Former MO state lawmaker charged with misdemeanor DUI

(AP) A state lawmaker-turned-labor judge is facing a misdemeanor charge after his arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that former state Rep. Kevin Elmer was issued a criminal summons last month. Charging documents say Elmer was stopped in July after Nixa police received a report that someone was driving over curbs and through grass. Police say Elmer called the arresting officer ``dumb'' and used profanities. Testing showed Elmer's blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit.

Elmer's attorney, Joe Passanise, said in a statement issued Monday that Elmer ``truly regrets his past actions.'' The Nixa Republican served in the Missouri House from 2011 to 2015. He was appointed in 2017 to his current position as an administrative law judge at the state Department of Labor.