Rep. Anthony Ribaudo wore a rat trap pinned to his lapel.
Rep. Patrick Hickey suggested that the Arch-instead of being called the gateway to the West-be labeled the ”entrance to the rat hole.”
The repercussions of a rural senator referring to St. Louis as a ”rat hole” continued to echo throughout the legislative chambers Thursday as the Legislature approved a 6-cent gasoline-tax increase.
The war of words began last week when Sen. John Russell of Lebanon compared spending state money on St. Louis streets to pouring money down a rat hole. He has since apologized and says he was just protesting a provision of the tax bill that would have required the state to maintain several St. Louis city streets.
Ribaudo sported the rat trap to show Russell that he had been caught in one. Although Russell succeeded in removing the provision that required the state to maintain some city streets, the Highway Department agreed to do so anyway.
Ribaudo, who sponsored the amendment, said the city had gotten what it needed-more state help with streets. As Rep. Ron Auer put it: ”We didn`t get the rat. We got a piece of the cheese.”