A Madison County board member wondered aloud Wednesday night why a full-time county employee should be able to serve as a state senator at the same time.

Mick Madison didn’t mention Kris Tharp by name, but the Wood River native is currently a captain with the sheriff’s department and the 56^th district senator. The Democrat is running for the senate seat in November against Republican Erica Harriss.

The state’s attorney’s office researched the topic and found nothing illegal.

Civil division chief Emily Nielsen responded to Mick Madison’s inquiry:

In other matters at the county board’s October meeting:

Members gave approval for the sheriff’s department to buy 89 body cameras and software for its law enforcement officers and authorized the county health department to buy a variety of vaccines from three different drug companies.

Also, Dave Wilson was approved to fill the remainder of David Fleetwood’s term on the St. Louis Regional Airport board, lasting through May 2027.