Candidates competing for the Senate District 9 post outlined their positions on a number of issues when they met Thursday with the Muskogee Phoenix editorial board.

The candidates were quizzed about their support for education funding, economic development, the criminal justice system and taxes. Their responses were similar in some respects, but they parted company on legislative priorities and taxes.

Sen. Earl Garrison, a Muskogee Democrat who is seeking a third term in office, identified refunding public education as his top priority. Barney S. Taylor, his Republican challenger, said public safety — corrections, child welfare and transportation — topped his legislative agenda.

“Education has always been important to me. Public education has made this country what it is,” Garrison said, noting the key to the future is a well-educated population. “We have lost about $200 million in funding ... and I would like to see us try to put that funding back.”

Garrison said funding cuts to public education have gutted the reforms put in place by House Bill 1017, a landmark piece of legislation passed in 1990. The reforms included increased funding for education, smaller class sizes and higher teacher pay among other reforms “that were good for kids” and “good for learning.”

Taylor struggled to narrow down his top legislative priority, saying the state faces too many problems to choose just one. He eventually settled on public safety, citing the strain on corrections, a breakdown in the child welfare system and an aging transportation system as problem areas.

“I think DHS (the Department of Human Services) has reached a point of public safety concern when kids are being killed and the ball’s being dropped,” Taylor said, noting he wasn’t placing any blame. “Where we need to place our priorities is (to look at) what in this state has reached the point where it has become a point of public safety and go from there.”

Garrison and Taylor also differed somewhat on state tax policies. Both candidates argued against cutting the state’s income tax at this time. But they were divided on whether the sales tax on groceries should be abolished.

Garrison favored the proposal, noting he has voted for such a proposal every time it has come up during the past eight years.

“The sales tax impacts everybody, (but) it impacts the people at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder the most,” Garrison said. “There are some people in our community who really struggle because they have to make a choice between buying food, getting their prescriptions filled, or paying for their utilities.”

Taylor said he would be more inclined to eliminate the state income tax than exempting groceries from sales tax collections.

“As far as the poorer segments of society, when you look at the programs they depend on most heavily for food purchases ... those already don’t pay taxes,” Taylor said. “I think we have programs for those people who don’t need the relief.”

Garrison and Taylor will square off Nov. 6 during the general election.

Reach D.E. Smoot at (918) 684-2901 or dsmoot@muskogeephoenix.com.