Hawley and Kunce finally agree to a televised debate. Here’s what we’d like to hear | Opinion

The debate about the debate is finally over. Thank goodness.

After weeks of sniping at each other on social media — and a silly, posturing encounter at the Missouri State Fair — Senator Josh Hawley and his Democratic challenger, Lucas Kunce, have finally agreed to a televised debate. It will be held on Halloween night (no jokes please) and televised on Nexstar Media Group stations across the state, including Fox4 in Kansas City.

That’s the good news. Less satisfying? It takes place just a few days before the Nov. 5 election, after the two-week absentee voting period starts in Missouri. That means a few of the Show-Me State’s voters will cast their ballots before getting a chance to see Hawley and Kunce square off in a face-to-face encounter.

A single, late-stage debate is better than nothing. But it is also less than ideal.

But at least the scheduling kerfuffle is over. Now we can look ahead to the debate itself, and the questions we hope to see both candidates answer. Here are five issues that Hawley and Kunce should address clearly on October 31:

Abortion: Missouri voters will decide the fate of the state’s abortion ban at the polls on Nov. 5. But that won’t be the end of the abortion debate. The next president — and the next Congress — will decide whether federal law protects abortion access or restricts it even further after the fall of Roe v. Wade.

We already know about Hawley’s anti-abortion stance. The question for him is how far he wants to use federal power to restrict reproductive rights: Would he vote for a national abortion ban? Would he back a Republican president’s efforts to use the existing Comstock Act — a little-used 19th century law — to curtail abortion access? As for Kunce, his pro-choice bona fides are clear. What restrictions on abortion, if any, does he think are appropriate?

Immigration: Both men have adopted tough rhetoric on border enforcement. Kunce, perhaps unexpectedly for a Democrat, has tried to outflank Hawley from the right on the issue, pointing to several votes by the senator against several bills that included funding for a border wall and additional agents for the Border Patrol. We’d like to see both men address whether they back Donald Trump’s proposal for a “mass deportation” of millions of undocumented migrants — and whether they’re ready for the disruption to the economy and community life that would result. What levels of immigration are appropriate? And who, exactly, should we be keeping out of the country?

Labor: More than most Republican elected officials, Hawley has embraced pro-worker, pro-union rhetoric — even joining a picket line or two. But he has also opposed federal legislation to protect the right of workers to organize labor unions, saying it would “hurt workers more than it helps.” What federal policies would Hawley embrace to support and protect unions? As for Kunce: Labor union support for Democrats is getting slippery — the Teamsters this week announced they won’t endorse the Kamala Harris campaign. Why does he think that is happening, and how can Democrats back that support?

And how will both men vote on Missouri’s referendum to raise the state’s minimum wage?

Debt: The federal debt is $28 trillion, about the size of the entire American economy. Is this sustainable? If not, how should it be addressed? What taxes should be raised? What programs should be cut?

Democracy: This is the elephant in the room after Hawley’s decision to embrace Donald Trump’s “Big Lie” — that the 2020 election was stolen — helped inspire the Jan. 6 insurrection. Whoever wins Missouri’s race for U.S. Senate will be in Congress the next time it is asked to certify a presidential election. Would Hawley ever vote to certify a Kamala Harris victory? Would Kunce certify a Trump victory? What can be done to restore faith in America’s democratic process?

There are other topics we hope to see covered as well: Ukraine, Gaza, China. The winner of the Hawley-Kunce race will have a lot on their plate over the next six years. The Oct. 31 debate will give us a glimpse of whether they’re prepared.