JEFFERSON CITY - The empty room and the big "canceled" notice outside told the Missouri House of Representatives of Economic Development Committee the scheduled House meeting for proposed China Hub trade bill had been canceled Tuesday morning and rescheduled for Wednesday.

The Committee hearing on Monday night lasted six hours and half and there were a lot of people who testified in the meeting to support the bill or againt it. Sen. Paul Curtman, R-Pacific, said he is not surprised that the meeing was rescheduled.

"I think she (Sen. Anne Zerr, R-St. Charles, the chair of the committee) wants give the members of the committee a little bit more time to digest everything we heard that night," Curtman.

Curtman said in the hearing, the proponents of the China Hub trade bill had a lot of reasons for the committee to pass it. The supporters expect to see economic growth in St. Louis and Missouri region from imports and exports traffic.

Besides the positive voices, people who testified against the bill also gave their concerns over the bill and hoped some improvements could be added to the bill before passing it.

"One of the main disagreements that people had on the bill was they just don't appreciate the government passes a legislation to get tax creidts to certain industries," Curtman said. "They think the state will be a lot better off if they would just lower taxes for everybody and allow everybody to keep a little bit more their money."

Zerr didn't say much abo ut the postponed meeting, but she said the members and the governor are actively working together toward the bill and after that lengthy hearing, members just need extra time to go through the bill and prepare for voting on it.