in government. beforever put politics people. >> thank you. gary herbert. >> the question was about suicide. the state legislature just a couple of pieces of legislation to help pass the issue. we have lifelines and counseling to help the young people. den sis that tern maybe they need to have somebody outside of their own family. we're making significant strides to try toht direction put -- it is something we need to some together on. the issue is a red herring here. the affordable care act. there are some serious issues with that. we see that the problem with cost is not address the cost of health care. exchangesalth care

which are collapsing. about 16 just this past year. have etna has one group and another health policy group and outut of 35 states getting of the business of health care with the exchange. fiscallyeen a very responsible state. we're one of only nine states, believe it or not, in america aaa bond rating. it is not a matter of wanting to help people and providing them care.ealth i came up with a better program called health utah. you get off of government assistance by getting a job. we have the concern of those that need health. we need to do it in a fiscally responsible way. 30 seconds, if you would like. >> not only was the failure to expand medicaid morally bankrupt, it was fiscally irresponsible.

you as utahns have paid the taxes. ofre sending hundreds millions every year to washington and other parts of the country. we're not bringing that money back. over the three years we could medicaid, we've sent $ 1 billion of your taxpayer money, and we're not bringing it back to utah to provide health but to get it utah economy. >> you have 30 seconds, governor. are making my argument, mike. the's what i argued with legislature. maybe you can see if we can help get it past the house. the fiscal aspects of it. again you misunderstand the statutes. i cannot do it uniliterally. you have to have the cooperation the legislature which has the responsibility of the first strings. $1 million has to be approved and put in the expansion ordicaid

any other program. you just don't understand how the system works. >> all right. had more time to talk about the important issue. we need to move on. our next question is coming from a reporter from for utah news, glen mills. time to talkre about medicaid expansion. that's what my question is. adjust on the fly based on the points that you both clearly made. earlier in the year a scaledback version was passed during the state of utah. looks like the estimates are 10 ,000 utahns will be covered. thousandss tens and who don't have health insurance, but don't have an option through the exchanged or medicaid program. are you supplied with that looking tore you expand and to both of you how do the legislature behind that if you do, in fact, want to the medicaid rolls to get

everyone into the coverage gap covered. >> i'm not supplied with the what the outcome is right now. proposal for healthy utah, get off ofat to government assistance. -- we had waivers to provide for this, which is not easy to get down. to come inlow people and get some health care, get them training, education, a better job.t interesting enough, in utah, it works. that's our culture. of time thatength anybody is on medicaid in utah is only nine months. get them on help and off of help. they can help themselves. i think there's communities for out there and work with the legislature. we've got to convince them fiscallyat it is the prudent thing to do. the -- looksnow

17e the cost is going to be to 20% on average across the country in the next year, people are very much concerned. care companiesh that are getting out the exchanges when we have 16 state fail.ges it sends up a red flag that people wonder. sustainable? we can maybe buy it now, but can we buy it in the future? in and a way out that doesn't jeopardize the that's one of the few that has a aaa bond rating. is we don'tuccesses spend more than we take in. we respect the taxpayers dollars. >> we have an opportunity for 90 to answer the same about medicaid. >> thank you. that onlyppointing nine to 11,000 people with covered. ofme this is another example not listening to the people.

the people of utah were in favor of expanding medicaid. what our legislature did was and losers. there are 120,000 of our family areers and neighbor who's suffering. and the legislature sits in an okay,tower and says, we'll cover you 9,000. but you 111,000, you have to to suffer. that is a moral outrage. and as far as being able to afford it, of course we can afford it. we've already paid for it. we're not bringing $1 billion our economy. when the governor talks about we if the federal government is going to be there good partner,e a we don't ask that question when oris the partner on roads transportation.

we only bring it up when it comes to the health care program our republican friends don't like because it is part of the affordable care act. let's get serious about what the 120,000ant and the need. >> i know you have a follow-up question; right? , gwen? >> i want to get on the funding. that's made it clear that's one of their concerns. you have to get them on board. when you talk about we've paid for it, the state still does have a portion that it needs to pay. on howe specific ideas to find the funding to pay the of that.ortion 90 seconds toyou start with this. thes a question -- again argument that we've made is, in fact, it makes some sense. we've sent money there to get it back.

our argument really has been as a state. don't take the money from us in the first place. we don't need to have your taxes even higher than you are already doing. us,ou take the money from please walk it back to us so that the states have flexibility. why would we want to have the same kind of health care that's youngest in the america compare to say florida. there's a different kind of health issues. to have states with flexibility. the affordable care act did not give us the flexibility that we needed. by the way, mike, we ask the questions all the time. of federalnd program. is it going to be sustainable? going to be?atch medicaid as was originally set problem.d a big democrats and republican governors alike are saying the all budgeter of buster is medicaid. it continues to be the same problem of what can we do with

the match going forward? where there's transportation or education or any other kind of health care services, we're concerned about the federal government will they keep their promises or leave us high and dry. the polls shows the people of utah do not support expansion in the majority. supported healthy utah. not an anis expansion. weinholtz, you have a chance to respond. >> this is part of the problem, calling it it obamacare, because the people are not ennor armored it.

of course we can afford it. how can we not afford to take the family and neighbors. it would have been cost $40,000 to expand medicaid. have the money. we had $53 million to waste on a port that in california that nobody in california and utah wanted. couldn't afford $44 million to take care of each other. that's outrageous. prioritiesto get our straight. >> you still have 30 seconds. anything else you would like to add? you've said it all. big topic. we have a great opportunity to have the usc students asking questions. this will take a question from cameron neely. go ahead with your question. >> good evening.

my question has to do with minimum wage regarding living wage. utah has seen little growth in wages since the great recession. m.i.t., utah ranks 31st in the nation with earning a living wage. it time to raise the minimum wage? utah? >> mr. weinholtz, you have the first response. believe it is. first of all, on the economy, a great example of out ofr herbert being workingth everyday, families. it maybe because he sends so time with his corporate, fat-cat donors. know that economy is not working for everybody. it is only working for those at the top.

