JEFFERSON CITY, MO. — The founder of the Steamboat Arabia Museum in Kansas City is supporting legislation that would move the attraction to Jefferson City.

The current museum houses a collection from a steamboat David Hawley helped excavate in 1987 from a field in Kansas.

Hawley testified before the Legislature last week that the current museum is too small. KCUR reports the issue comes as Hawley is planning the excavation of a new steamboat.

Sen. Mike Bernskoetter and Rep. Dave Griffith, both Republicans from Jefferson City, are sponsoring the bill. They want to raise revenue for the museum by increasing the entrance fees that riverboat casinos licensees pay the state from $2 per person to $3 per person.

The museum’s lease in Kansas City expires in 2026.