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Reps. Rehder and Swan hope to replace term-limited state senator in southeast Missouri (AUDIO)

August 2, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Two veteran Republican state lawmakers are facing off in a GOP primary on Tuesday in southeast Missouri, hoping to replace term-limited State Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau.

State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, is facing State Rep. Kathy Swan, R-Cape Girardeau. Both chair key committees: Rehder chairs the House Rules Committee, while Swan chairs the House Workforce Development Committee.

State Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, presides over the Missouri Senate on May 15, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Jonathan Lorenz at Senate Communications)

Both GOP primary candidates were elected to the Missouri House in 2012 and are finishing their eighth and final year in the chamber, due to term limits.

The 27th senatorial district has six counties: Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Perry, Scott and Wayne. Cities and towns in the district include Cape Girardeau, Chaffee, Fredericktown, Jackson, Marble Hill and Perryville.

Cape Girardeau County, which has about 79,000 residents, is the largest county in the district.

The winner of the Rehder-Swan primary will face Marquand Democrat Donnie Owens in November.

Representative Swan is focusing her campaign on many issues, including education and workforce.

“I’ve been successful in passing over 30 different pieces of legislation regarding not only education and workforce, but parenting,” Swan says.

Swan describes education as the largest economic driver we have, to support the state itself.

She also says she’s focused on issues that have happened in Cape Girardeau. She notes she passed legislation to keep registered sex offenders out of Cape Girardeau’s Discovery Play House, which is a children’s museum.

Swan also emphasizes the importance of protecting and supporting law enforcement, and the Second Amendment. She is critical of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner for filing felony charges in July against Mark and Patricia McCloskey.

As for Representative Rehder, one of her top priorities is addressing Missouri’s opioid epidemic and passing prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation. Missouri is the only state in the nation without a PDMP, which is an electronic database that collects data on controlled substance prescriptions within a state.

While both the Missouri Senate and House approved PDMP this year, they passed different versions. The bill died on the final day of session in May. Rehder has sponsored the bill for eight years. She notes her daughter was an addict, but is doing well now.

In addition to getting PDMP passed, Rehder says she will focus on reducing the size of government, if elected to the Senate. She says Missouri needs a smaller government, and is opposed to tax increases.

“Push back on these things like the $18 million going to free college for adults. We have got to get back to what government is supposed to do. We need to be more efficient with our monies,” Rehder says.

Rehder also emphasizes the importance of protecting and supporting law enforcement.

During separate phone interviews with Missourinet late last week, Swan and Rehder also criticized each other’s records.

Swan tells Missourinet that she has a record as a small business owner and nurse, while she says Rehder was a lobbyist for 17 years.

“She has skipped 801 votes, she skipped 29 pro-life votes, voted five times no and took money from the human cloning industry,” says Swan.

Swan notes she has been endorsed by Missouri Right to Life. She says she sponsored and co-sponsored seven abortion-related bills and passed two of them.

In response, Rehder notes all legislators miss votes, especially during Senate committee hearings on House bills. Rehder says that Swan has missed hundreds of votes, adding that Swan doesn’t have a record that southeast Missourians want.

“You have me, smaller government, lower taxes,” says Rehder. “You have her, who’s voted for every single tax increase, who sponsored the bill for $18 million going to free college for adults.”

Rehder is referring to Missouri’s “Fast Track” program. It’s primarily taught at community colleges, technical schools and colleges and universities. It is aimed at allowing Missourians to receive advanced training in high-demand areas.

Despite their differences, the two candidates have similar positions on small business, and have called for more jobs in rural Missouri.

Wayne Wallingford serves as the Missouri Senate’s Assistant Majority Floor Leader. He was elected to the Senate in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016.

He also served one term in the Missouri House, after being elected in 2010. Wallingford, who will leave the Senate in December, is running for Representative Swan’s House seat, in Tuesday’s primary.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Kathy Swan, R-Cape Girardeau, which was recorded on July 30, 2020:

https://cdn.missourinet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/bh-kathyswanJuly2020.mp3

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, which was recorded on July 31, 2020:

https://cdn.missourinet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/bh-reprehderJuly2020.mp3

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Business, Crime / Courts, Education, Elections, Health / Medicine, Legislature, News Tagged With: Cape Girardeau, Discovery Play House, Donnie Owens, Education, Fredericktown, Jackson, Marble Hill, Marquand, PDMP, Perryville, Scott City, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, State Rep. Holly Rehder, State Rep. Kathy Swan, State Sen. Wayne Wallingford

Grand jury in southeast Missouri indicts former priest on sodomy charges

March 11, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

(Missourinet Cape Girardeau television partner KFVS contributed to this story)

A retired Roman Catholic priest from southern Missouri has now been indicted by a grand jury in southeast Missouri’s Stoddard County, for alleged sexual abuse of minors.