we've got enough minimum wage jobs. we have $250,000 people in the making minimum wage. we have enough minimum wage jobs and $10 an hour jobs. careers that can support families. i would love to see governor herbert and the legislature live on $7.25 an hour and no benefits. things are connected. when you don't have a living everywhere.ffer those jobs don't have benefits. expands why we need to medicaid. all of the things are connected. aboutd to be smarter them. >> all right, governor. >> yes, it is interesting you would say that. i've used the term obamacare. i've politicalized the argument. the fat-cat rich people, as somehow that's not politicizing the argument.

i've talked to president obama. he himself referred to as obamacare. again the facts are what the facts are. facts. to deal with the i'm a free market guy. i believe the market will make thedeterminations of winners and losers. as we've seen the results of performingbest economy and most diversitied economy in america today, 5.7%.al income is up we have household income that's over $62,000. our incomes are moving up based takingmarket that's place. that's what has made america great. people look to utah as the land of community. i appreciate the fact he took the opportunity to come to the most fertile business environment in all of america to business his business. i hope everybody has the same opportunity to become one of the fat cats out there that's rich lot of money.

i applaud him for that effort. that's great. as a republican, i want that kind ofhave success. i'm not into redistribution of the wealth. again the american dream is upward mobility. best place inthe the country. agree way, the people with me. on the right track, wrong track believe 80% of utahns we're on the right track. they reflect what i'm doing. that means we are answering their questions and attending their issues in a way they like, we're on they right track. 30-second time for a rebottle. >> the statistics that the governor uses are great. know that they are working harder and longer for less. struggling to get by. and the economy is not working for everyone. need to be able to bring higher paying jobs here. created thousands of

jobs in my company and previous company. i know what great companies look like that pay a living wage and take care of their people. those are the kind of jobs that i would bring. of jobs we'rekind bringing. we have a lot of people that are re-locating that are driving them out because they are raising taxes. they too many business regular laces that get in the way of progress and their ability to create jobs. outcomes.ucing great whether it is oracle, ebay, gamble, people coming to utah to create high-paying jobs. everything is equal around the state. everybody has the opportunity to great time. in the >> time. thank you, gentleman. i appreciate your comments. believe it or not, we're actually at the midnight of our debate this evening. want to welcome everyone

once again to the live debate candidates for utah governor. we are broadcasting live from statempus of utah university in logan. as of know, this is the only televised debate that's been between these two candidates, including republican herbert, andy herr opponent, mike weinholtz. information.ing we have a citizen corporation with.e're working tonight's questions are coming went online you who to the utah debate web site. we want to give it to you again for future e did baits. that's utah debatecommission.org. we invite you to submit your online questions. when you go to the web site,

there's an orr chive debate and we have a schedule of the future debates that will be happening. well, we'll go back now to our our exchange. with ladd.is segment >> thank you. debate over who should the federal government. put aside money for a possible lawsuit. do you support, and who is in to manage then public lands? utah or the government? begin the response. >> it is a shared responsibility. the management of our public lands. as we work together in partnership, we end up getting better outcomes. become overtime aboutthe way, we've had

six different berebellions here lead by three of them democratic governors and three governs.epublican as we get out of balance, the to balance the public lands, they say wait a minute. more to say.ve hence we put together the pli, public land initiative, the way to resolve and have optal use of public lands. we understand that's not what utah's backyard, but it is backyard. finding that optimal place to be is important for us all. there's three ways to do that. is negotiation which we're doing all the time. second one is, in fact, tryingtion which we're to do with pli right now. the washington county land bill and orrs. the third one is litigation. are arrows in the quiver. we're using all of them.

litigation because we cannot resolve the suit. we're being forced to go to to litigateving each and every one of those roads. why is that important? you have arrows, they can't be designated. going to work together to find the appropriate solution. frankly utah is doing it in the way because of poor management by the federal government. >> okay. we're short on time. going to ask that we be sure clock. our eye on the have ant mr. weinholtz opportunity to answer mr. egan's question. >> when i think of public lands, think of the times when i took my son, chase, hiking and and camping on this pristine beautiful lands that we have of utah. we won't bes that able to take his children to the same places where we enjoyed moments.her and son

the reason i'm concerned is because governor herbert wants these public lands. we lose ourhat, heritage. i am not willing to let that happen. as it related to the lawsuit, not only is it poor judgment, it is fiscally irresponsible. our own attorneys told us that unwinnable lawsuit. what did the governor and legislature do? for went and they shopped attorneys until they found one that gave them the answer that they wanted. committed $14 pursue of your money to this unwinnable lawsuit. irresponsible, it is poor judgment. governor i know you've said you don't have any intention of selling the lands off. in 2012, you signed the transfer of public lands bill which off.ed to sell them

we're selling lands off today. you can look it up. i will protectr, our heritage and our public lands. sold't allow them to be off. >> mr. herbert, i saw you taking notes. >> you know there's no plan to sell off the public land. statement.lse in the legislation -- in fact, we're penalized. if we the proceeds happened to sell them off, has to do to the federal government. nore's no meat vagues and design. i've said this very clearly, we ine a public land state here utah. we'll always be a public land state here in utah. that's the intent. we do not like the mismanagement. most of the people of utah understand we can do a better of managing those public lands. allowed to pray for the beetle. we've lost the complete lumber isustry and a force which now just a fire hazard. >> 30 seconds now to mr.

weinholtz. >> governor herbert talks about the three arrows in the quiver. it seems we're always using the lawsuit one. the current campaign legislature talks about suing the federal 12,000 times.r i don't know how he has time to suenything else other than the federal government if you've sued them 12,000 times. but maybe that's why our economy isn't working for all utahns. we can't getwhy medicaid expanded. >> we are all of time. ats will have to carry on another time. i'm sure the conversation could topic.nd on on the we need to keep close watch on the time. we have a number of other be asked.that need to that turns the time to me. i will be asking the next question. debates, noteral just the gubernatorial debate happening throughout the nation, presidential debate. i would like to know beginning weinholtz, who will be

voting for for president and why. >> both presidential candidates extremely unpopular here in utah. [laughter] >> so, you know, this is a great question. but it is clear that the is far moreominee qualified than donald trump. democratic nominee has not the entirea ban for religion which should be utahtant to people in then the persecution of church. the democratic candidate hasn't pigs and mexicans rapist and murders. trump is imminently

