releases: https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/congress-st-clair-airport-can-close
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/congress-st-clair-airport-can-close | Congress: St. Clair Airport Can Close | 2014-12-13 | 2014 | 2014-12 | Democrat | House | MO | Claire McCaskill | M001170 | www.mccaskill.senate.gov | legacy | Congress: St. Clair Airport Can Close Saturday, December 13, 2014 By: Keith E. Domke The city was given a huge, early Christmas present topped with a big red bow this week by the 113th session of the United States Congress when both legislative chambers passed the bill that closes the St. Clair Regional Airport. Now, it’s up to President Barack Obama and whether he is going to play Santa’s chief elf or Mr. Scrooge as to whether the bill becomes law. The U.S. House of Representatives late Tuesday afternoon approved S.B. 2759 after it had cleared the Senate last week. The House had the legislation on its docket as part of its general session and didn’t take long to pass it by a voice vote. All that is necessary now for the bill to become law is Obama’s signature. “It’s not a done deal yet, but what’s happened has given us hope,” Mayor Ron Blum told The Missourian on Wednesday. “This has been a cooperative effort by a large number of people. “We’ve actually had an act of Congress occur for a positive thing in St. Clair. It’s incredibly good news. We can now start to really plan our future.” State Rep. Dave Hinson of St. Clair called The Missourian from Washington, D.C., shortly before 5 p.m. on Tuesday with the news. Hinson was in the nation’s capital on other business when he heard the bill would be brought up in the U.S. House, so he attended the session. “It passed the House today,” Hinson said of the bill. “It’s cleared its hurdles.” Hinson said there was no debate on the bill before it passed on a voice vote. The same thing happened in the Senate late last week, he said. Hinson said he believed there should be no objection by Obama. He also said it is his understanding that the president has 10 business days to act on the bill after it has passed both chambers. That would give him until Dec. 23. Online information about the bill states it was passed by both chambers in identical form, adding that it goes to Obama who can either sign it or veto it. U.S. Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt cosponsored S.B. 2759, “A bill to release the city of St. Clair from all restrictions, conditions and limitations on the use, encumbrance, conveyance and closure of the St. Clair Regional Airport.” U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer worked the bill through the House. “It may come as a surprise to many Missourians, but a municipality such as St. Clair cannot close an airport which it owns and operates without permission from the federal government,” he said. “A few years ago, local officials of St. Clair asked members of the Missouri delegation for help to facilitate authorization to close the airport. I am pleased that the House and Senate have now both passed legislation ... to allow the city to pursue its own efforts to improve the local economy once federal taxpayers are made whole.” St. Clair has been trying for years to close the airport located on the north side of the city and use the 80-acre parcel for much-needed retail development. City officials had been working with the FAA and MoDOT on the closure process. Without the bill, permission would have had to be granted by the FAA because the city obtained and used federal grants to make improvements at the facility as late as 2006. “St. Clair has been financially burdened with maintaining and operating this struggling airport year after year, and closing it will allow the city to move forward with economic development plans supported by the local community,” Luetkemeyer said. “This legislation ensures the city will pay back any taxpayer dollars that were put into the airport and will transfer any salvageable airport and aviation equipment back to the state.” The airport has operated in the red every year since the city started keeping track of its specific revenue and expenses several years ago. Today, only five tenants rent hangar space there. The bill releases the city of St. Clair from all restrictions, conditions and limitations on the use of conveyance and closure of the regional airport. It would allow the city to close the airport once it pays back any previously received FAA funds and transfer all salvageable equipment to MoDOT for the improvement of Missouri aviation. “The city of St. Clair is very supportive of this effort, including the mayor, city council, school board and local Chamber of Commerce,” Luetkemeyer said. “In addition, the Missouri Department of Transportation has indicated closure of the airport will not have an adverse impact on aviation in the state.” The Missourian also has supported closure of the facility through editorials and columns. “We now can move forward,” Blum said. “I think what we’re doing here will help St. Clair in the future. We have the opportunity to lay a path for long-term success. “We didn’t give up. We’ve shown our true character. We’re giving ourselves the opportunity to have a bright future.” The mayor said that McCaskill has been the true workhorse in helping the city get this bill through both chambers and to the president. History Earlier this fall, the bill was introduced into the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and was “ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.” The bill originally was filed on July 31. The committee sent it to the full Senate in September. Additional language in the bill provides details regarding the closure process and the transfer of assets, revenues and equipment as well as the monetary value of the property and the worth of the unamortized federal grants turned over to MoDOT and the FAA. City officials have been going back and forth with FAA and the MoDOT officials on the closure process. MoDOT has stated it does not oppose closure. In May, after two years and several decision deadline extensions, the FAA ruled the city of St. Clair was not in violation of its federal obligations in regards to its regional airport as alleged in a complaint filed by one of the tenants. The complaint, filed by airport tenant Jim DeVries of Pacific on behalf of himself and other current and former tenants, was dismissed. DeVries and other current and former tenants have filed several complaints with the FAA and have tried other means relating to the airport in an attempt to keep it open. The Missourian tried to reach DeVries for comment. He would not respond. He also had not posted anything on his personal blog, which he calls “The St. Clair Airport Blog,” since the bill was passed. DeVries often uses his blog as ammunition to ridicule the city and make accusations. Shortly after the bill was moved through to the full Senate, a post appeared on DeVries’ airport blog that had a Frederick, Md., dateline on it. It stated that, “The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and three other general aviation groups have urged key members of the U.S. Senate to forgo legislation that could close St. Clair Municipal Airport and instead follow established FAA procedures for the potential closure of airports that have accepted federal grants.” The post quoted a Sept. 16 letter from AOPA President Mark Baker. The AOPA website stated that in addition to Baker, the presidents of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Business Aviation Association and National Air Transportation Association signed the letter. About a month ago, DeVries posted on his blog that the airport bill “is probably dead.” “If this passes, it’s a win for St. Clair and a win for aviation in general,” Blum earlier told The Missourian. “Funding is tight for everyone. Allowing us to close our airport will allow us to work on bringing in some much-needed retail development. It also will benefit the FAA and MoDOT because it will mean one less airport for them to worry about as far as funding. “I think it’s a good deal all the way around.” More than a year ago, an amendment attached to a U.S. Transportation Bill allowed for closure of the airport, but it died after no action was taken on it. Blunt and McCaskill had co-sponsored Amendment 1801 which was worded almost identically to this year’s bill. Blunt Press Secretary Genny Carter told The Missourian at the time that the amendment was offered, but “never made pending and never voted on before the THUD (Transportation, Housing and Urban Development) bill had cloture filed.” “The cloture vote failed and consideration of the bill itself was stopped,” Carter said. “So the amendment is filed, but no action was taken on it.” Print Email Tweet | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |