be -- we need to make sure we have adequate funding for all of the state and not just the areas up north. >> moderator: education? >> it's an f also. we're failing in achievement, we're failing in graduation rates, and we are promoting common core, which is using our kids as a experiment and it detracts and takes away now responsibility from teachers, parents, or school districts. >> moderator: the law enforcement grade was? >> law enforcement would be a c. >> just for the record, that was 590-second response. >> moderator: all right. 30 seconds. >> anyone who would disthe fact that 59% of their citizens has health insurance coverage has to be someone who has good health insurance coverage for themes and their family. a disproportionate number of people on medicaid and they're hard working families and

deserve aclu to health care -- access to health care. it's changing the lives of hundred of thousands and i'm proud of it. >> and thank you, washington, dc, for making it happen. >> moderator: representative richardson during a meeting, one of of medford's major employers stated how difficult it is for employees who could pass preemployment drug tests. >> we have to have governor who will focus on removing the barriers that have caused so much depression and so much poverty on people that we have such high drug utilization. we have to make sure workers have a good education, opportunity for jobs and hope for the fewer. right now so many feel hopeless, feel in despair and turn to drugs. we need to ensure that they do not have to have that kind of despair and my message to them

is, if you feel in despair, will give you hope for a future. i if you feel depressed there is a chance for the future if we make a change leadership. missouri modded 60 seconds. >> are. >> moderator: 60 seconds. >> we need to connect kids through real contrary experiences, through shop, riding code and computer science. that we can do. the root problem happens much, much earlier and one investment in coordinated care organizations and covering people with health care and early learning hubs are providing the resources to families and christian -- and christian who are struggling and the vast majority of some type of drug or alcohol or substance abuse. and the kid reflect the environment in which they grow up. we can reverse this problem by getting at the root cause, not treating the symptoms. is it a real problem? absolutely. have we nut place policy and

strategies and funding to address it, we have, and we gleed to continue those investments in early learning and child development and reconnect kids in school with real life career experience. >> we're talking as if we're both running for the first time. this governor have's inphone three terms. he finally found out we need to support enemy health and provide help for adolescents adolescent. the despair people are in are a result of the failed policies of this governor. we need to provide opportunities for them to break the addition, to break the cycle of poverty and that's going to require new hope for education, for employment, and for opportunity, and we should not have to have someone get a fourth term to finally get that right. >> moderator: governor, rural counties in oregon are facing extreme difficulty providing law enforcement to its citizens. overfind county is referred to as the wild, wild west. >> it's not an easy issue.

part of it is these counties have a very low tax rate, far below the rest of the state, and i think some local effort is important for them to provide resources for their own law enforcement. secondly, the state police have been providing backup for these rural counties, and we need to increase the budget for the oregon state police substantially if we're going to provide that service as well. long term it's an economic problem. we need to create jobs and economic activity that brings revenue into the counties. the work we're doing on the onc act, i'm before meeting regular live we senators for a markup on i believe november 17th on a bill. hopefully will provide two things. one, some clear and sustainable timber yields for this area, some predictable flow of resources to counties that will happen subsidize the law enforcement, and finally, some conservation gains and modifying the able to use transportation

funds for law enforcement without having to repay those is not short-term step we can take. >> moderator: 60 seconds. >> the problem we have with employment and low tax rates and depression in josephine county is the result of failed policies about our timber, our whole all liesation of the natural resource. in the '90s decisions were being made as to what was going to happen with our federal lands and our own sea lands. we have lost 40,000 timber jobs. where was the governor? was he fighting? was he in d.c. fighting for this? no, wringing his hands and hoping that congress will give him some money. you have defazio, some raider and walden will. widen's bill. they compete but nothing is gets done. it's all talk. we need a governor who will align with other western governors go back to d.c. and make it an issue, an issue as to who is going to manage our federal forests. we have 53% of our land mass

controlled by the federal government. i they've broken their trust and we need a representative to make that a national issue and that's not happening with our current governor. >> moderator: 30 second. >> we're both working on the onc act and i'm in the incoming chairman for the western governors association and my top priority will be u.s. forest service renewal because of process of setting up sales in the u.s. forest service is antiquated, joust dated and dot not provide the certainty we need to provide a responsible level of harvests for local mills and local economies, while reserving the very important conservation and environmental values that are also very, very critical to the tourism industry in this area and i think to americans. >> next question to you, rippedtive. public schools are battling for funding on extracurricular activities, music, art, sports. what would you do to help

reenergize the programs. >> we need to make education a top priority in deed not just in word. except for the win time i was co-chair of the ways and means, education is funded at the end of the session with whatever is lift and if there's not enough money, one party says to the other you must hate children if you won't allow tax increases. we should fund education first we did that one time in 2011 when i was co-chair. we need to make sure there's adequate funding for our top priority. the governor has an insatiable appetite for money. >> funding education is not a policy. it's a gimmick. doesn't increase the amount of money in education and leaves us with the question what you going to fund in the social services to get kids ready for school. we increased funding by a