unqualified to lead this country for many reasons. most of them being temperament. if anybody said that gestures the wrong way at us in the high seas he's going to out of the water and start a war. this man is patently unqualified. i understand there's a lot of the state who do not like the democratic nominee. but she's imminently more qualified than the joker that put up forcans have the election. >> okay. herbert. [applause] >> okay. you to please refrain from any applauding during the debate please. governor herbert, how do you plan to vote for and why in >> toe already said i'm going vote for donald trump. i'll tell you why. i cannot see voting for hillary clinton. right now thatre

she planned to do with her wants towhich is she grow government out of control. $19 trillion debt. she's going to add $1.46 trillion additional to the debt. i don't think that's the pathway forward. the people of utah don't like hillary clinton. infact, 80% of democrats utah told me they don't like clinton. majoritycrats the don't believe she is trustworthy. have it is one thing to outlandish behavior. is another thing to be dishonest and boarding on criminal activity. us voting for hillary clinton that's going to grow the government and increase taxes and double down on the current administration which is good for america. lost respectinly around the world. we need somebody, who will, in strongake sure we have a

national fence and have peace. we need somebody who will point right people to the supreme court. they will not legislate from the bench. intoppointments they put all of the different departments are important. i believe that we'll get a than if weome support hillary clinton. again i know it is not popular. compare, this is a binary choice. a choice for hillary clinton is the wrong choice for utah. >> okay. we are going to move things little bit. we're doing to go directly from ketv news.from go. >> who am i asking? asking governor herbert first. approveddministration coal fire burning of copper in salt lake county. you serious about clean air? is a vote for you a vote for clearer air? a vote for me and for the current administration certainly is a vote for clear air. cleaned up the air in many

ways. it doesn't mean we're where we want to be. on the right road going in the right direction. we understand how important is to our health, ability to track tourism and business and increase our theomic growth which is best in america. we understand how significantly important clean air and environmental issues are to the state of utah and to our future. created u care. it is headed by the lead good democrat,nd fed wilson, trying to find what ideas tofind new quality.he air we addressed the economy and have besto have them available to reduce the pollution in the air. nowave passed legislation $10 million is passed to promote electrical car use.

again addressing the air quality issues here in the state of utah. the good news is we've improved the air quality. we have a 35% reduction in the last ten years. it is not enough. we need more to do. it shows that we're serious and doing something about it. we're now a ten in the nation and it comes to lead house construction in the united states. also with our commercial billings. things tog a lot of help clean up the air. be.e hot where we need to we've done a lot to get to where we're at today. >> same question for mr. weinholtz or a different question. a vote tote for you clean up the air? >> a vote for me is a vote to up serious about cleaning the air. i can't believe governor herbert is claiming progress in the issue. you in the audience and you at that this is a public health crisis. families and children are

breezing the healthy air. thes not just during emergency season. it is year around. it is ozone issues. you know we have more children asthma who have to stay inside rather than go out for school because of red air days. we have maroon air days, if bad enough. we're pregnant mothers are advised to stay indoors. this is a serious problem that taking seriously enough. economicour development and economy. no company wants to prove here employeesknow their are going to be breathing dirty air. i've had ceo friends and people tell me they don't try to bring new economies partners to utah in the winter anymore because they

get off the plane, they look at the dirty air, and they get back on the plane. we don't even consider moving here. so, we have to get serious about this issue. we have to give the department of environmental quality the authority to enforce, because right now, they lack that. that is the way that we need to get serious about this issue. moderator: thank you, gentlemen. we are not going to do a rebuttal because they are nearly out of time and this question is something that must be important because you both spent time recently visiting areas of the community in salt lake, where there is a homeless population and the problem of homelessness. i am wondering if you feel like we are failing, and why we are failing to try to resolve this important issue. we're going to have mike weinholtz begin answering there and we have one minute and 10 seconds. mr. weinholtz: i believe that the state is not doing enough on homelessness. in fact, they have said to the county and to the cities, you are on your own on this issue. this is a local issue. many times, local solutions are the best answer.

and mayor mcadams in salt lake county and the mayor of the lake -- salt lake city are doing great work to address the homelessness issue in salt lake city, but the state needs to lead out on this because our homelessness problem is getting worse every day. when you drive through those areas, you see more and more homeless people. and by the way, it is directly related to our economy. there aren't enough people able to get good paying jobs. and the other issue, i come back to medicaid expansion again because so many of the homeless people have mental health issues or addiction issues, and if they were receiving the proper treatment, we could get them off the streets. so, the governor and state has to get serious about being a partner to the cities and

counties, rather than leaving them on their own. moderator: governor herbert. gov. herbert: just because we are not perfect as not mean we are not serious. there should at least be summit knowledge meant of the progress being made from where we were when i came into office and where we are today. we have made significant progress. the homeless issue is in fact, a very complex issue. it is not only that people don't have home or a job. they have substance abuse problems and mental health problems, many issues that have to be addressed. some of what is taking place problem, the state state probably has the ability to help facilitate and certainly wants to be a partner, but thought lake county and saltalt lake county and

got to take the lead on this, particularly when it comes to law enforcement problems. we are serious about this. by the way, mike again set it right. this is about economic element. there is a reason why we have 1/3 less poverty here than in other states. we are the best in the nation. i was with bigger brian and others in our -- i was with speaker ryan and others in our congressional delegation and they were touting that we were the best in the nation. our poverty is 1/3 lower, best in the nation. moderator: well, gentlemen, thank you. believe it or not, that concludes our questioning for this evening. we are going to move to a one minute closing. we will give you the opportunity to make a statement. again, before we went on air this evening, we determined governor gary herbert would have the opportunity to do that first. gov. herbert: thank you, and thank you to utah state university. thank you, mike, for being a part of this discussion. let's all get out and vote. that is the first message. utah should lead the nation when it comes to voter turnout. sometimes we can get complacent. we should be humbled and

grateful for our success, proud of our progress. data does not lie. the statistics tell us we are doing very well. why? there are many reasons, but i will give you one illustration. last week i was in weaver county, washington terrace. we had a storm, a tornado, and guess what happened? remarkably, hundreds of people showed up to help their neighbors at a time of stress and trial. they helped clean up, give them a shoulder to cry on, and give them love and support. that is the secret of utah, it is our people. our people are doing great things. work with me, support me, vote for me, and we will work together to make sure utah remains the best place in america to live, had a family, and do business. mr. weinholtz: tonight, you have heard two there different visions, two clear choices for

the future of utah. one is a 26-year career politician who was been governor for seven years and is asking for four more years to do more of the same. i think utah families deserve a better way forward, and now you have a choice. i agree with governor herbert, please vote. the governor has thrown a lot of statistics out there, but data doesn't always equate to how it is affecting people on the ground. and, you know that our economy is not working for everyone. you know there is a better way forward. on funding our classrooms and paying our teachers, there is a better way. on protecting our heritage, yes, there is a better way. building an economy that works for everyone, yes, there is a better way. and i look forward to being your next governor and helping lead you through that better way.

