The long awaited “village law” hearing today in Rep. Vickie Schneider’s (R-O’Fallon) local government committee included a few mea culpas from representatives who felt bad that they let obscure language that made it legal for one person to create a village become law.

First in line at the confessional was Rep. Tom Villa, D-St. Louis. “I’m one of the bozos who should be held to public ridicule for approving this,” Villa said during the hearing on Sen. Jack Goodman’s (R-Mt. Vernon) bill to repeal the village law. Villa then challenged Rep. Bryan Pratt, R-Blue Springs to join him in a bit of asking for forgiveness.

Pratt wouldn’t quite adopt Villa’s colorful language but he did offer: “Certainly, I share some of the blame for not asking more questions.”

Most of the testimony about the bill involved Franklin County and a development proposed by Brad Ferguson, who appeared on his own behalf to oppose Goodman’s village law fix.

But before Ferguson spoke, two Franklin County commissioners and two residents testified that the village law was allowing Ferguson to bypass traditional county zoning regulations. Neighbor John Harris said that the small county road couldn’t come close to supporting the 102 homes Ferguson wants to build on the 44 acres he owns.

Ferguson said the law was a good one because he had been stymied by the city of Washington and Franklin County officials. He said the market should decide where development goes. But state Rep. Jeff Roorda, D-Barnhart, was having none of it. The former cop was blunt in his criticism of Ferguson and urged his fellow representatives to pass Goodman’s bill.

“This is just a bad, bad piece of legislation,” Roorda said. The committee has yet to schedule a vote on the bill.