billion dollars and we're taking steps in the healthcare field that will free up significant resources for investment in education. a million oregonians are in a model that is growing and state employees are in the statement model and we expect those who get their coverage into that mix. the state will be purchasing for 1.3 million people. by 2019 that can eliminate the structural budget deficit we had since bowllet measure 5, and we can actually have structural budgetary increase. that's real money that is general fund dollars and resource that can be pimped right back into the enterprise of education. mo. >> moderator: representative. >> the answer had nothing to do with the question. he says that we are going to have this balanced budget. in the '90s he proposed the oregon healthcare plan.

it was way more than expensive than he said and we had to raise taxes. there's a bill dollar hole currently sitting in the 2015-17 budget we have to face next session, and a billion and a half dollar hole in the 2017-19. it's to be determined. because we don't know where the money is coupling from. >> moderator: necessary question. at a february 24th legislative hearing you voiced support requiring background checks for private party gun sales you. called the bill an unreasonable step that shows oregon is being serious about keeping felons from obtaining guss. representative richardson send an e-mail to three oregon superintendents that read in part, quote, if i'd been a teacher of a principle at the sandy hook elementary school and the school district did not preclude me from having access to a firearm, most of the murdered children would still be alive and the gunman would be

dead and not by suicide. where are you both on guns in school. >> schools are not the place for firearms, period. i just don't believe we need to go there. shouldn't go trip. do support expanded background checks. i think it makes sense to keep firearm us out the hands of people who shouldn't happen them, people who are mentally unstable, records of felonies. i also think there should be some accountability for parents whose children gain access to their guns and commit a crime. those are very reasonable and important steps but i think the issue of school safety goes way beyond that. whenever there is a school shooting, state, local, and national press descend and controversy it in a sensational way ask then disappear. hasn't been anything written about the reynolds shooting for months. we need to have an ongoing conversation about identifying kids who are at risk in the community early and providing them and their family support. we do that through early

learning hubs and through coordinated care organizations. we need a pro-active policy, not just reactive. part of is background checks. >> the issue of school violence is so important to us. i wrote the i'm people and a newsletter that dealt with the fact that sandy hook was doing all of the things schools are supposed to do it was locked down. they taught their kids the teachers how to isolate kids and yet the death rate was astounding. it's not right when the only person who is armed on a campus happens to be a perpetrator of mass violence. my suggestion is school districts ought to consider whether it would be -- have retired law enforcement or retired military to have concealed carry on school grounds. it's for parents and teachers to decide. background checks are important. we need to make sure we do not put gun tuesday the hands of those who are mentally unstable or because of their background,

felonies and so forth, not prepared to have -- should not have a gun. mental health funding is the crucial thing weapon need to have funding for mental health for adolescents so we can discover them before they act out. >> i think there's a difference between a public safety officer having a gun on campus and the -- that was a quick 15 seconds -- and an armed teacher. fundamental different issue. but again, i think we have to have as a community and society, larger discussion about gun safety, and i really do think it starts, and i agree in the mental health side of it. you have to put resources, time, and energy into funding those kinds of services and those are the kind of services that get left out if you simply fund education first. so it's fortunate be reactive and more important to be pro-active. >> moderator: in the question. you're quoted as saying, my

views on some of the social issues are different from others but as governor i would take an oath tone force the will of the people, unquote. so what about a woman's right to choose and gay marriage? you second biggest donation is from oregon right to life. >> it's true but the up in one contributors to my campaign are three pro choice women that are very much supportive of me because they trust that i will help our economy, and make things right and that it'll keep my promise that the social issues are not part of this campaign. the governor is trying to make it that way. quotes things said 25 years ago. about what is important is we realize that it's about our economy, it's about jobs, it's about education system, and restoring trust to governor's office, and as far as the social issues are concern, it is my promise that i will honor the will of the people. those things have been decided. good. i'm glad they're decided. now let's focus on those things that are of lasting meaning for the future of our state. >> i do think that the question

of a women's right to choice, whether oregonians can marry the person they love, whether to welcome immigrant children, those are important issues to a lot of people and speck to values and legitimate in this campaign and we should look at them. i disagree with the representative's defense that it if the people have spoken he will honor the law. this state voted several times in an effort to restrict the woman's right to choice and they -- representative introduced bills to restrict a woman's right to choose. i think they're legitimate issues certainly not the only issues but they're issues very important to the women in this state and i think the right for couples to marry the person they love. it's about us all being in this together, embracing all oregonians and striving towards equity and opportunity and i believe that that's what i

intend to do. >> representative, would this not affect user decisionmaking if elected governor. >> not going be a part of the agenda while i'm governor. we're going to be focusing on our economy, on jobs, on education and restoring trust and accountability in the governor's office. these issues relating to the social issues have been decided, and when i asked in the last debate, what i'd say to a gay couple, i'd say, congratulations. it has been done. i i believe in free agency. we have had the exercise of discussion. now we have made a determination on that point, and we do not need to spend pore time or effort. i certainly won't be folk coasted on it as governor. >> what are your greatest strengths and weaknesses as a leader. please remember part of the question includes weaknesses. >> good. let's start there. i think in the past, particularly my first term as governor, i was the 91st 91st legislator. i didn't appreciate the power of this office is not in

micromanaging the legislature, it's engaging people outside the building and investigating an agent. i think strength involves experience. this is a job where understanding historically where the state has been, having legislative experience as well as bag presiding officer for eight years, and having served eight terms as governor, gives you a range of experience and a wealth of knowledge and understanding that can serve this state well. when i was elected in 20, this state was more polarized than you can acknowledge after the fight over 66 and 67, and actually brought the state back together, faced some tough problems together, have not torn the state apart and that's because of leadership experience and that's one of my assets and i'm hoping the voters will take that into consideration. >> moderator: strengths and weaknesses. >> strengths, thers in spend in the army in vietnam as a

helicopter "loot taught me lessons' life, about people, about myself. becoming a lawyer and putting myself through college was a human challenge. when we were newly wed, we were poor. we put ourselves through school. we had four little kids when we came out and it was huge challenge. but we learned through the hard time -- if on lawyer for 40 years. the experience is valuable to the state because i have on one client, the citizens of our stake. as far as weaknesses, i'm too focused, a workaholic, and a perfectionist, and i've been told, you want certain people to be a perfectionist you. want your can't, your stock broker and your lawyer to be perfectionists. you want things to be done right but sometimes that can be a bit trying for those working with you. >> you have 30 seconds. >> i think that was a great answer. i don't have rebuttal. i also think people want their doctor to be a perfectionist.

>> representative, richardson, give us an example when as a legislator your constituency was completely against what you felt was best but you accepted that and voted with them. >> would you repeat the question. >> an example when as a legislator your constituency was completely against what you felt was best but a you accepted that and voted with them. >> i don't have an instance i can give because i believe that representative democracy is such that you're not taking a poll just to determine which way the winds are blowing. you elect someone you trust and explain why he or she has voted the way they have and by having my newsletter, i've done just that. i promised people i would not just show up during a campaign and when you wanted contributions. so i kept my constituency aware of my positions and why i voted

the way i have to explain what has gone on. if i had to have one i would say i voted in favor of the columbia river crossing bridge because governments do bridges. we didn't get the bridge. we got a go it alone strategy and that is a different issue. i guess in that one instance my constituency probably would have been saying, why would you vote for a bridge in portland when it's not going to the us here and the answer is because it would be best for the whole state to have commerce and commuters make the crossing. >> when i was state representative for dog laws -- douglas county. one bill, a mild bill by today's standards, wildly up pop floor doug labor and it vote because i thought it was the right thing to do an issue after basic human rights. i have been a strong supporter of oregon's land uoo -- land use

program. i think that while it has flawed it has protected our ability to fun and run forest operations, which is central to the state as a whole. my belief is that leadership is about leading. it's not necessarily about agreeing with your constituents but haven the courage to differ with. the and explain why you did it and after both votes i was returned to office by the voters they've didn't agree -- they didn't agree with me but respected the courage of spoking out for my own views and values and explaining it to hem. >> what the governor has failed to mention is what he did are fast are capital punishment is concerned. the majority of the state voted for us to have capital punishment when yaw have egregious, vicious murderers, they should not be allowed to live. he didn't mention that when he was running for office in 2010 but after he gets in, he says i

adopt agree with that, and regardless of the fact that the people of the state ruled one way, i'm going to let my own feelings and philosophies overpower and overrule what the people have said. i think that's contrary to what the oath is of a governor. >> next question for you, governor kitzhaber. what do you feel is the biggest single issue facing economic development in oregon? >> i think it's probably work force. we have an abundance of open jobs in the state. we have an aging industrial work force. if you -- welding jobs coming open, the average work-for-is in the mid-50s, so there are great jobs out there just not filling them. only 26 schools in oregon teach computer programming programmine 8500 developing jobs out there. we're making sure that kids are ready to learn when they get to school. get the pipeline moving without having to go to remediation so kidding can enter high school

with a set of skills and knowledge base and fortunate reconnect kid with the world of work, one of to goals and pathways of the investment board, a priority in my budget i'll prepare and present on december 1st. >> 60 second, representative. >> there's not just one, it's kind of a combination. education is certainly important because we have people graduating -- kids coming out of high school, whether they drop out graduate, and they're not prepared for a career or college. that's a failing. we have natural resources of or state not being utilized. it's a crying shame when he wave all these forests and we can't even harvest them and replant like we have done for generations in the past. it's a legacy for our state, and we sit and watch our economy and our environment good up in smoke. what we need to have is also to take advantage of our current opportunities. right now, in coos bay, there is

a liquid natural gas plant that is $7.5 billion of approval. investment, create a thousand jobs for construction and over 100 jobs ongoing, and would revitalize that entire region. congressman defast yoenis favor of it, senator widen is in favor of it but the governor is neutral, not moving it ahead, not promoting those areas where we can create jobs for oregonians. >> our natural resource industries face the same challenge. we talked about hails farms, both extremely successful agricultural operations. they hungry for a work force. they cannot fill jobs. not just entry level but high-tech, welders, computer programmers. so comps back to work force and that goes across sectors, whether that's the heavy industry or agricultural and forty. >> representative, as we all know the state of oregon spent more than $250 million on the

healthcare web site that was a complete failure. governor, what responsibility should the voters assign to you nor failure, and representative richardson, what responsibility should voters assign to the legislate your for failure. [speaking in native tongue] questions? >> you want me to repeat it? >> start my time over. >> we'll start your time when you start talking. what. >> tremendous amount. the governor is a ceo of the state and he was around -- i personally wrote him two letters and talked to him permanently about the fact that we had a quality assurance team that said this is going to faithful you don't take action. that in september of 2012. he took no action inch november we lost four seats. i was demoted from my position and the legislature came in, in the following session, and eliminated the oversight committee for the project. and so now you don't have the executive paying any attention to the program no do you have

the legislature. it was a identify wasco. there should have been oversight by both sides and there was oversight by neither. there was plenty of plame -- blame to go around but the governor should have had go, no-go positions on the way to the october date instead of just trusting it's not going to work minding out and telling the media he didn't know about it until after the date it started. >> governor. >> so, voters should hold me accountable for the failure of the web site, period. representative richardson sent me a letter in september, and he sent me another letter in sent, congratulating us on addressing the problems he raised and that happened over and over again. we were all getting the same action and all assured this is going to work, until i didn't. i assume full responsibility this happened on my watch. but i also took responsibility for fixing it.

we downside -- downsized cover oregon and what was wasted were the dollar wes had to spend on the manual piece of that and we'll recover those successfully when we conclude the lawsuit that the attorney general filed with oracle. >> 30 seconds to respond. >> it's all talk. this is ridiculous. realize that he knew it didn't -- wasn't going to work but he failed to take action after he was warped. -- warned. ...

if you don't have the resources you are not going to get into a home. i will give you specific suggestions. we have the benefit tax code when people began to get more money they start using employment daycare which is important for a single mother. somebody moving from $9 an hour to $11 an hour has an effective marginal tax rate of 150% so they have less money in their pocket. so fixing that will create a system in which a raise result in more money in your pocket and it's absolutely essential. the kind of jobs that are going to empty oregon are good middle income jobs with benefits jobs that allow people to get ahead

and not just get by when he did figure out how to connect their students in high school today and out of work people with those jobs that are out there and make it a top priority. >> moderator: 60 seconds. >> the governor has a great idea. when he took over in leadership at the state 22nd in the nation in per-capita income and now we are 33rd. we make $9000 less in oregon as a worker than the state of washington does just on the other side of the columbia river. we have one in five that are on food stamps. we have a failure in dealing with the lack of jobs in a vibrant economy. that is what's needed to buy homes and to make that happen we need to change the way we are doing. we need to remove the barriers that we have to prevent opera to have to prevent entrepreneurs and innovators and inventors from going from small businesses

from growing from selling our products to other nations and other states. we need to expand our economy create jobs and by doing that we will have people that will be in a position to have the american and oregon dream which presently they don't. >> moderator: 30 seconds. weiland: -- creating a -- will not create more jobs. lots of the next question for representative richardson immigration if you are present where would you want to go? richardson: if i were president of the united states i would first ensure that we have a border because it makes no sense for us to allow anyone who wants to come across our southern border into this country to be able to come in.

it could be a terrorist and now they can be bringing diseases that are in the 21 day period. the chances of us being harmed because of an open border are tremendously risky. i believe we should do that and we should also have the program to help those who want to come here and work to be able to do that to do it legally. we shouldn't have immigrants coming here. we are all immigrants if you go back farda. it's about doing it legally. that's the challenge. those that are here that are citizens or that of a green card and playing by the rules should be rewarded. we shouldn't be making special arrangements for those that come here illegally barely because we think that would be the best for some other reason. kitzhaber: if i were president i would try to find a pathway to citizenship for undocumented americans who are working in the state. if he took off and documented oregonians out of the state tomorrow a large portion of our agricultural injured -- industry would collapse including this

count and the valley so i think it's important to have a real grown-up conversation about providing a pathway to citizenship in the united states and working hard at raising their children. secondly we do need a border but i think the money we are spending on the border is like the war on drugs which didn't work. it seems to me those resources should be spent trying to create pathways to success for children in this country who need a much better outcome. richardson: years ago there was a clip -- cliff and people fell off the cliff and i kept getting hurt. one solution was let's have an ambulance sitting at the bottom of the cliff in the other one when we put a fence across the top of that cliff to prevent them from falling and that's what we need to do with our border. we need to have a fence. other countries don't just allow anyone to come in anytime they want and provide for them and do all of those things. we need to have and i agree with the governor on this we need to

have a path to citizenship but it needs to be a law that will be supported by the people in any city based on those here legally in the past for those that aren't too not be ahead of those that are here. >> moderator: governor would he think the potential impact of marijuana legalization would have on her state and what message would it send to children and young adults? richardson: i guess being a father i think the message it sends is what's the big deal and that's a troubling message. i don't support the message. i was around in the 60s and then do what marijuana is. what we need is a better framework of education and public safety of law enforcement and public health which we don't. we simply don't have a place today. it makes much more sense to recognize this is in fact a drug unlike alcohol. we have colorado and washington

out there and they have experiences that we should learn from. then we should put in place a framework for if and when the drug is legalized in the state of oregon. for example it's not a breathalyzer test. the blood test. the state police crime lab which is understaffed so their questions out there and not a message we should send to young oregonians is what's the big deal? richardson: i have 31 grandkids and i'm concerned about them and concerned about all the children and grandchildren in oregon. i believe we are making a mistake by pressing this at this time could read to learn from experiences of the washington and colorado before we dive into the deep water that they have dealt and before we know what's underneath the surface. i've talked to law enforcement advisers and officers in washington state who say they doubled the arrest under the

influence and they said it takes two hours because they can't do a breathalyzer test. they have to go to a hospital get a warrant into a blood test to determine whether or not there is marijuana in the system. we are not finished with this. as the governor if it passes i will enforce it. i will let plummeted because that will be the will of the people and i think would be wise not to go down this path if we as voters would choose a better course for kids and grandkids. kitzhaber: i agree substantially. >> moderator: she has what we do as governor to make eastern oregon via overall success in the state? richardson: first of all the question implies a reality. right now oregon feels like the governor doesn't care about them and they don't feel they're part of the state. they think the governor represents the i-5 corridor from eugene north and they are right. what we can do to change this is

to have a governor who will be where they are added and i've i've made a promise as governor i will be in every county every year. senator wyden is a good example of matt and i think that's an appropriate thing to do. i will meet with him or have town hall meetings regularly and use the media in a way that hasn't been used before, social media and otherwise. i will use my newsletter expanding from its current point in 20,000 subscribers to 700,000 send information out on key issues that are facing our state to all of the state and get their input before we implement new reforms. we shouldn't just pass laws to live with the unintended consequences. we should get input from the people so we pass laws by and for the people. >> moderator: governor. kitzhaber: we have to productively engage them in their problem so we have worked with the blue mob and partners in east oregon.

they are adding jobs and adding jobs in the grant. we started the juniper project which creates jobs by taking out habitat to prevent the sage grouse from the -- being listed. we are working in the umatilla and the columbia river to actually increase the withdrawal of water from the river during peak flows to have it available for water recharge and agriculture in fish when it's needed. we have worked with our community solutions team and cumbersome to increase affordable housing which is one of their big obstacles to bring in the workforce that we need. so i mean i think you do it by leading and the people over there and roll up your sleeves and saddam and the people and solve problems. at the long list of achievements that we have done together and i think they feel a lot more

included in oregon today than they did four years ago. >> moderator: 30 seconds. richardson: he takes credit for keeping one male keeping one melbourne and they don't have a consistent source of blogs. we have lost 115 -- eastern oregon needs access. they need water. i propose that we study and work to have a freeway from krusbe two birds to ontario. let's open up the coastline in a rational way. it will cost a lot of money and it will be a federal state partnership that will take 10 to 20 years to make it happen but if we don't start with one never get there. >> moderator: unfortunate that concludes the debate portion of our program and it's time for closing statements. representative. richardson: least to be proud in oregon. good jobs, high incomes, educated workforce, natural beauty the pioneer spirit. sadly this governor has made our

state and national joke. scandals, waste, coverups, investigations, hush money, corruption. we can do better. together we can reboot oregon's economy and create jobs while respecting the environment. we can reform education and empower teachers. we can restore trust in our government to protect our civil liberties. we can restore pride in oregon and start by voting out the governor and his cronies. he said this campaign is about values and the ability to deliver. his values a corrupted administration is ability to deliver rising unemployment low student -- more than half a billion dollars on cover oregon. how can oregon families and workers be proud in oregon? voted for dennis richardson for governor. >> moderator: governor 60 seconds. kitzhaber: this race is about values and the ability to deliver. values matter of mr. richardson

we differ on a woman's fundamental right to control her own health choices. we differ on the right of oregonians to marry the one they love. we disagree on the importance of protecting our burn it is the foundation of our tenant and our economy. this state is vastly better today than was four years ago. we have to face tough issues together the liver raise the deficit created over 100,000 new jobs and added full-day kindergarten. we have frozen tuition and 95% of oregonians have health care coverage today. we have come together at the last four years and pulled oregon back together. i am very proud of what we have done. this race is about two things. it's about values and ability to deliver. the choice is very clear. i am john kitzhaber nis free vote on november 4. >> moderator: that concludes tonight's gubernatorial -- gubernatorial debate. i want to thank the viewers were watching.

a replay of the debate can be found at any time and at 7:30 on thursday you can meet the candidates forum with republican dave dadar and ronald bates thursday at 7:30. we invite you to stay with nbc five throughout decision 2014 for election coverage. the ball is now in your court. don't forget to vote. on behalf of all of us at nbc five studios, good night. [applause]

in south dakota senator tim johnson is not running for re-election. four candidates are running to replace him and we will show you that debate in a moment but first here are some of the ads that are airing in that race. >> k there. i note you don't hear from me very often and no one wants you to talk to me anyway. you have probably seen the rick

weiland. he's been out there -- medicare and social security and affordable college loans. you know, the things dear to my heart. meaning you don't just have a candidate now. we have a voice. >> i'm rick weiland and i approve this message. >> i'm john thune. for years i've fought for what matters for the people of south dakota. often in opposition to president obama and his supporters. this november you can make south dakota's voice in washington even stronger by electing mike rounds to join me in the united states senate did with mike our state will have two senators working together to get our country headed back in the right direction. please join me in supporting mike rounds for the united states senate. >> i am mike rounds and i approve this message.

>> i'm larry pressler. i'm here on the farm i grew up on and so have at my brother pitted democrats are attacking me for social security votes from 30 years ago but they now i -- social security. republicans are attacking me for that run checks on guns when they know i supported the bob dole plan and on the keystone the pressler pipeline plan is dedicated to north dakota oil not canadian tar sands oil. that's south dakota jobs and independence. >> it's time to do something different on election day you were going to vote for the candidate you really support, not the one other people are saying is supposed to win. you are going to make up your own mind and vote on principle, not on blind loyalty to politicians who aren't loyal to you. my name is gordon howie and i approve this message. with your support i will be the next u.s. senator from south dakota. now a debate for an open u.s.

senate seat in south dakota. democrats which -- rick weiland is running against mike rounds. there are two independents in the race larry pressler and gordon howie both former republicans. >> moderators.jorgensen and ben dunsmore. >> good evening welcome to this special report. over the next hour you will hear from the four candidates vying for south dakota's open seat in the u.s. senate. >> moderator: this is a free-flowing conversation with the candidates. only the opening and closing statements will be timed so republican mike rounds democratic rick weiland independent larry pressler independent larry pressler an independent court and how we should have plenty of time to answer and respond to questions. >> moderator: we want to remind the participants we may jump in at times during a conversation if it gets off track and move the conversation along or you can ask a follow-up question. we do numbers before we went on

air to determine the order tonight's opening statements in the seating arrangement. we will begin with the first opening statement with governor mike rounds. rounds: thank you. present up upon hazardous policies are on the ballot this november. a vote for anyone of my opponent is a vote for president obama's failed policies. as south dakota's governor i use common sense to balance our budget every year. we worked hard to get good tax policy and we literally did what we could to improve our state's economy. washington d.c. is dysfunctional and they need a good shot of south dakota common sense and i want to bring it there. tonight you will hear two different visions of what we should do for america. my opponents think big government is the answer. nothing wrong with the government and i disagree. i think we need more local control. our country faces major issues

concerning the safety and security. our next senator has to understand those issues and respond under crisis with leadership. i did that as your governor and i will do that as your senator. >> moderator: thanks a lot mr. rounds. we have rick weiland preopening statement and you now have one minute. weiland: so that the boats of all forces the wealth of a few will direct the course of this republic. that is the first sentence in the constitutional amendment that i will be introducing as your next united states senator and really that is what this election and this fight is all about. that money owns or politicians. it runs our government and it controls the political process. until we get the money out of our politics we will not be able to help everyday folks in this country. an acquaintance of mine once said if you leak -- believe in