moderator: thank you. our time is up and i do want to thank the candidates, governor gary herbert and mike weinholtz for being with us. i want to thank utah state university, who let us use this wonderful performance hall. the elections are november 8. again, a thank you to you gentlemen for being with us this evening. thank you and good night. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪

♪ >> the election officials let and cyber security specialist will meet on capitol hill this afternoon it to brief on the election system. c-span at 2:00 p.m. on three. you can also listen live on the c-span radio app.

>> coal, gun control, taxes and health care top list of issues at last week's gubernatorial debate in montana. thembent governor debated opponent. >> the montana gubernatorial debate between governor steve bullock and his opponent greg gianforte. the event was sponsored by "the billings gazette" and yelling -- yellowstone public radio. this is just under one hour. ♪ >> the montana gubernatorial debate isnight's taking place at the university of billings. it is sponsored by the billings gazette, yellowstone public

radio, and color eight television. it is also being covered by northern broadcasting. i am the anchor of the statewide morning show, "wake up montana." time,ere not just to keep but to ensure that each candidate equal time. it is the quality of the discussion that matters. i think you can all agree. both candidates have spent time preparing for this debate, so it's only fair that we allow them to do what they came here to do. we ask this large and supportive crowd to go ahead and in supportive of your candidate. however, we are here to hear from the candidate. 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.

i think that can be the tone for tonight. we also ask that you hold your applause until the end of the debate. in order to maximize the amount of time each candidate has to answer the questions. it is time to meet our candidates. [applause] moderator: 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. greg gianforte and his wife raise all four of their children in montana and started right now

technologies, which grew to employees 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] moderator: 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, there will be no rebuttals. we will just let that sink in for a few seconds. no rebuttals. each candidate will also have a 90 second opening statement. it is time to meet our panelists. tom moody, a reporter with "the billings gazette," jackie on the nokia, the news reporter on yellowstone public radio, and greg lamont. a coin flip was done earlier this evening, greg gianforte won

the coin toss and chose to go first with his opening statement and question. so mr. gene forte, go ahead. mr. gianforte: thank you. i am greg gianforte. i'm 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. unfortunately, today, we are 49th in the country in wages, and our kids are leaving, in large part because we have a

failed administration in helena we have seen layoffs across the state, in columbia falls and elsewhere. we have seen two consecutive quarters of declining economy. 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. the current governor deleted all of his e-mails when he was attorney general, and the department of commerce recently awarded a contract in a rigged process to an outsource firm in 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 for hosting this event. for those of you viewing this evening, thanks for choosing us over monday night football. 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. entrepreneurial activities for years in a row. just 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, bill? i apologize for that. i think it was -- mr. gianforte: i think it was a minute. moderator: we will give you 30 more seconds to finish. we will get this down. i am sorry. 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. i think 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 to do so. moderator: thank you. thank you for being forgiving for that end for the audience as well. mr. gianforte: do i get my 32nd?

seconds? moderator: i think you to go of your time. we have gotten the clock issue ready now. we are ready to go. the first question, tom moody of the billings gazette will ask the first question of mr. gianforte. >> the gianforte family spent $1.7has an -- million on groups like the montana family foundation, focused on the family, groups that oppose abortion, gay marriage, as well as nondiscrimination ordinances in local communities. what would you tell montanans worried that their civil rights are at risk if you are elected? mr. gianforte: susan and i 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 blessings 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: thank you. [applause] moderator: did that answer your question? >> 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 more, mr. gianforte? what would you tell montanans who are worried their civil and constitutional rights are at risk if you are elected?

can you address that directly? mr. gianforte: i sort of feel like it's an attack on our christianity and our core base. i would say our first amendment is every clear. it supports freedom of speech and freedom of religion for all montanans, and i will support that right for every montana and. moderator: 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. my opponent, when there was a nondiscrimination 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 two. $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. 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. [applause] moderator: thank you. the next question is from jackie. >> should students and faculty be allowed to carry firearms on montana university system campuses? should public school teachers be able to carry firearms in their classrooms? gov. bullock: 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 actually expanded in montana, not been limited. 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 passing 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 have never abandoned common sense. with local law enforcement officers who protect our communities, they come to me and say, a proposed law on my desk might end up causing concerns for them, their safety and their

community, i listen. i'm always going to use common sense, but by the same token, i'm not going to abandon our local law enforcement. that is not what montana needs. so those are the vetoes i had. andand by law enforcement nobody's going to take your guns away. moderator: the same question for mr. gianforte. should students or faculty be allowed to carry firearms on university of montana campuses? should public school teachers and allowed to carry firearms? mr. gianforte: i want to say clearly i am a strong defender of the second amendment. unfortunately, we are hearing rhetoric from a career 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. my opponent vetoed six gun rights bills in the last two sessions. i believe the second amendment

is very clear, it's is our right to bear arms shall not be infringed. i think that is very clearing and i would defend the constitution on that. [applause] moderator: the next question is from greg lamonte. with color eight. >> when it comes to asking for the trust of voters, you want to be the leader of our state, you want to travel representing our state. 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 an extramarital affair? mr. gianforte: i have not. and i will say that susan and i have been married 28 years. we've raised our four children in bozeman, and those

relationships are precious. and, it's for the families all over montana that i am running. i think family is critically important. it is the building, it is just the bedrock of our society. 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 back 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. that is my focus, put families back together. moderator: thank you. mr. bullock. gov. bullock: i have not.

