DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE VISITS CAPE

A Democratic state senator was in Cape Girardeau Tuesday evening to talk with the people he believes will elect him to the U.S. Senate in 1994.

"I believe the candidate who carries the out-state Missouri vote will win the election," said State Sen. Steven Carroll, D-Hannibal. "That is why I started campaigning so early. I want to take the time to listen and understand the viewpoints of the people in these areas.

"I believe I am the only candidate who can win the out-state vote. That's why I'm here."

Carroll is running for the seat which will be vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. John Danforth.

On Tuesday, his campaign trail led to Cape Girardeau, where Carroll explained his philosophy on government and the common man to the Democratic Women's Club.

"I think the U.S. Senate is the greatest forum of democracy in the world," said Carroll. "Where else are you able to discuss and debate public policy that will affect the lives of people throughout the nation?

"I believe I can make a positive difference if elected to the Senate," he said.

Carroll is no political newcomer. He has served in the Missouri House of Representatives for 10 years. He is currently the chairman of the House Civil and Criminal Law Committee and sits on the House Appropriations and Budget committees. He considers himself a moderate-to-conservative democrat.

Carroll sees some serious problems in Washington, D.C.

"It's no longer a question of more government or less government, but what legislators of today need is better governing skills," said Carroll. "I believe many of the elected officials in Washington have lost sight of the needs of people they have been elected to represent.

"I think it's high time we got back to the basics and employed a little common sense," he said.

Carroll said issues of most importance to working-class Americans -- such as health care, crime, trade and deficit reduction -- should not be placed on a back burner while Washington politicians are campaigning for re-election.

"We need to stop playing partisan politics," said Carroll. "It's time to bring government back to the people."

Growing up in what he terms "out-state" Missouri has given Carroll an appreciation for the needs of rural and working-class citizens, he said.

"I understand rural issues and the needs of the farmer and small-town people," said Carroll, who farms 2,000 acres with his father around Hannibal. He also co-owns a certified seed company and practices law.

"The problems in out-state Missouri are just as serious as those experienced by major cities," he said. "There are the matters of agriculture, small businesses, education funding and health-care access which are very important to rural people and must be addressed."

Carroll plans to return to Southeast Missouri before the November 1994 election.