Conway - Sen. Gilbert Baker, R-Conway, and challenger Joe White, D-Conway, participated in their second debate in as many days Wednesday afternoon, this one held at the University of Central Arkansas by Pi Sigma Alpha, a national honors society for graduate and undergraduate students of political science.

In this debate, the two District 30 State Senate candidates differed more than at Tuesday night's debate, held by the Faulkner County Leadership Institute and hosted by First United Methodist Church.

When asked what, given the recent turmoil that led to the resignation of UCA President Lu Hardin, the legislature could do to provide greater fiscal and ethical oversight and accountability to state-funded Universities, White said he has championed across-the-board "transparent and openness" from the start of his campaign. White, who served 14 years on the UCA Board of Trustees, said that UCA and other universities need to "open the doors and be open in all of our dealings."

"If we do that, we will not have the controversy that we have witnessed," he said, later saying that "transparency will serve this institution and our state well.

"This institution is too important economically and to the education system locally and statewide. We can't afford for this to happen again."

Baker was quick to answer when called upon, saying the solution doesn't require rocket science.

"This controversy has been bad," he said. "The first thing is to enforce the law ... and not monkey around with salary caps; not at Fayetteville with the football coach and not at UCA with the administration."

Enforcing the laws governing University administration, Baker said, will require re-empowering the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board, a board that he said after the debate has been gradually "de-fanged" as unpopular rulings have led to lesser and lesser authority.

When asked what, beyond greater accountability, the legislature could do to help UCA, Baker said more money available for Academic Challenge Scholarships, Governor's Distinguished Scholarships and Gov. Mike Beebe's Go! Opportunities Grant would help both in enrollment and retention, which he said is hindered not only by students unable to make the grades but by those unable to pay tuition as well, "especially in these troubled economic times."

White responded by saying higher-than-ever tuition in the face of rising inflation necessitates more money for scholarships. A potential source of money that White supports, he said, is Lt. Gov. Bill Halter's proposed lottery amendment.

Baker again outlined his stance against a state lottery, arguing that it is a de facto tax on the poor and that money raised for scholarships would likely result in existing scholarship funds being diverted to other uses, resulting in a zero net gain for students.

The candidates were also asked about their views on "sustainable development" within the state. White said he supported incentives for motorists to drive fuel-efficient vehicles, possibly those with gas/electric hybrid drivetrains or the ability to burn high-blend biofuels. Also, he said, incentives for businesses creating and distributing energy from wind, solar or locally-produced compressed natural gas would boost the state's tax base, create jobs and help the state and nation kick "our addiction to imported oil."

Baker agreed, saying he would seek such incentives if elected to another term, but that he couldn't answer as to "how much and in what areas" as "the budget is all about priorities," explaining that a large state expenditure on such incentives would necessarily mean lesser expenditures elsewhere.

The next question concerned keeping graduates in the local economy. White's answer turned into a jab at Baker's support of former Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson. Baker had said earlier in the debate he supported Beebe's $50 million Quick Action Closing Fund, which he said contributed greatly to Conway's landing a Hewlett-Packard facility. But White said his support of Hutchinson, "who called it a kitty and said it would take us back to old-style politics" represented a stance against the fund. White also alluded to the Arkansas Republican Party's financial contributions during Baker's term as party chairman to the Coalition for Arkansas' Future, a so-called "527" political action committee that created attack ads against Beebe and other local and state candidates in 2006.

"Thank goodness that Sen. Baker did not get his way that time," White said.

Baker responded by saying to White: "You've added two and two and got five," and emphasized that "the facts" show that he did support the fund and its intent.

The next question concerned the increasing "dampness" of Conway as more and more restaurants are granted private club permits to serve alcohol.

White said that he would "never want to keep any citizen from expressing their views a the ballot box," but that "the current arrangement is serving us well," and that the ability to buy alcoholic beverages by the glass "has certainly been beneficial to our community."

Baker said he would do more than permit a vote on the issue.

"I adamantly will work for giving citizens a right to vote because it is the right thing," he said, adding the first group petitioning him to effect a vote on the issue was pro-alcohol.

"Then the (Alcoholic Beverage Control) Board issued a few permits and the dry side wanted to vote," he said. "On important issues like this folks should have a right to vote, and I will try to get it to where people will have a chance to vote on this issue."

The questions were selected by Pi Sigma Alpha from among those submitted by UCA staff, faculty and students and read by student moderators Lauren Miller and Bradley Mullins, both Pi Sigma Alpha members.

(By Joe Lamb, Log Cabin Staff Writer.)