SENATE OPPONENTS SQUABBLE OVER EDUCATION ISSUE CLAIMS

DEXTER, Mo. -- Much like the new school year itself, the political battle over who is the bigger supporter of public education is just getting started.

The latest volley was fired Monday afternoon by state Sen. Jerry Howard (D-Dexter) who said that not only was his earlier criticism of Republican opponent Bill Foster of Poplar Bluff warranted, but he now has cause to further press issue of education support.

Howard fired back at Foster, who a day earlier accused the senator of supporting collective bargaining for teachers -- long a contentious issue in the Missouri Legislature. Foster's comment came during a response to what he claimed was Howard's distortion of the GOP legislator's record on education issues.

The Democrat senator flatly rejected Foster's claim of distortion. "What he is doing could not even be called a distortion of my record. He is just making things up," Howard said, referring to Foster's comment that the senator had supported collective bargaining. "I have a solid record opposing collective bargaining for teachers; I stand by that record. I challenge Mr. Foster to produce any final vote or any public statement where I have supported collective bargaining for teachers. I believe and have always believed that teachers should be in the classroom, not on the picket line." As for Foster's assertion that Howard was less than honest in criticizing the Republican's record on education issues, Howard replied: "Everything we said was factual. We furnished everybody with copies of the votes to back up what we said." Kevin Gallagher, Howard's campaign manager, said claims won't be made by the Democrat that aren't firmly grounded. "We just flat out aren't going to say something and not be able to say 'Here's the record,'" Gallagher said.