State Rep. candidate Pretto opposes RTW, supports raising wages, fixing roads

Jean Pretto, Democratic candidate for state representative in Missouri’s 94^th District in south St. Louis County, has heard the rumor that Republicans in the State Legislature plan to bring “right-to-work” (RTW) up again next year, despite it’s overwhelming rejecting by voters just this past August.

“I’ll fight it with every ounce of strength I have,” says Pretto. “South County was built on the strength of the middle-class working people,” she said. “We’ve got to stick to our roots and fight any attempt to bring RTW back.

“The Prop A vote was a pretty clear message,” Pretto said, “but there’s already talk among some of the legislators that they’ll try to bring it back. We absolutely need the people that came out to vote against Prop A (RTW) in August to come back and finish the job.”

Part of the problem, Pretto says, is with Republican supermajorities in both the state House and Senate, there is little incentive for the majority party to listen to points of view other than their own.

“If we can just balance the power a little bit in Jefferson City, we’ll stand a chance,” Pretto said. “As it stands now, they don’t have to listen to us.”

WHERE SHE STANDS

Pretto supports Amendment 1, the CLEAN Missouri initiative, which would address lobbying, lobbyist gifts and district gerrymandering

She also supports Proposition B, which would gradually raise Missouri’s minimum wage.

“If people don’t earn a decent living, we all lose,” Pretto said. “When people are struggling, that means they’re going to have to look for some kind of support from the state, and they’re not going to be giving back to the community.

“Working poor should not be in our vocabulary in a society like we have in America,” she said. “Some people have to work two or three jobs just to be working poor to decide whether they buy their medicine or food. If we can get the minimum wage up to where everyone earns a decent living, then we all win.”

PROP D FOR TRANSPORTATION

Pretto also supports Prop D, a proposed gas tax to fund transportation infrastructure improvements.

“We’re 49^th out of 50 states in what we do to keep our roads up,” Pretto said. “That’s ridiculous.”

Pretto is endorsed by the South County Labor Legislative Club, the St. Louis Labor Council and the Missouri AFL-CIO.