WWJR; or, Building Codes Come to Christian County

State and Local Government |
By David Stokes | Read Time 1 minute

No, this is not going to be a post opposed to basic building codes. Sorry to disappoint you, my libertarian friends. The Springfield News-Leader has the round-up on the process to codify the recently approved building codes for the growing county. There is nothing wrong with having basic construction standards for homes in Christian County, although the included quote from a county commissioner is somewhat patronizing:

"I was all for it so new people can feel more comfortable about buying homes," said County Commissioner Bill Barnett, the county’s representative on the building commission.

To our many some few only (hello, Mr. Thompson) reader in Christian County, my words of wisdom are that you should make certain this code process does not move from reasonable construction standards toward occupational licensing. Christian County does not need to follow larger counties into strict regulation of who can perform the construction jobs on these projects, rules that — shockingly! — tend to favor union members over non-union workers.

About the Author

David Stokes is a St. Louis native and a graduate of Saint Louis University High School and Fairfield (Conn.) University. He spent six years as a political aide at the St. Louis County Council before joining the Show-Me Institute in 2007. Stokes was a policy analyst at the Show-Me Institute from 2007 to 2016. From 2016 through 2020 he was Executive Director of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, where he led efforts to oppose harmful floodplain developments done with abusive tax subsidies. Stokes rejoined the Institute in early 2021 as the Director of Municipal Policy. He is a past president of the University City Library Board. He served on the St. Louis County 2010 Council Redistricting Commission and was the 2012 representative to the Electoral College from Missouri’s First Congressional District. He lives in University City with his wife and their three children.

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