Halter, Holt clashed on immigration, schools, wages

LITTLE ROCK, AR - In their first debate (9/18/06) , Republican State Senator Jim Holt and Democrat Bill Halter, the statewide candidates for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, met at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Halter and Holt clashed on illegal immigration, prekindergarten classes in public schools and the state's minimum wage. Holt stood firm that marriage should be between a man and woman and that the state shouldn't allow gays to be foster parents. When pressed by Holt on the issue of adoptions by gays, Halter answered "yes" that he favors gays being able to adopt children.

Halter argued that prekindergarten classes and better education overall had a direct effect on wages, that wages are tied directly to the skill of the people earning them. Holt identified that businesses capable of hiring the higher-skilled workers do not come to the state because Arkansas' high taxes give it one of the worst business climates in the nation and that spending another $40 million for more prekindergarten classes adds another burden on the people of Arkansas. Asked if illegal immigrants who have jobs should be allowed to stay in the United States, Holt said no: "Either we are a nation of laws or we are not. What about the other employees of this state, who can't get a high-paying job because illegal immigrants drive down wages?" . Holt supported the majority opinion of Arkansans and was a major legislative opponent of a scholarship program for illegal aliens in Arkansas. Halter and Holt are scheduled to debate again in October. The debate will be aired October 12 on the Arkansas Educational Telecommunications Network.