closely and like many, we have a lot of concerns, even though, host: for the next two weeks, jim cicconi, senior executive vice president of at&t. at least another two weeks. [laughter] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] announcer: go to c-span.org monday evening for the present debates on your desktop, phone, or tablet. videolive screens and questions to the candidate, as well as their answers. create video clips of your favorite debate moments to share on social media. not able to watch? listen to the debate live on the seas bone radio app -- c-span

radio app. live coverage on c-span.org and the c-span radio app. >> democratic governor steve bullock is running for a second term in montana this election year. he faced his republican opponent e earlier this week in billings. the event was sponsored by "the billings gazette" and yelling stone -- yellowstone public radio. ♪ operator: think you so much for being here in the montana governor debate. tonight's debate is taking place at the peter theater on the campus of montana state university billings.

"theebate is sponsored by billings gazette" and yellowstone public radio. i am becky hillier, the anchor of the statewide morning show myke up, montana," and it is privilege to be the moderator. i'm here to not only keep time between sure each candidate gets an equal shot at the questions they are asked. it is not the quantity -- quantity of the questions we are concerned about. rather, it's the quality of the discussion that matters. both candidates have spent time preparing for this debate, so it's only fair that we allow them to do what they came to do. supportive large and crowd to be supportive. hearer, we are here to from the candidates. we ask that you refrain from disruptive behavior were anything that might distract from the candidates. they have a limited amount of time to address the issues and questions presented to them, so

we want some respectful civility. that can be the tone for tonight. we ask that you hold your applause until the end of the debate. now, it is time to meet our candidates. [applause] governor steve bullock was born and raised in montana. the governor says he is proud of his record of maintaining low unemployment in the state and says he continues working to protect and preserve our state public lands and streams. and his wifee raise all four of their children in montana and started right now technologies, which grew to employ more than 500 people.

he's a lifetime member of the nra and is endorsed by the nra, the gun owners of america, and the montana sports shooting association. welcome, candidates. [applause] each candidate will be asked a question from one of our panelists and will have 90 seconds to answer. once the candidate has completed his answer, the next candidate will answer the same question, and there are no rebuttals. i will let that sink in for a few seconds. each candidate will also have a 92nd opening statement. now it's time to meet our panelists. askpanelists of that will questions, tom moody, a reporter with "the billings gazette," jackie on the nokia, the news yellowstone public

radio. won the coin toss and chose to go first with his opening statement. gov. bullock: thank you, panelists and audience and those of you joining us. i am greg gianforte. i am a businessman and a job creator, not a career politician. i am running for one reason, to create more high-wage jobs in montana so our kids don't have to leave. i am also running for emily and devon vincent who live in coal strip, have a young family, and for all the families at home tonight who are wondering about where their jobs are going to come from in the future. we arenately, today, 49th in the country in wages, and our kids are leaving, in large part because we have a failed administration in the helena. we have seen layoffs across the state, in columbia falls and

elsewhere. we have seen two consecutive quarters of declining economies. coal strip is slated to be shut down, and our revenues have fallen off a cliff, and our surplus is gone. we have also had a lack of accountability in state government. deletedent governor all of his e-mails when he was attorney general, and the department of commerce recently awarded a contract in a rigged firm into an outsource wisconsin, causing jobs to leave the state. moderator: your time is up. mr. gianforte: just to finish the thought, i am calling on the governor to ask for the resignation of the department of commerce. moderator: i am sorry. your time is up. gov. bullock: thank you so much for hosting this event. for those of you viewing this evening, thanks for choosing us over monday night football. know, every morning my wife

and i drop our kids off at the same public schools we went to. it serves as a daily reminder to me as far as why what i do each and every day. montana was a gift for me growing up. i want to make sure the next generation has every opportunity and more than i did, and i think we are on the right path. more people are working in montana than ever before in our state's history. we are number one in the nation for new business startups. entrepreneur in -- entrepreneurial activity four years in a row. last week, we heard montana leads the nation in median household income. we have certainly taken some good steps, but tonight is about what montana is going to look like in the future. moderator: your time is up. he is timing on the sidelines. mr. gianforte: there was no timer when i started. moderator: that timer did not stop. are we going by your clock?

ok.i apologize for that . mr. gianforte: i think it was a minute just watching it. moderator: why don't we give him 30 more seconds to finish? we will get this timing down appropriately. 30 seconds, governor. i am sorry. mr. gianforte: gov. bullock: there are fundamental differences between my opponent and i. i don't want to be a state where a small group of people gets to make the rules to benefit them. at the end of the day, our streams and rivers and public lands ought to be for the benefit of all of us, not just who has the largest checkbook, and ultimately, a quality education shouldn't be just for the privileged. we have made great progress. tonight, i will be asking for your support for four more years. mr. gianforte: do i get my 30 seconds? moderator: i think you took all of your time, mr. gianforte.

we have gotten the clock issue ready now. , nowg the first question that the opening statements are finished, tom moody will ask the first question of mr. gianfort.: >> yes. family foundation has been $1.7 million on groups like the montana family foundation, focused on the family, groups that oppose abortion, gay marriage, as nondiscrimination ordinances in local committees. what would you tell montanans worried that their civil rights are at risk if you are elected? susan and ie: raised our four kids in bozeman. we've been incredibly blessed, and we have prospered in montana. i am a christian, and i believe my faith calls me to share the blessing i have received. that is why we have been generous with charities all over the state because we want to help and improve other people's lives, and that's the reason why

i am running. montana does not have enough high-wage jobs. we started a business in our home in bozeman, and it grew to be the largest commercial employer there. the message i would send to all montanans is, too many of our kids have had to leave, and my sole purpose for running is to create jobs so we can keep our kids back here in montana, and they can prosper. moderator: all right, thank you. did that answer your question, tom? >> no. maybe next time. moderator: another point of this, we have the discretion to ask follow-up questions to have the candidate clarify their answer. could you clarify that a little bit more, mr. gianforte? what would you tell montanans who are worried their civil and constitutional rights are at risk if elected? mr. gianforte: i sort of feel

like it's an attack on our christianity and our core base. i would say that our first amendment is very clear. it supports freedom of speech and freedom of religion for all montanans, and i would defend that right for every montanan. moderator: thank you. the same question to you, governor. what would you tell montanans about their civil and constitutional rights if you are reelected? gov. bullock: montana is a state where we want every single individual to thrive. ultimately, my opponent, when there was a nondescript nation ordinance in bozeman, actually said, businesses would be more likely to locate there if they can discriminate. this isn't just a values issue. this is an economic issue. my opponent helped fund the group in north carolina that passed house bill 2. 380 $5 million impact to the

community of charlotte alone or just last week, the ncaa, acc both decided they are not coming to north carolina. this is not what we need. from my perspective, this is not an attack on faith. this is a discussion of the values you bring to this office, and you can see the values that i hold and bring to this office because you have had eight years to see this. at the end of the day, we don't build a greater montana by tearing some people down. moderator: thank you. the next question is from jackie. facultyd students and be allowed to carry firearms on montana university system campuses? should public school teachers be able to carry firearms in their classrooms? in montana, we use

our guns for both protection and for our public lands. if my opponent was being honest, in my eight years in public service, our second amendment rights have expanded in montana. as attorney general, i brought montana to the united states supreme court in that decision that recognized our second amendment as an individual right. the nra called me courageous. i have worked with the legislature to make sure you can protect your home and your property by cap -- bypassing the castle doctrine. if you are a concealed weapon permit holder, i've streamlined the process and pass legislation to make sure your identity is protected, but i've never abandoned common sense. with local law enforcement officers who protect our , they come to me and say, a proposal law on my desk concerns up causing

for them, their safety and their community, and i listen. by the same token, i am not going to abandon our local law enforcement officers. that is not what montana needs. those are the vetoes that i had. i stand by law enforcement, and nobody's going to take your guns away. moderator: ok, governor. the same question posed to mr. gianforte -- should students or faculty be allowed to carry firearms on university of montana campuses? saygianforte: i want to very clearly, i am a strong defender of the second amendment, and unfortunately, we are hearing rhetoric from a politician who is no friend of gun owners. i have been endorsed by the nra. i've been endorsed by the gun owners of america, and i've been endorsed by the montana shooting sports association. five -- sixvetoed

gun rights bills in the last two sessions. the second amendment is very clear. it says, our right to bear arms shall not be infringed. i would defend the constitution on that. moderator: thank you very much, mr. gianforte. the next question is from greg lamonte. >> when it comes to asking for the trust of voters, you want to be the leader of our estate, you want to travel representing our estate, and you would agree you are representing a state where there is a strong sense of family values, a deep sense of morality. having said that and knowing this is an issue that has made its way to national politics, have you ever been involved in a next her marital affair? i have not, and i will say susan and i have been married 28 years. we've raised our four children

in bozeman, and those relationships are precious. it's for the families all over montana that i am running. i think family is critically important. if the building -- it's the bedrock of our society, and this is why we unabashedly support family. i love my four kids, and i am working in large part so we can put families back together. this is why i promoted telecommuting as a way of bringing families to montana and bring our kids back together. many communities, when i ask, how many of you have kids that no longer live in the state, often 70% to 80% of the hands go up. ultimately, we need a stronger economy. jobs and opportunity are only created there. we will put families back together. moderator: thank you, mr. gianforte. gov. bullock: yeah, i have not.

whenfe lisa, we first met we were in high school and just recently celebrated -- fortunately, i think we bumped into each other about 15 years after high school. she went to central school. . was at smith's saber we just celebrated our 17th anniversary a week ago yesterday , and we have a 14, 12, and almost 10-year-old child. moderator: thank you, governor. we will go back to tom moody of "the billings gazette." >> governor, in appointing your first lieutenant governor john walsh to the u.s. senate in 2014, you said, i wanted to appoint someone who i believed would represent the values montanans hold important.

as we all know, six months later, a plagiarism scandal ended walsh's political career. it was the second time you character, walsh's the first time when you chose him as your potential replacement to run the state. what should this episode teach montanans about your judgment? gov. bullock: i certainly didn't know everything about that. john walsh had served our state and our nation well. i think many people in the have never had their humvee blown up by an iud. -- ied. [laughter] no, no. service.ly respect his look, and of the day, from my perspective, the

lieutenant governor can be an incredible part of a team. john walsh served both our state and our nation well. he continues to serve our nation well. i'm excited about mike kearney. he's doing a lot of work with me on the montana main street project where we've brought 250 businesses together to continue to advance this economy. i have him working on it on a regular basis. sure, 20,000 jobs created in the first four years. we know there is more to do p j jpmorgan said we are the most fiscally prudent state in the country. we know there is more to do. through the main street project, we are trying to focus on making sure all those employers have a pipeline of talent and train workers along the way. moderator: thank you, governor. , i guess we could phrase that country to you -- what could montanans expect from you as far as betting people for different positions? leadership is critically important, and i

think it is a sign of leadership to be able to pick leaders well. unfortunately, my opponent is on his third lieutenant governor. unfortunately, lieutenant governor walsh had to resign in disgrace over plagiarism, and then there was an issue with his second lieutenant governor where we haven't gotten a full explanation as to what happened. there was a meeting, and clearly, she was forced out. i don't think we've gotten a clear explanation. i think leadership is about accountability. as i mentioned in my opening remarks, we've recently had a commerce contract outsourced to a firm out of state and given to a family member. it is important we bring accountability and fiscal responsibility back to the state government. i am calling on the governor to call for the department of commerce's director's, because i think we need to bring accountability back. he talked about being fiscally prudent.

governor, balancing the budget is your job. it's a constitutional requirement. it is not a miraculous achievement. you've increased spending at the state level by almost $800 million, and our surplus is gone. i think fiscal responsibility and leadership are critical in montana. moderator: thank you, mr. gianforte. if the montana legislature sent you a bill to allow the student sends of a montana committee to vote on a local option sales tax or expanding the existing resorts tax, what action would you take? gov. bullock: one of the things i have learned -- i have driven 50,000 miles all over the state, and one of the great joys has been staying in people's homes, sitting around kitchen tables, and talking.

when i visited with county commissioners, i have learned the way we find local governments is not working. that is why i am thrilled that leslie robinson is joining me on my ticket as lieutenant governor. she is a fourth-generation montanan and a county commissioner in phillips county. we have county courthouse is that are leaking. we have infrastructure. we need to find ways to fund these. i don't think you tax your way to prosperity. too much local tax has gone to helena and has not come out. it's almost like we have a bubble, and we need to work to find ways to help fund the local municipalities through infrastructure funding and other mechanisms. i don't think you get there with more taxes though. moderator: is that a veto?

mr. gianforte: i would have to see the bill, but i am generally opposed to new taxes. moderator: thank you, mr. gianforte. hopefully, we will get to some of the statements my opponent made in his last question, but if you want to talk about outsourcing, "forbes" said his company took outsourcing to a new level. in his own report to the investors, he said, one of the biggest drivers of the business was outsourcing. indeed, his cfo says he outsourced 700 jobs to other states, armenia, and india. i am more than happy to talk about contracts. your specific question about a local options sales tax, i have been consistent throughout my career that i am against a general state sales tax, period, and that won't happen on my watch. i recognize it in the last legislative session, the billings chamber of commerce, that was their number one

priority, to say, could they get a local option sales tax and allow the citizens of billings to put a vote on that? i consistently in my legislative session said, i want to see a bill actually get to my desk, go through the process before i'm going to say, i'm going to veto it or sign it. that one didn't get out of the committee. as i said to "the billings gazette," i think they have a lot of work to do before that is a discussion. i think a good piece of it is ultimately it would be the individuals who decided it, not necessarily the legislature. moderator: thank you very much, governor. the next question for governor bullock? >> why should your opponent not be elected? gov. bullock: look, ultimately, that is up to the voters.

we offer a fundamental difference in view. montana was named the most fiscally prudent state in the country. that is not me talking. that is jpmorgan. we would end up with no rainy day fund. not even base infrastructure, education, or other things could be paid for. i believe we should be an inclusive state. my opponent has said businesses would be more likely to locate here if they can discriminate. we have a fundamental difference in values when it comes to our american indians. almost 10% of our population. you don't build montana up by leaving our first montanans behind. we have fundamentally different views on what the role of government can be. government can work with the private sector and create real opportunities. i guess i'm not sure what he thinks the role of government ought to be, as he's running to be the state's chief executive.

i think there are some real differences across the board. it's up to the voters. i am pleased with the things we've been able to get on. i am pleased we've made record investments in education and seen record results. i am pleased we are the number one state in the country when it comes to new business. those are some of the things i want to continue working on. moderator: thank you, governor. you.ame question for mr. gianforte: honestly, this is what you get from a career politician. a bunch of lies. unfortunately -- [boos] i have learned -- this is my first time in politics. i have always been a business person, and i spent my whole career creating jobs. to hear somebody terror that down, it hurts a little bit. i will say we have created better outcomes, and i am proud of that record.

difference -- one thing i agree with the governor on -- there a big difference in our outlook. i believe jobs and opportunity are created in the private andor, not by government, what we need to do is make it easier for individual businesses to start and grow here. as i'veately today, traveled the state, i have heard from small businesses -- they are covered up and regulations. my opponent has vetoed a number of tax reduction bills that would've put money in people's pockets. our state government has adopted a culture of enforcement rather than customer service. i have been very clear -- when i am elected, i will appoint agency heads that have walked in the shoes of the people they are trying to serve and bring a culture of customer service back. there is no reason why with our rich natural resources and work ethic that we are 49th in the country in wages except that we

don't have the right leadership. moderator: tom? , you proposedte eliminating business increment taxes, which of been crucial to counties like this one where the taxes make up 1/6 of property tax revenue. schools statewide, which rely on these taxes, would take a multimillion dollar hit. how are you going to keep local governments and schools from being burned by your plan? mr. gianforte: thank you for the question. i rolled up my tax plan in april, and it's a plan that will get businesses going. business equipment tax today represents less than 2% of state revenue. my plan is called 406. it is simple. the 4 stands for illuminating the business equipment tax in four years. this is the most regressive tax we have.

there's a small business in livingston that made an investment in a new piece of equipment, and that investment created 20 jobs. their present from the state was a $300,000 business equipment tax bill over 10 years. that individual said they would never buy a piece of equipment like that here in the state. good question though -- how do we pay for it? we pay for it by slowing the growth of government. for zero growth in state government and no sales tax. in the last three years alone, over $800 million expansion in state government -- if we slow the growth, we can put this money in people's pockets. 6, calls for bringing the top tax bracket down from 6.9 percent, increasing the deduction for low income families.

it is fiscally responsible, and we will balance the budget doing it. moderator: thank you. gov. bullock: the tax foundation says we have this six the best overall business tax clement in the nation. my first legislative session, i worked with democrats and republicans. we eliminated the business equipment tax for two thirds of the company that pay it and gave a cut to all of them. through,an came yellowstone county would lose $24 million. those are the dollars that go to your fire departments, schools. that is what the business equipment tax is paying for. nine of the 10 companies that paid that equipment tax are out-of-state. that covers almost 50% of the overall business equipment tax collected. we have made real progress along want to bet i don't

new jersey, eight credit downgrading's in three years. i do want to be kansas where they ran out of state revenues and had to literally shut their school district down early because they ran out of funding. don't take my word. jpmorgan says we are the most fiscally prudent state in the country. we have been recognized as the fairest tax system in the country. at the end of the day, you don't build our state up by giving tax breaks to out-of-state corporations and millionaires. [cheers] moderator: the next question comes from jackie for governor bullock. >> what is your position on using money from the call tax trust fund to specifically help the revenues of cold strip deal with the decline of coal and coal-fired power plants? yeah, i think -- look, call is an important part of montana.

it has been, and we need to make sure, not only for the communities, but for the workers and community, that it continues to be a part. more coal was mined in the first three years of my administration than on average in the past 30 on average each time. when the clean power plan came , i, as my opponent knows said, not only was that unfair to montana but we ought to sue, and that suit is going to the supreme court. what we can't do also is just shout at washington, d.c. i brought people together, and two weeks ago, i brought together coal companies, ceos, the mayor in coal strip, workers, representatives to say, let's make sure coal is part of our energy future. we have 28% of the nation's reserves. we do have to find ways to make sure that community stays strong.

raid the coal severance tax trust, i don't think that's a good idea, but finding the funding streams to work that out, and i've worked with economic develop and folks in saying, let's put together a plan to make sure those communities and the individuals in them know that they are going to have a great future. moderator: what is your position on using money from the cold tax trust fund to help coal strips residency the coal severance tax trust, i don't think that's a good idea, but finding the funding streams to work that out, and i've echo mr. gianforte: i have been out to coal strip five times in the last year. i see lori shot out here from coal strip united. i stand with the people of coal strip. this is a group that is fighting for their livelihoods, and although the governor seems to have changed his recollection, he was nowhere when the attorney general tim foxe filed suit against the clean power plan. e outrageous regulations coming out of the epa are really

threatening our natural resources. usinghink we ought to be some of the call trust fund to fund infrastructure. this is another area where the governor and i differ. sometimes, we differ. sometimes, we are on the same page, because you keep flip-flopping. to get a vote -- the governor campaigned on infrastructure in infrastructure funding in 2015 and vetoed it .gain the bill from senator ripley that would use some of the coal trust fund for infrastructure i am supportive of, and i would back fat. that. moderator: greg has the next question. >> it seems like coal strip is the elephant in the room.

all the people in this room, adults, can pretty much see the handwriting on the wall when it comes to coal strip. for the purpose of this question, i want you to view me as a 10-year-old from coal strip who sits at the dinner table and here's mom and pop talking about the future not looking so good. the 10-year-old looks you in the eye and says, under your leadership, do i have a future in coal strip? it'sianforte: yes, and because we can apply new technology to burn coal cleanly. governor, i would fight to push back on the federal overreach that is threatening coal strip, and i would also work -- unfortunately, we have had decisions made by out-of-state firms. i would be working to bring that soership back into the state

we can have that long-term, low-cost power in coal strip. the other thing i would say to that young person is that the american dream is still alive and well. i go into a lot of high schools and college classrooms, and unfortunately, our young people today are staring at a hill, and they don't know how to get to the top. i was in butte a little while students,i asked the how many of you -- i talked about, don't let anybody ever tell you anything is impossible, and you can prosper in montana. students said, could you tell me how to prosper? it is not something they have heard before. i want to deliver that message of hope to that 10-year-old. [laughter] -- [applause] mr. gianforte: gov.

bullock: i would say to that 10-year-old, yeah, you do have a future in montana and coal strip. 28% of our country's coal reserves are right here in montana. i would say to him that long-term, we know that coal and other fossil fuels will be part of our energy future, and that is what that meeting was about. the u.s. department of energy met with coal companies ceos saying, we know there have been more technological changes in that kids lifetime in a cell phone than in how we generate power. why do i have to go up to canada where whatoject they do is capture the co2 and use it for enhanced oil recovery? we have enhanced oil recovery, but we ship it up a from wyoming. there are incredible opportunities in this state.

just like people were saying when i was a 10-year-old, that there would be incredible opportunities in this state, but how we do it is we bring people together to find the solutions. are long-term pieces, and we look at what all of our energy potential is. i put out an energy blueprint that said, look at all the possibilities, wind, solar, others. i've been working on a plan to bring people together. my opponent doesn't have a plan. [applause] moderator: the next question is from time to governor bullock. >> i've been following the numbers released. toversity montana expects lose 25% of its students in six years, ranking among the steepest decline of any public research university in the country. the campus has fewer students today than it did when its current students were born. the community has lost 200 jobs

as a result, and this decline has been overseen by a board that you appoint. what grade would you give the handling of the montana university system's enrollment? there are some great things happening in our university system, and if you look at 46 states since the investing we've been less and higher education. montana is one of four across the country who have increased our investments. tuitionfrozen college at missoula, bozeman, making sure we don't raise taxes on families paying that. we have instituted performance funding to say, we have metrics and objectives we want to see met. think about what has happened in other states. if you look from the recession to today, arizona has cut 50% of

its state aid to higher education. that is not where we want to be. in louisiana, they have cut almost 40%. the way we can make sure we continue to have great job creation is to have a great university system all throughout. when it comes to enrollment declines, certainly, it is frustrating to missoula. it's frustrating to others. i wouldn't say that the failure of the board of regents -- i think it is something we have to pay attention to, but the university of montana oversees all of our university units. two and four-year colleges are so important for the economic drivers of this state. , whattor: mr. gianforte grade do you give their handling of the montana university systems in roman situation? -- enrollment situation?

mr. gianforte: i think better is always possible. i've spent a lot of energy on education. this is why i rolled up my education plan back in may to help start to connect more closely educational pursuits with job outcomes. it's the reason why i put up the website learn2earnmt.com. this clearly lists of the degrees that are available at u of m, msu, and the other campuses. the probability you will get a job in the state when you graduate and the average starting wage. i think this is a helpful tool to help parents make decisions about what is typically the largest single investment they make in rearing their children. it's also the reason why i believe computers are here to stay, and we ought to be getting computer science to all the high schools. it's the reason we started code montana, and i would push to put

computer science in every high school in the state to better prepare young people for the jobs of the future. finally, i also think we need more focus on trades education. manufacturingon, needs skilled labor, and not everybody needs a four-year degree to succeed. moderator: jackie has the next question. >> the health care bill known as the help act, which included and medicaid expansion provision, will sunset on june 30, 2019. what is your evaluation of the program so far? should it be continued? mr. gianforte: it's a good question. as i have traveled with the state, health care is one of the top four issues that come up.

the principle here, i think we need additional study on the plan to decide what we do going forward. it is essential that we preserve quality health care for montanans, we preserve rural access, but we must get costs down. that is where my concern focuses. increasesen massive in rates on the exchanges. this affordable care act is not affordable, and every time we add a new regulation or add a new tax, or the cost of health care goes up, this is another brick in the backpack of every small business owner. my focus is going to be maintaining quality, rural access, and bringing costs down. this is why i formed a committee. i have been meeting with our critical care access hospitals and our larger hospitals around the state.

we need to bring more pricing transparency to health care. we need to have more consumer incentives, and right here in billings, st. vincent's introduced dr. on demand. i think technology is part of the solution to bring these costs down. gov. bullock: the last legislative session, democrats, republicans, local chambers, the state chamber, the medical association, and others came together to bring our taxpayer dollars home and pass a made in montana solution, which was the help act. i think the only group that was regularly working against that was and working against it, one of the groups that my opponent funds, americans for prosperity. 50,000 montanans now have health care across the state as a result of the health act, and i

have heard from both sides. i have heard from individuals who said, now that i've gotten that operation, i can continue to work, or literally, my life was saved as result, and i have also heard from critical access hospitals who have said, we used to take everybody, they would come in to the most expensive place, the emergency room, and we would have to take care of them. now they are getting cared for, and our bottom lines are improving. we can do innovation, and we had been working on it. we've brought both the public sector and private sector together to address these things. we need to stop paying for repeated tests and pay for outcomes. montana is one of 14 states where we are starting to make the transition. we are a state of 147,000 square miles. we have to make sure to get psychiatric help across the state. we are working on that, as well, and recently proposed a plan for price transparency.

there is more we can do, and we will do it by bringing folks together. moderator: thank you, governor bullock. your question for governor bullock? i understand it, dp hhs accounts for 41% of montana's expenditures, which is a pretty big chunk. i am also told by those in the know that there is a tremendous amount of mismanagement, duplication, waste, and services by various services in hhs that are doing the same. pork and indication, poor morale, all leading into a delay of services to the people -- people montana. under your leadership, are you going to do anything? mr. gianforte: the department of health and human services -- there were not a lot of specifics in that question -- one of the challenges has been the way we take care of our most

vulnerable kids in child protective services where even two years ago, the case management system was a dos system. i brought that up and both of my state of the state addresses saying, there has to be additional funding along the way to make sure we are taking care of our most vulnerable. i brought together folks from judges to advocates and others, they protect montana kids commission to say, let's address this and focus and have the legislature take a closer look. the department of health and human services deals with some of our most vulnerable populations in some many different areas across the state. to makeays tried government more efficient. i always strive to figure out where we can go from department to department. aboutlp act is not only dp hhs that administers it. we will certainly work to find efficiencies and create better

opportunities not only for all of montana but for the vulnerable populations served. mr. gianforte: i think we have tremendous opportunity for improvement. the first step is first who then what. we have dedicated workers at dp hhs and all of our state agencies, but today, they are not led well. we have somebody running dp hhs that previously ran deq. i'm not sure how that qualified him for that job. we have somebody running the department of labor who has never had an employee. i think would make sense to hire somebody with domain expertise. i have met with individuals who have had children that have not been served well by child protective services. there are gross inefficiencies. it starts with new leadership at the agency, and i will do that when i am elected.

the governor said there were not a lot of specifics, that there were some in the paper. auditors at dp hhs have been fired because they blew the whistle on waste and fraud. that is not right. as governor, i would back up those good state workers that identify opportunities for improvement. in the last comment the governor made, he talked about this great , thisisanship relationship he brought together in helena. unfortunately, that does not line up with the truth. he has vetoed more bills than any governor in the history of the state. i don't call that bipartisanship. moderator: our next question is from tom. >> you have said you feel we have a moral obligation to help refugees torn apart by radical islamic terrorists, but you

oppose the resettling of unvette d refugees. it sounds like you are proposing we don't do anything. mr. gianforte: you have quoted me correctly. i think as a nation, we have always been a giving nation, and we have served many places, but we have to recognize the number one responsibility of the governor is to protect the health and safety of the citizens here in the state. we are at war with radical islam that terrorism. this past weekend, we saw three attacks on our soil, a knifing in minnesota and two explosions in new york and her jersey -- new jersey. even obama's head of the cia john brennan has said, radical islamic terrorists are using refugee programs to infiltrate the country. 31 states have taken steps to not settle refugees in their communities. i think we have an obligation to

help, but it does not include settling them. moderator: governor bullock? a governor ands father, the safety and security of our communities and our state is paramount, and i don't just say that in the abstract. as the attorney general, as the state's chief law enforcement officer, not only did ideal with some of the most heinous crimes, but i did have to sit down with families whose child was murdere d. i understand people's concerns. let me be clear. there will be no unvetted refugees coming to montana, period. but i think we also need to understand -- i am not sure my opponent fully understands the role of governor.

look at what has happened in other states. chris christie, the governor of , i am going tod get the state out of the refugee business. guess what? syrian refugees are still coming to new jersey. chris christie, law enforcement just don't know where they are. that is not responsible leadership. jackie, your question for governor bullock. >> during the 2015 legislative session, numerous montana university system and public school officials testified about substandard electrical wiring, crumbling roof spirit i could go on and on, but i won't. what is the responsibility for the state to support these

