House OKs Blunt"s development plan

House OKs Blunt"s development plan.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- House Republicans deferred to Gov. Matt Blunt on Thursday, endorsing the economic development package he outlined while refusing to even allow discussion on various Democratic efforts to tinker with its details. Democrats decried majority Republicans for using heavy-handed tactics, claiming lawmakers were ceding their constitutional power to make laws to the executive branch and reducing the special legislative session to a sham. The House passed an economic development bill creating up to $66 million in new tax credits for businesses and developers and legalizing ticket scalping. Many Democrats ultimately joined in the 120-29 vote sending the bill to the Senate for consideration next week. Lawmakers are convened in special session at the call of Blunt, who last month vetoed a broader economic development bill that he claimed could have cost up to $200 million while awarding tax breaks to some questionable causes.