State Sen. John Grieseheimer, R-Washington, told county officials gathering in Jefferson City today that the repeal of the controversial “village law” is being held up because Speaker of the House Rod Jetton wants an apology from a House member who has criticized Jetton’s role in creating the law.

County commissioners are angry over the law, passed as part of an omnibus Senate bill last legislative session, because it allows a large landowner to create his or her own “village” and thus bypass county zoning laws. Southwest Missouri developer Robert Plaster is trying to use the law to create a village on Table Rock Lake. County officials have in the past stymied his attempts to create a large development on the 500-acre parcel.

The representative from that area, Dennis Wood, R-Kimberling City, has been critical of Jetton’s role in inserting the village law language into a House substitute bill.

Griesheimer said today that Jetton “wants an apology” from Woods for being critical of Jetton. He said he thought lawmakers were close to a compromise that would allow the House to give a hearing to a Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mount Vernon. That bill passed quickly this session but hasn’t been given a hearing in the House. But then another newspaper article about the village law appeared, this one in a Branson paper, and Griesheimer said that was like “pouring more gas on the fire” of the issue.

Griesheimer supports Goodman’s bill. A developer in Franklin County where he lives has applied to create a village under the auspices of the new law. Griesheimer said he is “weighing” sitting on House legislation that must make its way through the Senate to try to force Jetton’s hand.

“I’m weighing that,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to use the nuclear option. … We’re looking for a diplomatic way out of this.”

UPDATE: Goodman’s bill, SB765, was referred to the House local government committee last Thursday. The committee has not been scheduled for a hearing.