my wife lisa -- we first met when 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, i -- at saber great school grade school. we just celebrated our 17th anniversary one week ago yesterday. we have a 14, 12 and almost 10-year-old child. moderator: thank you, governor. we will go back to tom moody. >> 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 at the college ended his political career. it was the second time you vouched for walsh's character, 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 audience as well of the two opponents have never had their humvee blown up by an ied. i certainly respect the service -- at the end of the day, look. 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. we've been working on it on a regular basis. sure, 20,000 jobs created in the first four years. we know that there is more to do. jpmorgan said we are the most is -- 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 trained workers along the way. moderator: thank you.

mr. gianforte, what could montanans expect from you as far as vetting people for different positions? mr. gianforte: 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. 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. she was forced out. 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. i think 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 because i resignation

think we need to bring accountability back governor, balancing the budget is your job. it is 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 critically important in montana. [applause] moderator: thank you. the next question from jackie. >> if the montana legislature sent you a bill to allow the citizens of a montana community to vote on a local option sales tax or expanding the existing resorts tax, what action would you take? mr. gianforte: -- one of the things i've learned, i have driven over 50,000 miles all of the state, and i have had the great joys of sitting around peoples kitchens talking.

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 need infrastructure. we need to find ways to fund these. i will say though, i don't think you tax your way to prosperity. too much local tax has gone to helena and have 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. [applause] >> so is that a veto? mr. gianforte: i would have to see the bill. i'm generally opposed to new taxes. moderator: thank you.

governor? gov. bullock: 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'm more than happy to talk about those contracts. to your specific question about a local option sales tax. i've been consistent throughout my career that i am against a general state sales tax, period, and that won't happen on my watch. now, i recognize that in the last legislative session, the billings chamber of commerce, that was their number one priority, 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 sessions 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 appeared that one did not get out of the committee. so as i actually said in billings last week, i think they have a lot of work to do before that is even 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. [applause] moderator: the next question. >> why should your opponent not be elected? [laughter] gov. bullock: ultimately, that is up to voters. we offer a fundamentally

difference in view. montana was named the most fiscally prudent stay in the country. that is not me talking, that is jpmorgan. he would take that, give tax corporations. we would end up with no rainy day fund because not even basic infrastructure, education or other things to 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 could 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. i believe 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 actually the state's chief

executive. i think there are some real differences across the board. but it is up to the voters. i am pleased with the things we have been able to get done. i am pleased we've made record investments in education and we have seen have been able to get done. rec. we are number one --the state when it comes to in the country we are the number one state in the country when it comes to new business. [applause] moderator: the same question for you. mr. gianforte: this is what you get from a career politician. you get a bunch of lies. [booing] mr. gianforte: this is my first time in politics. running for public office. i've always been a businessperson. i spent my whole career creating jobs in montana. to hear somebody tear that down, it hurts a little bit. but i will say, we have created that are outcomes and i'm proud

of that record there is a big difference -- one thing i agree with the governor on, there is a big difference in our outlook -- i believe jobs and opportunity are created in the private sector, not by government, and what we need to do is make it easier for individual businesses to start and grow here. unfortunately today, as i've traveled the state, i have heard from small businesses. they are covered up in 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: thank you. [applause] moderator: tom. >> mr. gianforte, you proposed 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 out 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 for 06. it is very simple. the 4 stands for illuminating the business equipment tax in four years. 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. you asked a very good question though, tom. how do we pay for it? we pay for it by slowing the growth of government. 406 calls forn zero growth in state government and zero sales tax. 20% growth 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. and then the six 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. [applause] moderator: thank you. gov. bullock: the tax foundation says we have this six the best overall business tax clement in -- climate in the nation. i worked with democrats and republicans and we eliminated the business equipment tax for two thirds of the company that pay it and gave a cut to all of them. right now, if his plan came through, yellowstone county would lose $24 million. those are the dollars that go to your fire departments, schools. other things. that is what the business equipment taxes 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. so, we have made real progress along the way, but i don't want to be new jersey, eight credit downgrading this in five years.

i don't want to be kansas when 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. [applause] moderator: the next question from jackie for governor bullock. >> what is your position on using money from the coal tax trust fund whether it is from the corporate or a sub trust to specifically help the revenues of coal strip deal with the decline of coal and coal-fired power plants? gov. bullock: coal is an important part of montana.

it has been and we need to make sure that it continues to be. 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 out, as my opponent knows, i 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. so, we do have to find ways to make sure that community stays strong. now whether we raid the coal , severance tax trust, i don't think that's a good idea, but finding the funding streams to

help that out, and i've worked with economic development folks lately 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. [applause] moderator: mr. gianforte, what is your position on using the coal severance tax trust? to help cool strip and its residents? mr. gianforte: i have been out to coal strip five times in the last year. i stand with 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. these outrageous regulations coming out of the epa are really threatening our national -- natural resources. i do think we ought to be using some of the coal trust fund to fund infrastructure. this is another area where the governor and i differ. sometimes we differ and sometimes we're on the same page because he keeps flip-flopping. the governor campaigned on infrastructure in 2012 and vetoed infrastructure funding in 2015 and vetoed it again. now the exact bill that would of the used the cool trust funds to veto, he has pulled out of the trash can and it is his idea. the bill from senator ripley that would use some of the coal trust fund for infrastructure i am supportive of, and i would back that. [applause]

moderator: the next question is for mr. gianforte. >> 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 is 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? mr. gianforte: yes. we can apply new technology to burn coal cleanly. as governor, i would fight to push back on the federal overreach that is threatening coal strip and i would also work to bring -- unfortunately, we have had decisions made by out-of-state firms. there are refineries right here in billings, our minds need reliable, low-cost power. and i would be working to bring that ownership back into the state so 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 of it. i was in butte a little while back, and i asked the students, how many of you -- i talked about, don't let anybody ever tell you anything is impossible, and you can prosper in montana. you should've seen them come alive. mr. gianforte, can you tell me how to prosper? because it was not something they had heard before. i want to deliver that message of hope to that 10-year-old. [applause] gov. bullock: i would say to that 10-year-old, yeah, you do have a future in montana and

in 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 two weeks ago. the u.s. department of energy fossil fuels department met with coal companies ceos saying, we know there have been more technological changes in that kid's lifetime in a cell phone than in how we generate power. why do i have to go up to canada to see a project where what 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 the state.

