6CD H9@ 42==65 2?5 6\>2:=65 }:I@?[ 2?5 4C65:E65 72?D[ 4J4=:DED[ =@42= @C82?:K:?8 4@>>:EE66D 2?5 65:E@C:2= DFAA@CE 7C@> E96 >65:2 7@C >2<:?8 E96 5:776C6?46 :? F?7C66K:?8 E96 C246 >@?6J]k^Am
kAm“x 2> 6DA64:2==J 56=:89E65 E@ H6=4@>6 v@G] y2J }:I@? E@ E96 C2?<D @7 DFAA@CE6CD 7@C E96 C246[” z:?56C D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 %@FC:D> r@>>:DD:@? 925 2 DA64:2= >66E:?8 uC:52J H96C6 :E G@E65 F?2?:>@FD=J E@ C6277:C> DFAA@CE 7@C E96 C246] %96 6G6?E[ :? a__f 2?5 a__g 4@>3:?65[ 3C@F89E :? ?62C=J Se_ >:==:@? :? E@FC:D> >@?6J E9C@F89@FE E96 DE2E6 H:E9 2? 6DE:>2E65 2F5:6?46 @7 g_a[___ A6@A=6]k^Am
kAmr9C:D pC@?92=E[ @7 |652=:DE $A@CED[ D2:5 5FC:?8 %F6D52J’D 4@?76C6?46 42== E92E “F?36=:6G23=6 DFAA@CE H2D 6IAC6DD65 E9C@F89@FE E96 DE2E6[ 4@F?ECJ 2?5 H@C=5” 7@C E96 C246] $6G6? %@FC 56 uC2?46 E62>D 2C6 D4965F=65 E@ 4@>A6E6 96C6 :? $6AE6>36C] $@>6 @7 E96 4J4=:DED 4@>A6E:?8 :? E96 %@FC 56 uC2?46 962C5 @7 E96 %@FC @7 |:DD@FC:’D D64FC:EJ H:E9:? 9@FCD @7 }:I@?’D 2??@F?46>6?E 2?5 42==65 |652=:DE E@ 6IAC6DD E96:C C6=:67]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 G6CJ C6=:6G65 2?5 G6CJ 6I4:E65 7@C E96 7:?2= EH@ >@?E9D @7 A=2??:?8[” pC@?92=E D2:5] “}@ BF6DE:@?[ 2 3:8 D:89 @7 C6=:67 H2D 76=E 2E E96 @77:46 E@52J]”k^Am
kAm%96 =@42= @C82?:K:?8 4@>>:EE66 925 D4965F=65 2 >66E:?8[ 367@C6 }:I@?’D 2??@F?46>6?E[ 7@C E@52J] |4x?E@D9 D2:5 E96 4@>>:EE66 H2D “<66A:?8 @FC 7:?86CD 4C@DD65 E92E :E H@F=5 8@ @?” 2?5 4@?E:?F65 E@ A=2? 56DA:E6 E96 F?46CE2:?EJ @7 E96 6G6?E’D 7FEFC6 :? E96 A2DE H66<]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 DE:== 6I4:E65 23@FE 92G:?8 E9:D 6G6?E :? $652=:2[” 96 D2:5] “x E9:?< :E’D DE:== E96 3:886DE DA@CE:?8 6G6?E E@ 4@>6 E@ E@H?]”k^Am
kAm%96 =@42= 4@>>:EE66 =@DE 23@FE E9C66 52JD @? @?6 @7 :ED 7F?5C2:D:?8 42>A2:8?D E@ D6== C246 32??6CD E92E H:== 92?8 @? =:89E A@=6D 2=@?8 qC@25H2J q@F=6G2C5 2?5 {:>:E pG6?F6] %96 9@A6 :D E@ D6== `__ 32??6CD 2E S`__ 6249[ H:E9 E96 DA@?D@C <66A:?8 E96 32??6C 27E6C E96 C246]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 5@H? E@ E96 5625=:?6 E@ 86E E9@D6 D@=5 2?5 86E E96> :?E@ AC@5F4E:@?[” |4x?E@D9 D2:5] “%9:D H66< :D E96 H66< H6 ?665 E@ 92G6 E96> D@=5 2?5 C6=62D65 7@C AC@5F4E:@?]”k^Am
kAm~G6C2==[ |4x?E@D9 5@6D?’E E9:?< E96 9:44FA :? 7F?5:?8 H:== 27764E 7F?5C2:D:?8 677@CED]k^Am
kAm|4x?E@D9 H2D A=62D65 }:I@? >256 E96 564:D:@? BF:4<=J E@ C6=62D6 E96 S`]d >:==:@?]k^Am
kAm“xE C62==J H@F=5 92G6 3642>6 4C:E:42= 7@C FD :? 2?@E96C 4@FA=6 H66<D[” 96 D2:5] “s@ H6 C62==J 8@ 29625 2?5 DE2CE DA6?5:?8 D@>6 92C5 5@==2CD H6 4@F=5?’E C64@G6Cn”k^Am
kAm%96 E9C62E @7 42?46=:?8 E96 6G6?E 4@F=5 6G6? 5CF> FA 6G6? >@C6 DFAA@CE 7@C E96 C246 E9:D J62C[ z:?56C D2:5]k^Am
kAm“(6 36=:6G6 H:E9 E96 2EE6?E:@?[ :C@?:42==J[ E92E E9:D =:EE=6 5FDE FA 92D 42FD65[ :E 92D 8:G6? @FC C246 2 >@C6 492C865 FA 67764E H:E9 E9:D a__h G6CD:@?[” z:?56C D2:5]k^Am