Retired Roman Catholic priest Frederick Joseph Lutz is arrested on sex-related charges on February 19, 2020 in Springfield (file photo courtesy of Missourinet Cape Girardeau television partner KFVS)

The grand jury has indicted 76-year-old Frederick Joseph Lutz on two counts of forcible sodomy and two counts of deviate sexual assault. This is a superceding indictment, which replaces the original charges filed in February in Stoddard County.

The court has granted Lutz’s request for a change of venue, and the case has now been transferred to Cape Girardeau County. Lutz will be arraigned on March 23, before Judge Benjamin Lewis in Jackson.

The alleged crimes happened in 2000, when Fr. Lutz served at St. Joseph Parish in southeast Missouri’s Advance. The town of about 1,300 is southwest of Cape Girardeau.

The investigation continues.

Stoddard County Prosecutor Russell Oliver has said that Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt discovered the allegations in church documents, during the AG’s clergy abuse investigation. Schmitt’s office referred the allegations to Prosecutor Oliver on January 2.

Oliver has encouraged anyone with information about Lutz to call the Stoddard County Prosecutor’s office at (573) 568-4640.

Lutz has also served at parishes in Jackson, Springfield, Cassville and Lamar, according to Oliver.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Advance, Cape Girardeau County, Cassville, Frederick Joseph Lutz, Jackson, Lamar, missouri attorney general eric schmitt, Springfield, Stoddard County Prosecutor Russell Oliver

Thursday arraignment set for retired Missouri priest charged with sex crimes

February 19, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A retired Roman Catholic priest from southern Missouri is now charged with four sex-related felonies in southeast Missouri’s Stoddard County, involving alleged sexual abuse of minors.

Our Cape Girardeau television partner KFVS reports 76-year-old Frederick Joseph Lutz was arrested Wednesday morning in Springfield, where he now lives. Stoddard County Prosecutor Russell Oliver has charged Lutz with forcible sodomy, two counts of statutory sodomy and one count of sexual abuse.

Retired Roman Catholic priest Frederick Joseph Lutz is arrested on sex-related charges on February 19, 2020 in Springfield (photo courtesy of Missourinet Cape Girardeau television partner KFVS)

Lutz is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning at 9 at the Stoddard County Courthouse in Bloomfield, before Judge Joe Satterfield. Bond for Lutz has been set at $125,000 cash-only.

Mr. Oliver announced the arrest and charges on Wednesday, saying the alleged crimes happened between January and February of 2000, when the priest served at St. Joseph Parish in southeast Missouri’s Advance.

Advance, which is a town of about 1,300 residents, is southwest of Cape Girardeau.

The probable cause statement says Lutz allegedly abused at 17-year-old male at the priest’s residence in early 2000, after asking him to drink alcohol with him. Court documents say the 17-year-old declined and tried to leave, but that Fr. Lutz blocked his exit and allegedly forced the teen to have oral sex with him.

The court documents also describe an alleged incident that happened in 1972 in Cape Girardeau County, involving a 17-year-old male who worked a summer job at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cape.

The Stoddard County investigation is ongoing.

Prosecutor Oliver says Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt discovered the allegations in church documents, during the AG’s clergy abuse investigation. Schmitt’s office referred the allegations to Stoddard County prosecutors on January 2.

Missourinet spoke to Attorney General Schmitt in late October in Jefferson City, and he noted his office was close to completing 12 referrals of former clergy members across the state for potential criminal prosecution.

The Lutz case is one of those 12 cases. Schmitt noted in October that the 12 referrals are more than any other state attorney general. Attorney General Schmitt issued a statement to Missourinet on Thursday.

“Following our investigation into clergy abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Missouri, a referral was made to the Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney about allegations of abuse against retired priest Frederick Lutz. We’re please to see that the case has been initiated and charges have been filed by the Stoddard County Prosecutor’s Office following that referral. While this may not provide much solace to victims, these charges represent the next crucial steps in holding abuses accountable for their actions. Any victims who wish to come forward to report abuse from Lutz should contact the Stoddard County Prosecutor’s office at (573) 568-4640,” Schmitt’s statement reads.

Schmitt says his office reviewed every available personnel record of every priest serving in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and the Diocese of Jefferson City, dating back to 1945.

As for Prosecutor Oliver, he notes the Stoddard County investigation revealed multiple victims, and emphasizes the investigation continues.

He encourages anyone with information about Lutz to call the Stoddard County Prosecutor’s office at (573) 568-4640.

Lutz has also served at parishes in Springfield, Cassville, Jackson, Oran and Lamar, according to Oliver.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Advance, Bloomfield, Jackson, missouri attorney general eric schmitt, Oran, Retired priest Frederick Joseph Lutz, Springfield, St. Joseph Parish, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau, Stoddard County Prosecutor Russ Oliver



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