Editors note: This story has been modified based upon a later conversation with Senator Pyle,  who provided additional clarification between his campaign and the debate committee. 

(KNZA)--It's an issue that might be dubbed Debate Gate, as candidate forum organizers, and those arranging appearances by local Republican candidates, fail to reach terms required by the Republicans. 

Alleging political bias on the part of the proposed moderator, Royal Valley Middle School social studies instructor Nate McAlister; and citing signed criteria despite non fulfillment of all 10 conditions, the Republican Team Debate Committee has not yet agreed to recommend a Jackson County area student arranged debate to its candidates, including 1st District Senator Dennis Pyle(Play Audio) 

That was Pyle's response when we asked for comment on the matter. 

Debate committee chairman Rick Wright, in an email to this news department, states that the forum was one the committee wanted and still wants to recommend to the candidates. The standstill, he writes, is due to the forum's organizers refusal to honor the criteria they agreed to, and their apparent unwillingness to use someone other than McAlister as the moderator.  

The criteria referred to comes down to the 9th condition outlined by the debate committee which states that federal candidates, or their surrogates, must be invited to any forum being considered by the debate committee.  Wright has stated, in past email conversations, that all 10 conditions must be met prior to the committee accepting a forum or debate 

In his latest email, regarding the Jackson County high school student debate, Wright says the committee would be satisfied to recommend attendance if the races for Congress and State Representative are included, and an unbiased individual is selected as moderator. 

The committee's questions regarding McAlister's bias began last week, based  on an interview he gave to this news department in which he said(Play Audio)      

At the time of the interview, McAlister was working to promote the student's involvement in arranging the debate and was working with preliminary details, unclear on the specific differences between Pyle's campaign and the debate committee. Pyle continues to question McAlister's intent,and says, quote: "To say "looking into it" is to suggest that it was a decision I was making and I was considering it. The truth as you clearly know, my campaign was never considering it, the debate committee was, and my campaign never conveyed in writing or verbally anything other than that fact." 

Following the original allegations made by the debate committee regarding McAlister's bias, they now cite a post he placed on Facebook. 

It was Saturday night, after learning that the committee did not accept the original offer to attend, that McAlister posted on the Facebook page of Pyle's challenger, Steve Lukert. 

In the post, which was in response to one made by Lukert regarding the debate issue, McAlister wrote, quoted in full: "Pyle just backed out of the Jackson County High School Student led and student run debate set for October 10. The reason, good old #9.” 

In mentioning number 9, McAlister is obviously referring to the 9th condition of the Debate Committee's criteria. Pyle, for his part, says he did not back out, saying, quote: "Isn't accepting a debate a pre-requisite to backing out of a debate? The fact, as you know, was that the committee was considering this debate, and I had made no decision, awaiting their recommendation."

Although the debate committee leaves open, according to Wright's email, the possibility of renegotiating, an official response from the organizers of the student forum has not yet been released.