Candidates at odds on issues in District 147 state rep. race

Republican state Rep. Kathy Swan and Democratic challenger Renita Green disagree on everything from how to draw legislative districts to medical marijuana.

Swan of Cape Girardeau, who was first elected to the District 147 House seat in 2012, is seeking her fourth, two-year term in the Nov. 6 election.

Renita Green

Swan, who formerly served on the Cape Girardeau City Council and the local school board, wants to repeal the prevailing-wage law, and opposes the �Clean Missouri� initiative that would change how legislative districts are drawn in the state and all three ballot measures to legalize the use of medical marijuana.

Green, who pastors St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Cape Girardeau and also works as a property manager, favors the prevailing-wage law, backs the Clean Missouri measure and supports Amendment 2, one of the statewide measures to allow the use of medical marijuana.

Swan supports the gas-tax-increase measure on the ballot, which would provide a dedicated funding stream for the Missouri State Highway Patrol and more money to cities and counties for road and bridge projects.

Green said she is undecided about the measure, which would raise the fuel tax by 10-cents a gallon, spread over the next four years.

�I am concerned about low-wage earners who tend to drive less fuel-efficient vehicles. They will definitely feel the impact of a 10-cent per gallon increase,� she said.

Green added she is concerned two-thirds of the tax increase would go to the highway patrol when the state needs money to repair roads and bridges.

Swan and Green also differ on what is the biggest challenge facing state government.

Swan said the biggest challenge annually is the constitutionally required task to adopt a balanced budget.

Green said the top challenge is poverty.

�I believe that we must attract industries paying a livable wage with life-sustaining benefits,� she said.

Green and Swan discussed their views in emailed responses to a Southeast Missourian candidates� questionnaire.

Swan, who owns JCS Wireless telecommunications company, said the prevailing-wage law �significantly increases� the cost of construction for public projects and prevents local governments from using tax dollars efficiently.

�Very often, the �prevailing� wage is not the actual wage rate that prevails in a city or county. With fewer employers reporting wages, the prevailing wage rate often defaults to a much higher rate paid in a larger metropolitan area, inflating the cost of the project,� Swan said.

But Green said �losing highly trained and skilled workers to communities that pay a fair wage will cost Missouri more than we will save.�

Swan said she opposes Amendment 1, the Clean Missouri measure, because she doesn�t want to change the existing, �transparent, bipartisan process� for drawing legislative districts.

Swan said �instead of a volunteer citizen committee, this measure would place the bulk of the responsibility� on a demographer hired by the state auditor. Such a move would increase �the potential for the practice of gerrymandering, which benefits only one political party,� she said.

The ballot measure also would impose limits on campaign contributions and lobbyist gifts, and require legislative records and proceedings to be open to the public.

Green, who is making her first run for public office, said she supports the ballot issue because it would result in a �less partisan approach to drawing districts.�

Green added she supports limiting campaign contributions.

�Political campaigns should not be won or lost based upon who raises the most money. ... We should win or lose based upon our ability to serve our communities,� she said.

Green said she favors use of medical marijuana. She said it is a natural product that has health benefits and �can be the answer to many prayers.�

But Swan said she opposes all three ballot measures because they would allow �marijuana to be smoked and place too much authority in state government for rules and regulations.�

Swan said she would only consider allowing medical marijuana if it does not involve smoking and is prescribed by a physician.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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