, or will technology make these educational buildings obsolete? gov. bullock: at least $10 million was dedicated to the the universityat montana billings. you can't have safe and good communities if you don't have clean water, sewers, schools, roads, and businesses won't want to locate there appeared that is why i have a plan for infrastructure, and it's not the one i vetoed. last legislative session, we brought democrats and republicans together. and guy from john brendan from scope it, montana, the former republican party chair -- it died on the last day of the legislative session by one vote. folks talked about making sure, i don't get a win in helena.

this is not about wins and losses in helena. this is about our communities. this is about our university systems. i do think the state has an obligation, just like other itrastructure, to fund -- can't be put on the private sector if these are our public universities. i am picking exactly where we left off a senator brendan and saying, let's do a responsible mix of cash and bonding. what he talks about is another bill that was vetoed. it wouldn't have created any jobs. nothing would have happened over this two-year period, but the idea of a trust so that a decade from now you don't have political folks talking about it and there is money -- we are not playing politics with base infrastructure -- i think the build montana trust is an important piece. moderator: thank you, governor. , what is the responsibility of the state to support these buildings? mr. gianforte: it is a core

responsibility of government to provide for infrastructure. it's not gotten done under this current governor. it just didn't get done. families,out the particularly those on fixed income who were struggling to make monthly payments on water bills, and i think there has to be a priority of infrastructure. it starts with water, bridges, roads, and sewer. i've been out in eastern montana 25 times in the last year, and it seems like eastern montana has been forgotten by helena. there's a lot more we can do here. part of the problem is that my -- let me sayally it this way -- what we need to pay for infrastructure is a strong economy. i spent my entire career

creating jobs so that people can prosper, and no matter what the good thing is we want, whether it's education, infrastructure, health care, we need a strong private sector so we have a tax base to pay for it. yet we have made it extremely difficult for small business people to get started and grow a business in montana, and that will be my focus when elected. moderator: thank you, mr. gianforte. we have come to the time and evening where we have one final question left. greg, that is for you to ask of mr. gianforte. a quick change because of timing. you will each have one minute to answer the question. >> another one of those handwriting on the wall kind of questions -- as we look to the future of montana and see the decline going on in the bok in, we see the future of coal the financial stability of the state is starting to look a little grim

as you think we are going to lose hundreds upon thousands of dollars. what is a realistic remedy for that loss? mr. gianforte: you ask exactly the right question, greg. we need a strong economy so we have a tax base. it includes responsible development of natural resources. unfortunately, my opponent talked about coal strip and what a fan of coal he is. however, the exact people that sued to shut down coal strip have funded his campaign. we have also seen federal overreach that is constricting our natural resources. i would fight to keep them going. his department of deq hasn't issued a new mining permit in over 20 years. we can responsibly develop natural resources. secondly, agriculture is our number one industry. we need to do more with value-added.

i am proud we started the technology revolution the state, and we created -- there are close to 300 high-tech jobs. it's an all of the above strategy in the private sector. moderator: thank you, mr. gianforte. gov. bullock? just briefly on the contributions, i received contributions from 10,500 montanans. i have received contributions from coal company ceos. we will continue to work with everybody. he is continually betting against montana. the fifth fastest gdp in the nation, right here in montana. fourth year in a row, most business startups, and 350 biotech companies across the state. we have incredible growth in so many sectors, and we continue to build upon it by investing in public education, and great

equalizer, something my opponent has called a monopoly. groups he has worked with have called it a moral. we continue to work with our two and four-your colleges to make and the pipeline of talent trained workers are available for any employer that wants to come here and build opportunities. there are great opportunities here in montana, and i am pleased about that. moderator: thank you, governor. that concludes our debate tonight. i want to take this moment to thank both of our candidates for taking the time to join us. thank you for watching the clock so closely. you made it a little easier for me. we want to thank our panel for their time in researching the topic for this evening's questions. we want to thank msub for hosting this evening. thank you for being here tonight and taking the time to learn more about the candidates and issues.

for "the billings gazette" and yellowstone public radio, i am becky hillier wishing you all a good night. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> we begin with a 1976 debate between gerald for all it -- gerald ford and jimmy carter. jimmy debate between carter and ronald reagan and al gore and george bush. mr. trump: once more, we will have a government of, by, and for the people. strongerton: we are together. and no matter what, remember this. love trumps hate. >> commitment coverage 2016 continues with the first pr