the people they will believe in you. i have spent the last 18 months traveling south dakota. i think people need the chance and deserve the chance to live out their life and dignity, deserve a chance for affordable health care. i believe in the promise of the american dream and the power and i'm asking for help next is a great. >> moderator: mr. weiland thank you for your opening statement. opening statements are minute long and mr. gordon howie your opening statement begins right now. howie: i think it's important that we all look knowledge this has been a very unusual race. one of the things that makes it unusual is governor rounds is trying to present something that is inaccurate. he's suggesting that we have to vote based on an ability to trust harry reid or barack obama

and the question we are hearing as we go across the state is can we trust mike rounds with the senate seat and frankly even your opening statement governor was misleading. he said all of your opponents support bigger government. you know and i know that is intrude and that is characterizing the rounds campaign. they are perpetuating things that simply aren't true. i hope tonight as you are listening you see that actually there is a conservative in this race and i'm running because south dakota voters deserve someone who would support conservative -- and i asked for your support. >> moderator: we have heard from. the candidates are now former senator larry pressler independent candidate you are state open statement starts now. pressler: i'm running as an independent in the united states senate so we can finally get

something done. running as an independent i found myself under attack by the republican party the democratic party and all sorts of groups allied with them. your mailboxes are being flooded with false information about me and the two parties are so afraid they might win because it would disrupt the power structure in the senate. they are telling you i voted against social security. i did not. you are getting television ads on twice every 15 minutes. i just talked to them saying that i voted against social security. i did not. also i had 22 year record of voting against big government and i'm the only candidate up here with a fiscally conservative record in the united states senate and congress. i take my seniority back to the united states senate. >> moderator: thank you mr. pressler and engage him in.

with so much national attention on this race in recent weeks is this race about representing south dakota were more about taking or keeping control of the senate and if so how is that going to help south dakota and the first question goes to mr. weiland. weiland: is absolutely about representing south dakota. i challenged my grounds in another debate to vote against mitch mcconnell and i said i will vote against harry reid. i distance myself from the democratic party because i don't think they are just than someone who is interested in fighting the big money that controls our government so this is all about standing up for the people in south dakota which i have done all throughout this 18 month campaign. >> moderator: mr. weiland thank you for your response and now to mr. gordon howie. is this race representing south dakota were taking back control of the senate? howie: i think it's about both but i want to disagree with

governor rounds when he makes the assertion that the only way to defeat barack obama's agenda is to vote for mike rounds. here is how that happens. when we compromise our conservative traditional values we lose every time and i believe in this race south dakota needs a voice. this is very much about who's going to support south dakota and in the process we can be an example to the entire country and even to the united states senate. i believe the partisan rancor we have seen in the united states senate is despicable and the people we are talking around the state who are telling us they are weary of the republican party and the democratic party. they are weary because they have not been telling them the truth. that's why believe this race is about truth. this race is about trust in the next united states senator from south dakota must be someone south dakotans can trust and who

will restore trust and integrity to the united states senate. >> moderator: thank you mr mr. howie and mr. pressler is this about taking control of a senate? pressler: i do plan to started post-traumatic stress center. i'm the only veteran in this race and i very much want to help our veterans and also say that facility in hot springs. i also have a plan for grain shippers to move their grain and i also have a three-point pipeline plan to build two american pipelines in north dakota to move oil to midwestern refineries so we can lower the cost of diesel fuel by 1 dollar a gallon. i also have a specific education plan for south dakota to help our students with their student loans and grants. so i'm making this very much a south dakota issues campaign. i started this campaign two

years ago and i said i was going to issue a press release on issues twice every week and i have done that. i am working hard for the middle class people of south dakota and the small businesses struggling so much. i'm very proud to say that my issues oriented campaign is make difference already pretty think we are seeing at better issues oriented campaign for the senate because of my independent run. i'm under attack from republicans and democrats and don't believe what you are seeing on tv. it's totally false. i am for social security and what you are getting your mailbox from the republican party about almost 180 degrees. it's very strange because i picked one of the best republican senators and to be under attack by the democratic party merely because they are so afraid an independent will, and there will be an independent from kansas coming. i will swing the ballots in a closely divided senate and we will reform the rules of the

senate. >> moderator: mr. pressler thank you for your response. mr. rounds your turn to answer the question. is the race about south dakota or taking back control of united states senate? rounds: in this case it's about both because we want to help south dakota we have to take control of united states senate. one of the first things we would have to do would be to take harry reid out as majority leader. we have 400 bill sitting on his desk that he is not letting come through. we are not passing budgets on time. in fact if you look at the ag bills the lag -- last echo wasn't done on time. let's take a look first of all at obamacare. we have to repeal and replace obamacare. hurting people in south dakota. this is not something that people wish upon themselves. we have had 17 insurance company selling insurance in south dakota to groups in 13 insurance company selling insurance to people in south dakota before obamacare came in. this has been a boondoggle.