but how we do it is we bring people together to find the solutions. we know there 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. the differences, i've been working on a plan to bring people together. my opponent does not have a plan. [applause] moderator: the next question is from tom. >> i've been following the numbers released this month. the university of montana expects to 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? gov. bullock: there are some great things happening in our university system, and if you look at 46 states since the recession, we've been investing less in higher education on average. 17%. montana is one of four across actually the country who have actually increased our investments. we have frozen college tuition 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. now think about what has , happened in other states. and the model to give tax cuts to out-of-state corporations. 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. or 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 is frustrating to others. i wouldn't say that it is a 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 the state. [applause] moderator: mr. gianforte, what grade do you give their handling of the montana university systems enrollment situation? mr. gianforte: i think better is always possible.

education is in area where i focus an awful lot of the energy. probably more energy on education the and any other areas. this is why i rolled out 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 lives the degrees that are available at u of montana and 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. our construction, manufacturing needs skilled labor, and not everybody needs a four-year degree to succeed. that is why we started a scholarship program for veterans and lower income montanans to get the skills. [applause] moderator: jackie has the next question. >> the health care bill known as the help act, which included and -- a medicaid expansion provision set to sunset on june 30, 2019. what is your evaluation of the program and should be continued? mr. gianforte: health care is one of the top four issues to come up when i have traveled across the state.

and the principle here is 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. in net -- in that we have seen massive increases 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 doctor on demand. i think technology is part of the solution to bring these costs down. [applause] 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 act, and working against many of one of thecans was 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. i think we can do innovation, and we had been working on it. in addition to help act. 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. [applause]

moderator: thank you. greg, your question. >> as i understand it, the phs accounts for a big part of montana's expenditure. which obviously is a pretty big chunk. i am also told by those in the note that there is a tremendous amount of duplication, bymanagement, and waste various entities within it that are doing the same, for communications and morale. in some cases, no services. under your leadership, are you going to do anything? gov. bullock: look, the department of public health and human services, there were not a lot of specifics in a question. i can think one of the challenges is how we take care of some of our most vulnerable children.

children in protective care services where even two years ago, the case management system was a dos system. i brought that up in my address, saying at there has to be additional funding along the way to make sure we are taking care of our most vulnerable. i brought people together to protect the montana kids commission and say, let us address this. and let us take a closer look administratively, as well. they address our most honorable -- vulnerable populations across the state. i always try to figure out ways where we can go from department to department. we're talking about the health act, it is not just dhhs that administers it. we actually have ties to the department of labor as well. we're always working to create better opportunities that only for all of montana but for the

vulnerable population that is served. [applause] mr. gianforte: i think we have tremendous opportunity for improvement. the first step is first to, -- who, then what. i think we have dedicated workers in all of our state agencies but today they are not led well. we have someone leading the dhhs that previously led dh queue. i don't know how that qualified him for the job. we have someone running the department of labor who is never -- who hasifles. never had employees. i think it would make sense 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 and 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, but there's some in the paper recently. auditors at dhhs have been fired because they blew whistles on fraud. that is not right. i would back up the state workers who identify room for room for improvement. the governor talks about this great bipartisan relationship he has brought together in helena. that does not line up with the truth. he has vetoed more bills than any governor in a history of the state. i do not call that bipartisanship. [applause] moderator: our next question is from tom. >> you say you have a moral obligation to help refugee

families apart by radical islamic terrorists. that -- whereay is the obligation of which you seek help, because it sounds like you are proposing we do not do anything. mr. gianforte: i think as a nation we have always been a giving nation and we have served any places. the we have to recognize 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 islamic terrorism. just this past weekend, we saw three attacks on our soil, a knifing in minnesota and two explosions in new york and new jersey. even obama's head of cia has said that radical islamic terrorists are using the refugee programs to infiltrate our country. 31 states have taken steps to not settle refugees in their communities. i think we have an obligation to help, but is not include settling them here.

and i would defend the safety of montana's citizens from unvented refugees. [applause] moderator: governor. gov. bullock: as a governor and a father, and security -- safety and security of our communities is paramount. i don't say that in the abstract. the attorney general, the state's chief law enforcement officer, as that not only did i deal with some of the most heinous rhymes as a long was an officer, but i had to deal with families whose children had been murdered. i understand these concerns. let me be clear, there will be

no unvetted refugees coming to montana. period. i'm not sure my opponent fully understands the role of governor. you have to take responsibility. governor chris christie, said, i'm going to get the state out of the refugee business. they spent money on refugee relocation. guess what, syrian refugees are still coming to new jersey. chris christie and law enforcement do not know where they are. that is not responsible leadership. [applause] moderator: jackie, your question. >> during the 2015 legislative session, numerous montana university system and public school officials testified about substandard electrical wiring,

crumbling roofs, i could go on and on. but i won't. are these buildings obsolete? gov. bullock: we gathered and $10 million was dedicated to the science center at the university of billings. that is why i do have one that was not defeated. it died on the last day of the ,egislature by one vote one vote where folks talked about making sure i did not get a win in helena.

this is not about wins and a.sses and helen appeare the state has obligations. it cannot be put on the private sector if this is our public universities. are setting off with sender brandon. what he talked about was another bill that was vetoed. it would've not created any jobs and this would not have happened over the next two years. so a decadea trust from now that you do not have political folks telling you about it. trustk the build montana is an important piece. >> thank you, governor. what is the responsibility for the state to support these buildings?

gianforte: it has not gotten done under the current governor could it just did not get done. i think about the families, particularly those on fixed income who are struggling to ike monthly payments and think there has to be a priority of infrastructure and it starts with water, bridges, and sewer. it seems like eastern montana has been forgotten by helen helena. there's a lot more we can do here. part of the problem is that my opponent is really -- let me say it this way, what we need to pay for infrastructure is a strong economy. i have spent my entire career creating jobs so that people can prosper.

