Bill to install 21 'Ozark Highlands' welcome signs wins informational support; private group to cover costs, sponsor says

Representative David Castile presented House Bill 201 to authorize 21 signs welcoming visitors to the Ozark Highland Spirit region and to enable a local distillers’ guild to promote a regional spirits trail.

Castile told the committee the region has more than 20 distillers and that the area’s limestone-filtered spring water makes it well suited to distilled spirits production. "These signs will be installed by MoDOT but paid for by the distillers themselves. They will also pay for the maintenance of the signs," Castile said, describing an arrangement intended to avoid taxpayer expense.

He said the region was federally recognized before being recognized at the state level in 2022 and that the signs would help the distillers’ guild create and promote a ‘‘whiskey trail.’’ The sponsor provided a list of 21 proposed locations and said the hope is that the signs will help generate tourism revenue from outside the state.

The committee did not record any public testimony in opposition and took no vote at the hearing. Members asked clarifying questions about the geographic extent of the region; Castile said the shelf of limestone underlying the region runs from the Kansas City area southeast toward Arkansas and that the signage would be sited at the agreed locations. Castile emphasized that the private distillers’ guild would cover costs and maintenance and said the measure would not cost taxpayers money.

No fiscal note or third-party witness testified to contradict sponsor statements during the hearing; the sponsor said prior committee consideration had cleared similar language in prior sessions.