Governor’s debate had some feisty moments

By STEVE BRAWNER

The Arkansas TV governor’s debate started with a joke about an old controversy and ended with a brief but civil handshake. There were some feisty moments in between.

The debate covered Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ LEARNS educational reform law, the death penalty, Medicaid expansion and other topics. With Sanders on stage were Democratic candidate Sen. Fred Love, D-Mabelvale, and Libertarian candidate Colt Shelby.

You can watch it on YouTube on Arkansas TV’s channel and elsewhere. 

The joke came from Shelby in the debate’s first moments. Glancing in Sanders’ direction, he acted as if he would lean on his lectern and then said, “Oh, I’d better not do that. I hear these are pretty expensive these days.”

In case you’ve forgotten, he was referring to a controversy from a couple of years ago about a $19,000 lectern her office had purchased.

Shelby maintained his pointed criticisms throughout the debate. Sanders more or less stuck to the script, which is not a criticism, except by passionately defending Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward when Shelby said he traveled too much. She said he’s a reserve Marine serving his country. 

In the middle stood Love, who at one point said, “I’m glad I’m between these two.”

A few highlights …

– Sanders said it was necessary to transform the state’s education system through her LEARNS Act. Its education freedom accounts (EFAs) provide $7,208 this year for private and homeschooling expenses. It also increased starting public school teacher salaries to $50,000 and hired 120 literacy coaches for failing schools. 

Love and Shelby didn’t agree. Love repeated a previous pledge to issue an executive order to repeal the accounts, which he may not can actually do. He said the state should invest in child care, literacy, free lunches and mental health services. Shelby said Arkansas is primarily a rural state and called for scaling back the EFAs.

– The Trump administration is not renewing the waiver that allows Arkansas to use Medicaid dollars to purchase private insurance for lower income beneficiaries. Sanders said the issue will be a focus of the next legislative session. She said the coverage must be accessible but also affordable for taxpayers. She noted she created a work requirement for Medicaid recipients.

Love said Arkansas must invest in Medicaid, and Shelby said the state should not have waited until now to prepare for the possible loss of of the waiver. They both said Arkansas should join the other 49 states in extending Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to one year, which Sanders has resisted.

– The candidates were asked about Tennessee’s recent botched attempt to execute a female prisoner.

Sanders said she believes in justice for victims and noted she signed a law to make executions available by other means when the state didn’t have access to death penalty drugs. 

Administering the death penalty is “one of the most difficult, challenging things that any governor can face,” she said. Although she has not done it herself, she would know. Her dad, who with her mom was in the audience, carried out the sentence numerous times. It anguished him, and it would her as well. 

Love said he has leaned toward opposing the death penalty in the past but as governor would consider it case by case. Shelby said he supports the death penalty and would add the firing squad as a method.

– Regarding prisons, Sanders said her administration has opened 1,500 beds, but law enforcement says the state still lacks capacity. Rehabilitation and mental health programs also are needed. Love said he didn’t plan on building any more space and that better child care would improve literacy rates and eventually reduce the prison population. Shelby’s entrance into politics came in response to Sanders’ plan to build a prison in Franklin County near his home. He called that plan’s failure “one of the biggest defeats of any governor in the history of Arkansas.”

Sometimes it’s obvious who won a debate, as when President Biden performed so poorly against President Trump that it drove him from the race. 

But most reactions to a debate are subjective. Most viewers probably thought their favored candidate did the best. 

And in fact, all of them communicated their points well. Sanders came across as gubernatorial, and Love made his points effectively and stayed above the fray. 

Shelby made himself a presence in this debate and was already a presence in the campaign. In fact, he is the most effective third party candidate in Arkansas in many years. If he wins 3% of the vote, the Libertarians will automatically qualify for the ballot next election cycle without having to collect signatures. He will get more than 3%.

After the debate, the three shook hands briefly but civilly. 

They obviously did not become friends, but that’s OK. It’s a blessing enough to live in a country where our leaders ask for our votes peacefully from behind a lectern.

CORRECTION. My previous column should have referred to the Cooperative Extension Service’s online voter guide as “thorough” and “balanced.” 

Steve Brawner’s column is syndicated to 24 news outlets in Arkansas. Email him at brawnersteve@mac.com.