we have individuals in south dakota that have lost their doctor because of obamacare. remember the part that he said look we will allow you to keep your doctor and he knew none of that was true. now we are not only talking about repealing obamacare we are also talking about the keystone pipeline. this president's policies have been terrible for south dakota. can you imagine what it would be likely at the xl pipeline built built already? >> would have 100,000 barrels of north dakota for coming through there rather than the rail line that is stopping our shippers from sending their grain to market. we have a brand-new corn crop is on the ground right now. we were out there this last week looking at the amount. our farmers and ranchers don't get paid. they don't get paid unless they get their grain to market. this president is once again failed. his policies are on the agenda. this is a november agenda. this is all on the ballot.

this president has set up we like policies we should vote for his supporters. they are on the ballot in a vote for any one of my competitors appear as a vote for the continuation of those policies. this is about not just issues of south dakota but the national ones as well. mobs that we want to give rick weiland a chance for rebuttal. weiland: this election is really about the people of south dakota. i'm not obama and i'm not read. i have been out there for the last 18 months talking to people in south dakota. mike rounds talks about keystone and how many jobs it will create the existing policy. this budget we can't pass budgets in washington d.c.. if we pass the ryan budget which mike rounds supports it's a 6 trillion-dollar tax cut for millionaires and big corporations. millionaires the average one will get a 200,000-dollar tax

cut. that means they will pay for it. they will pay for it by cutting head start and cutting the pell grant program going after medicare and medicaid. it's not about obama. it's not about reid and is not about mcconnell. it's about what's best for south dakota and the values of south dakota and that's what i'm been fighting for for last 18 months. >> moderator: mr. howie i see you shaking your head down there. you want to respond? howie: this is very much about the policies and the style of people like barack obama and harry reid but unfortunately republicans have learned about the politics played by those like john boehner and mitch mcconnell. my opponent governor rounds has suggested that he is going to vote against harry reid but he's very silent when it comes to the

powerbrokers in washington d.c. and mitch mcconnell. with regard to obamacare to suggest on this program that a vote for anyone other than the governor is a vote for obamacare does not take into account the reality that in the state said that i introduced the health care freedom act. i have been a government-run health care from the beginning. governor rounds who now says he is opposed to obamacare said his chief of staff would kill the effort to stop obamacare in south dakota. we have heard him mentioned that farmers don't get paid and tell their grain goes to market. one thing that is certain in this recent administration of governor rounds, he got paid. one of his companies owned by his campaign manager and the governor got $1000 in south

dakota funds while his campaign manager was sitting on the governor's board. now folks that's not the kind of modesty integrity and trust that we need in the united states today. >> moderator: mr. howie an aide to move on gave what do you think about this discussion so far? pressler: i do not always agree with president obama on very many things. the resolution to impeach him but he is our president for two more years. for example i just issued a sharply critical statement to present about for sending troops into africa unilaterally. we need a joint force what i want to see some english and german and french troops there also sharing the burden. i hate to be the american taxpayer pay all the burden of those overseas military spending and i'm against getting involved in the civil wars and i'm proposing a lot of our troops overseas moving page back to the

united states to secure the border and then to move on to immigration reform. for governor rounds to say that a vote for me would be a vote for obama policies. every week i've been critical of some part of the obama policy and in particular and foreign-policy. i should not let that pass. governor rounds i would like you to withdraw that statement. >> moderator: mr. brown's here's your chance. rounds: ladies and gentlemen if you truly want to see this present limiting what he does in the next two years in terms of damaging policy for south dakota and our country let's take a look at what's on the agenda right now. if you want to make a change than a vote for anyone else out there besides myself as a vote for this president to remain unfettered in the use of his control. he's going to recommend judges that would not be acceptable to the people of south dakota and harry reid will do it on a 51%

vote in the united states senate. here are 18,000 people that are out of control. if you want to control state government start with the epa and the damage they are doing. specifically let's look at what they're doing to our farmers and ranchers. they are the biggest land grab and south dakota's history. they want to start controlling the water quality of our farm ponds and in our backyards that farmers use on a regular basis. this is crazy and at the same time throughout this whole program we are discussing whether or not big government is good or not? these are failed obama policies that larry you are one of the guys who said he supported obamacare. i'm opposing obamacare and if we are going to step away to do it intelligently. we have to repeal it and replace it on a step-by-step basis and are reasonable fashion. they couldn't keep their insurance. this is not the way we should be doing business at the federal level.