By Adam Rollins, Record Staff Writer
Three state representatives came to Wright City Thursday, Aug. 31, to meet with local business owners, elected officials and first responders over a plate of eggs and a cup of coffee.The Eggs and Issues Breakfast was hosted by the chambers of commerce of Warrenton and Wright City at the Heiliger Activity Building in Wright City. The event was sponsored by CenturyLink and catered by Ron and Jan’s Catering.State Sen. Jeanie Riddle, Rep. Bryan Spencer and Rep. Bart Korman spoke about the accomplishments and challenges of this year’s legislative session.Most notable for Warren County’s business community is the legislators’ opposition to a proposal that would have instituted tolling along Interstate 70.To prevent any additional tolling initiative, at least for this year, Spencer authored an amendment to the state budget passed earlier this summer, forbidding any funds from being used to establish a toll road. The amendment was supported by Korman, who serves with Spencer on the House Budget Committee.Riddle said she would filibuster any future attempts to toll state roadways.But now that lawmakers have said “No” to tolling, they need to find a solution to care for Missouri’s aging transportation network. The Missouri Department of Transportation has said it is having trouble maintaining thousands of miles of state highways and bridges because of a lack of funding.As long-range funding remains an issue, tolling will continue to come up as an option, Korman said. He added that multiple legislative committees and government-backed policy groups are studying how to address the state’s transportation needs.“Finding the right solution ... is going to be a difficult, uphill battle,” Korman said. “Whatever will happen will require a vote of the people.”Transportation is only one of many competing funding needs at the state level. Deciding where state money should be allocated can become a heated debate, Korman said.For example, the state’s K-12 school funding formula is fully funded for the first time in years, while the Medicaid program for nursing home residents has shrunk, he said.“If you get a bunch of politicians arguing about money, it can get really interesting,” Korman said.Spencer added that the growth of the state budget in recent years has outpaced the growth of the economy.“We did grow as a state — the problem is, our spending grew by five or eight times as much,” Spencer said.Wright City Mayor Dan Rowden asked if the state would establish a funding mechanism to support regional 911 dispatch centers.Riddle replied that some legislators in the Senate and House have publicly stated that they will block any new taxes, even one that would support emergency communications.“That’s why we’re having trouble with our roads and bridges, as well,” she said.Spencer also elaborated on several education-related bills that passed in the House of Representatives but got caught up in gridlock as their Senate counterparts debated other hot issues. Spencer said he wants to expand educational opportunities in the Warren County area.A bill to give schools access to online courses has passed in the House for the last two years and will be a priority to send for Senate approval again next year, he said.Spencer said he has also been meeting with representatives and education officials from Warren, Lincoln and St. Charles counties to talk about the possibility of bringing a post-secondary or technical school program to the region.State Rep. Bryan Spencer, right, speaks during the Eggs and Issues breakfast hosted by the Wright City and Warrenton chambers of commerce. Also speaking at the event were Rep. Bart Korman, seated at left, and Sen. Jeanie Riddle, not pictured. Record photo/ Adam Rollins.