no matter what the good thing is we want, education, and percent infrastructure, health care, we indeed a strong infrastructure to pay for, but we have made it extremely difficult for small business people to get started. that will be my focus. moderator: thank you. we come to the time of the evening where we have one final question. greg, that is for you to ask. a quick change for timing purposes. you will each have one minute to answer the question. >> another one of those handwriting on the wall questions. as we look to the future of montana and we see the uncertain future of coal, the financial

stability of the state is starting to look a little grim. what is a realistic remedy for that loss of money? mr. gianforte: you ask exactly the right question. we need a strong economy to have a tax base. it includes responsible development of natural resources. unfortunately my upon of opponent talked about cool strip , but those people of funded his campaign. we have also seen federal overreach that has constricted our natural resources. i would fight to get them going again. his department has not issued a new mining permit. there's not gotten one in over 20 years. we could responsibly develop natural resources. agriculture is our number one industry in the state. we need to do more with value-added.

we started the whole technology revolution in the state and we created -- there are over 300 high-tech jobs created. it's an all the above strategy in the private sector. moderator: thank you. governor bullock? gov. bullock: just briefly on the contributions. i received contributions from 7500 montanans and i have received contributions from coal company ceos. continually betting against , the fifth fastest growing gdp in the nation right here in montana. the fourth year in a row with most business startups. across the companies state. we have incredible growth in so many sectors and we continue to build upon it by investing in public education, a great equalizer, something my opponent

has called a monopoly in groups he works with call it immoral. we continue to do work with our two-year and four-year colleges to make sure the pipeline of talent and trained workers are available for any employer who wants to come here and build opportunities. there are great opportunities here in montana and i'm pleased about that. [applause] moderator: thank you. that concludes our debate tonight. i would like to take this moment to thank both of our candidates for taking the time to join us this evening. thank you for watching the clock so closely. we want to thank our panel for their time in researching the topics for evening's questions. we also want to thank msu for hosting the debate and thank you all of you for being here tonight and taking the time to learn about the candidate and the issues. and for following directions pretty darn well.

for the "billings gazette" and wake up montana, i wish you all a good night. ♪ >> go to c-span.org, your primary source for presidential on your desktop, phone, or tablet. access the content you want immediately and use the clipping tool to share your moments on social media. get your favorite moments on c-span and c-span.org. >> election officials in cyber security specialist will meet on capitol hill to brief lawmakers on cyber threats to the u.s. election system. live coverage at 2:30 p.m. eastern on c-span3. you can listen live on the c-span radio at.

oopp. [applause] >> yesterday was national voter registration day and hillary clinton talked to supporters at wake technical community college in raleigh, north carolina about the importance of getting out to vote. this is just under an hour. ms. bonaventure: good afternoon, everyone. i said, good afternoon everyone. [applause] ms. bonaventure: my kids did not think that would work. it did. good afternoon. my name is christine bonaventure. i am the proud parent of three wonderful children and i'm a graduating member of the wake tech nursing class of 2016. i just graduated in may. [applause] ms. bonaventure: so, i just want to share a little bit of my story with you today. a couple of years back, i underwent a very difficult stage

in my life, not unlike any of you probably here today. i was newly divorced, sick of my everyday grind, struggling to support my family. i continued to spiral deeper and deeper into a place of depression and in the summer of 2014, i tried not once, but twice to take my own life. but i survived. [applause] ms. bonaventure: and out of that dark place i found a bright willingness to keep moving forward. i decided at that time i needed a change. i had been interested in becoming a nurse for a few years. toyed with it back and forth, but i could not take out any additional loans because i was still paying back loans for my first degree.

thankfully, i bumped into wake tech community college. give it up. [applause] ms. bonaventure: wake tech is an institution that provides a variety of resources and scholarship opportunities to help students like me obtained a degree. later, with the help of a $1000 mature woman's scholarship from the woman's club, i was able to begin this new chapter in my life. [applause] ms. bonaventure: now, $1000 does go a long way. but i still had to put in a lot of work to see this through. a typical day for me involved getting up about 7:00 in the morning, getting the kids ready for school, going to school

myself, leaving class at noon, doing a half day of subbing from 12:30 to about 4:00 then heading over to a restaurant to 5:00 to waitress until about 9:00, maybe 10:00. come home, see my kids sleeping, take a nap, wake up at 3:00, study until 7:00. that was my day. [applause] ms. bonaventure: of course i had to enlist the help of my two kids, my two brilliant daughters and my son. with them we were able to pull off off as a family unit to get me to where i am today. now i have the privilege and the joy of working as a cardiac nurse at duke regional hospital. [applause]

ms. bonaventure: every day -- well, three days a week -- i touch the lives of those in need. suffice to say that these past few years have not been easy. but with the affordable college option that wake tech has to offer through the strength of my friends and family network, and the willingness to work hard, i was able to start over. while there is so much at stake in this election for americans across the country, for me, it is pretty simple. we need a leader who will stand up for families like mine and make it easier for people like me to achieve their professional aspiration. that leader is hillary clinton. [applause]

ms. bonaventure: throughout her career, hillary has consistently put families first. as a working mother, i sincerely appreciate her strong effort to fight for paid family leave and increase the minimum wage. i admire her commitment to building an economy that works for everyone. not just those on top, but everyone. [applause] ms. bonaventure: she has worked, she will continue to work to expand access to the quality health care, safe and affordable housing costs, and reliable transportation that families need in order to succeed across this great nation. [applause] ms. bonaventure: that's right. hillary is also committed to

helping people from all walks of life realize their dreams of going to college. she knows that the cost of education makes it difficult for many students, including myself and soon my children, who will be going to college in the next few years, to see a path to a better life for a new career. that is why i am excited that hillary has put forward plans to invest in our nation's community colleges and break down the barrier costs by making college debt-free for those who cannot afford it. everybody should be clapping right now. [applause] ms. bonaventure: so today, it is my great pleasure -- i'm going to say it again -- it is my great pleasure and i am so

honored to welcome to the stage -- i am going to cry -- welcome to the stage a woman who knows that we are stronger and have the experience and the bold vision we need to affect real positive change in the communities across the country. this is my last sentence, i'm going to say it without crying. ladies and gentlemen, please join me in giving a warm welcome to the next president of the united states, hillary clinton! [applause] ♪

sec. clinton: thank you. boy, wow, thank you. [crowd chanting "hillary"] sec. clinton: wow. [cheers and applause]

sec. clinton: did anybody see that debate last night? [applause] sec. clinton: oh, yes. one down, two to go. [applause] sec. clinton: i am so excited to be back here at wake tech. i was here eight years ago and i was so impressed then with the kinds of programs and opportunities that are offered here to people like christine that i wanted to come back to raleigh, but i wanted to come back here to wake tech. when christine was talking, i was backstage watching her on the screen. she kept saying how she was about to cry -- i was about to cry.

