Wright Gets Input From County Commission Before Taking Seat In State House

Dale Wright, who was elected District 116 state representative in November and was to be sworn in Wednesday [January 9], expressed a desire to work with local officials when he met with the Ste. Genevieve County Commission during last Thursday’s commission meeting.

He asked the commissioners about issues of concern to them.

They brought up the failed Proposition D, which would have increased gasoline tax to help repair state roads and bridges.

“You put all these side things with it,” Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson said of the ballot language, which included State Highway Patrol funding and tax exemptions for Olympic medals.

“What killed it before was flowery wording,” Wright agreed. “To be honest, I was out campaigning and a lot of people said, ‘I want it to go to bridges and roads and so on, but I don’t really want it to go to anything else. And I would have voted for it other than that.’ I think there’s going to be another pass-through on that, from what I hear.” …

Nelson also stressed the county’s opposition to Right to Work and support of prevailing wage, which is generally the opposite of the positions taken by Wright’s Republican party in Missouri.

Nelson argued that if prevailing wage is eliminated, within 10 years the county would wither financially and have trouble maintaining its obligations.

Wright assured him he didn’t have to worry about Right to Work raising its head again any time soon.

“I don’t think there’s a stomach to address that for a long time,” he said. “I gave my word I wouldn’t go against the will of the people.”

See complete story in the January 9 edition of the Herald.

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