JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Democratic state lawmaker from St. Louis County wants to ban foreign companies from buying more farmland in Missouri.
Sen. Doug Beck, D-Affton, who is sponsoring the proposal, told members of a Senate panel Monday it is a national security issue, as well as a food security issue.
Under current law, foreign companies are supposed to report when they purchase land. But the law has few teeth and state regulators acknowledge they don't have a firm grasp on the amount of acreage owned by foreign entities.