you know, her story says so much, not just about her, but about our country. we are a country of second chances and third and fourth changes for people willing to work for them, get up every day, do their best. that is the basi basis of our america. i was really proud of christine. >> we are proud of you. sec. clinton: thank you. [applause] sec. clinton: and i think her patients at duke regional are in for a treat. not only the skills that she learned here at wake tech but that personality, the get up and go personality, will mean a lot to the people she is taking care of. christine, thank you. godspeed. [applause] sec. clinton: now, i have to thank dr. stephen scott, president of wake tech community

college. [applause] sec. clinton: all the administrators, the faculty and the students of wake tech. [applause] sec. clinton: now, dr. scott told me the enrollment is about 73,000. what a tribute to what this institution represents. and i am a huge, huge supporter. [laughter] sec. clinton: you know, i just see america differently. i think there is nothing we can't do if we make up our rol roll up our sleeves, support people like christine and that is what i intend to do. i want to thank mayor mcfarlane, thank you so much for being

here. [applause] sec. clinton: state senator dan blue junior. , [applause] sec. clinton: i also want to recognize linda coleman, candidate for lieutenant governor of north carolina. linda came so close last time. this time, are you going to bring her over the finish line? [applause] sec. clinton: and i'll tell you somebody else i'm really excited about -- that is the democratic candidate for the senate, former state representative debra ross. [applause] sec. clinton: i have watched the campaign she has run and the intensity and the incredible passion that she brings to it. i tell you what, we sure could use her in washington representing north carolina.

[applause] sec. clinton: i want to thank all the elected officials who are here. i want to do a special, a special shout out to a longtime friend of my husband's and mine, somebody we admire so much who did really transform this state during his governorship, that is former governor jim hunt. [applause] sec. clinton: there is a lot that i want to talk about today, but let me start with this because you may or may not know -- today is national voter registration day. [applause] sec. clinton: and you see some signs people are holding -- i will vote.

now, that is not only a great sign that shows you are committed to vote, but it is a website. and you can go to i will vote.com to make sure you're registered. and i hope you all will. and i hope you will tell everybody that you know to do the same, because we want to make sure people are registered. there is still time to get registered here in north carolina. and i hope that you will, because think about everything that is at stake in this election. right here in north carolina, the very mean-spirited, wrongheaded decision by your legislature and governor to have s and sign house bill 2 has hurt the state.

but more than that it has hurt people. it has sent a message to so many people that, well, you are not really wanted, you are not really part of us. i think the american dream is big enough for everybody. [applause] sec. clinton: the other thing that, the other thing that your governor and legislature did is everything they could to make voting harder for people. now, they were pretty blatant about it. make it harder for people of color. make it harder for the elderly. make it harder for the young. now, some of that has been rolled back, thankfully, because it was so wrong. and i would argue unconstitutional. [applause] sec. clinton: but the best way

to show, hey, in a democracy like ours, we could have the most vigorous, vibrant debate. that is what it is about. but we want everybody to exercise his or her right to vote. that is the way we are supposed to be making decisions. it distorts our democracy if some groups of people tried to prevent other people from being able to do that. now, i have won elections and i have lost elections, so i know what the difference is. but i will tell you this -- i believe in what our founders established for us. to govern ourselves, to continue to widen the circle of opportunity, and that includes the opportunity to be heard, to express yourself, your voice and your vote. and the best way to reaffirm our commitment to that fundamental

bedrock american value is to show up and vote. and demonstrate the importance of your vote. [applause] sec. clinton: i believe that we may have a record-setting turnout in this election. [applause] sec. clinton: some folks who follow this are saying we could have the biggest turnout we have ever had. now, that kind of makes sense because you could not have two more different visions about where we want our country to go in the future. and who we are fighting for. but early information is actually quite encouraging. we are seeing spikes in early voting and we are seeing voting rates among african-americans, latinos, and young people going up.

[applause] sec. clinton: and for the first time, the estimate is that young people could represent 25% of the vote. [applause] sec. clinton: now, i would love to see that. obviously i would hope people vote for me, but i would love to see that because every election is about the future, and honestly, it is more about the future of young people and children than it has ever been because of the difference in the approaches and the experiences of me and my opponent. now, last night, i got a chance -- [applause] sec. clinton: i got a chance to

say a few things about what i would want to do if i am fortunate enough to be your president. i do have this old-fashioned idea that if i am asking for your vote, i should tell you what i want to do. [applause] sec. clinton: and i also got to convey my excitement about what we can do together. you see, i really think the central question in this election is what kind of country we want to be and what kind of future we want to build for our children and our grandchildren. i think about that a lot. in part because i started out working for the children defense fund, that has always been my passion, about what we can do to help more kids live up to their god-given potential. and during this campaign, people

have asked me, how did you get interested in that? the simple answer is my mother had such a neglected childhood, she was basically abandoned by her parents, sent to live with grandparents who did not want her. by the age of 14 she was out on her own, working in a home, babysitting, keeping house. she was basically a maid. when i think about my mother's own life and how she told me when i was old enough to understand how different her life was than the one that she created for me and my brothers, she would say she was so often saved by the kindness of other people. you know, we overlook the importance of just how we treat each other.

the respect we show, the kindness, the love that we show. [applause] sec. clinton: and i am well aware that is not something you put necessarily on a campaign website, but i have been talking about it because i think that we have got to reassert our fundamental connection to each other. you know, when my mother was in first grade, she never had any food. and her first grade teacher noticed that in those days, they just brought little bags of food and they would sit in the classroom and eat it. my mother never had any food. that first grade teacher noticed that and begin to bring extra food, but without embarrassing her. she would say, dorothy, i brought too much food. would you like the sandwich,

would you like this milk? and it was not until she herself was much older that my mother realized that that teacher fed her for that school year, something she did not have to do. but her love for her students, her recognition of a child who was not well taken care of meant that she stepped in. but her love for her students, recognition of a child who was not well taken care of meant that she stepped in. then when my mother worked as a maid, she really want to go to high school. she started working right before you would have been in high school because she had to get