FIREFIGHTERS BACK ALTHAUS FOR MISSOURI SENATE

The Missouri Council of Firefighters has endorsed Rick Althaus for state senate.

The Cape Girardeau Democrat is running for the 27th District senate seat in Southeast Missouri.

John Corbett, president of the firefighters, said the group endorsed Althaus because incumbent Republican Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau has pushed legislation that it feels would adversely affect firefighters.

But Kinder said the real reason for the endorsement is that Althaus supports collective bargaining for public employees.

"He is comfortable supporting unionizing state government," Kinder said.

Kinder opposes the idea.

Althaus has talked of including a no-strike clause in any collective-bargaining bill.

But Kinder said that in other states that have such a provision, illegal strikes frequently occur.

"This is the wrong step to take for Missourians and it is a clearly defining issue in this race," he said.

Corbett said Kinder, as part of workers compensation reform, has tried to deny firefighters injured in the line of duty one legal route of recovery.

He also said legislation favored by Kinder would have granted immunity to corporations for toxic hazards created by allowing them to hide certain evidence from civil, criminal and administrative proceedings.

The latter could have increased the risk to firefighters battling fires at some industrial or toxic waste sites, he said.

Kinder defended his efforts to reform workmen's compensation laws and disagreed with Corbett's interpretation of the bill.

As to the environmental audit, Kinder said that currently a company can audit itself as to compliance with government regulations in an effort to correct any problems.

But government agencies can use that information to take action against the company, said Kinder.

He said it isn't right for government agencies to go after companies who are trying to comply with environmental regulations.

"My bill says we ought to encourage good-faith efforts to comply and protect the environment," Kinder said.