Where do Tennessee's candidates for governor stand on key issues?

Staff report | USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

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What would be your top priority for education? How would you finance it?

Republican U.S. Rep. Diane Black: "I will invest more in career and technical education (CTE) in high school and the higher education level. A traditional four-year college education is not for everyone, and we can’t let our kids be without a skill or a pathway. It’s time our state’s budget reflects that with meaningful investments in CTE."

Republican Randy Boyd: "My top priority is completing the Drive to 55 by 2025. One key element in doing so is increasing opportunity for students to graduate with both a high school diploma and a job-ready credential at the same time. We can do this by re-prioritizing existing funding."

Republican state Rep. Beth Harwell: "After the problems we’ve experienced over the last few school years, solving the issues with our testing program needs to be a high priority. We can’t track our students’ progress and make improvements if we can’t rely on our testing software to work properly."

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Republican Bill Lee: "We need real vocational, technical, and agricultural education in our public schools and we don’t need a massive, costly government project to do it. We have willing partners in the private sector. I know, because I’ve done it in my company, which employs hundreds of skilled tradesmen. We created our own technical school that led to great careers."

Democrat Karl Dean: "We need to pay our teachers more by making education a priority in the budget every year. I’ve always worked on budgets the same way you would cut a pie. Your priorities get the largest piece and even in tough times you protect your priorities."

Democrat state Rep. Craig Fitzhugh: "My top priority is to make sure children are reading at grade level by the third grade. Shortly behind that is increasing teacher pay and making sure students are ready for post-secondary education/training. Part of the funding could be obtained through the Education Endowment bill that I passed in the House."

What would be your top priority to reduce the number of Tennesseans addicted to opioids?

Black: "My first priority is to prosecute pill mills. As governor, I will hold over-prescribers accountable. I will have a zero-tolerance policy and harsher penalties for opioid traffickers. I will remove obstacles to proven treatment, and I will encourage drug manufacturers to include emetics, which make drugs vomit-inducing at overdose levels."

Boyd: "I’ve issued a comprehensive 10-point plan on how I plan to deal with the opioid crisis and that plan includes three key strategies: mobilize all state resources, prevention through education and prescription reduction, and expand treatment and recovery options. Expanding treatment options is key to helping heal our state."

Harwell: "I would look to expand our efforts from this year by committing more funding to treatment — for both the general population and those incarcerated. I would evaluate the programs we passed this year that limit the amount of opioids to ensure we are seeing results and not just unintended consequences."

Lee: "The opioid epidemic is hurting our state, particularly in our rural areas. No family is immune. As governor, I will restructure our state’s TennCare program to fund and reward investments in prevention. I’ll partner with providers, nonprofits, and faith-leaders across the state and we’ll fight this epidemic together."

Dean: "As governor I would look to do four things: creating a public campaign that educates people on the dangers of opioids, ensuring that people addicted to opioids get the treatment they need, supporting law enforcement to arrest those who are illegally profiting from opioids and eliminating the over-prescription of narcotics."

Fitzhugh: "We have to educate doctors and patients on alternative therapies for pain. We have cases of opioids being prescribed for toothaches the same way you would for a severe back injury. We also need to target treatment for addiction and enforce the laws that we passed this legislative session."

Do you favor expanding Medicaid? If not, how would you boost access to health care for the uninsured?

Black: "No, I will work with President Trump and the federal government to get a block grant for Medicaid. I will propose we invest in our county health departments so they can function as primary care providers, with a system that provides health care based on ability to pay."

Boyd: "I do not support Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. But as governor, on day one of my administration I will aggressively advocate for block grant funding for Medicaid so that Tennesseans have the opportunity to design the best system for Tennessee, not more Washington, D.C., mandates."

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Harwell: "No, I do not support expanding Medicaid. The Trump administration has made clear that it is willing to work with the states to design plans that work best for them and the people that need coverage, and I would certainly like to explore those options, including additional coverage for those with behavioral health diagnoses with cost triggers in place to ensure we do not exceed budget constraints. That was a recommendation of a task force I created, and I think it has merit."

Lee: "No, Obamacare will not expand in Tennessee under my watch. Health care costs are skyrocketing, and that would make it even worse. Throughout our health care system, there are no incentives for reducing costs or investing in prevention. We have to address those core issues first."

Dean: "Yes. My biggest health care priority would be making sure all Tennesseans have access to quality and affordable health care. We need to make sure people are covered and covered cost effectively. The solution has to work for both sides of the aisle and take advantage of our share of federal dollars."

Fitzhugh: "I do favor expanding Medicaid. I have pushed for expansion for five years, and my office has tracked Tennessee’s lost funds of $2.5 million a day, now standing at over $4 billion. Our state leads the nation in per capita hospital closures, putting our communities at risk."

What, if any, changes would you seek in the criminal justice system?

Black: "As governor, we will have truth in sentencing. If a criminal is sentenced to serve five years, they will serve five years. I will empower law enforcement with the resources they need to combat drugs and gangs and to partner with ICE."

Boyd: "One of the first things I would like to see changed is how we treat those with obvious mental illness and drug addiction problems. Instead of simply pushing these people into jail, I believe we can find better ways of dealing with nonviolent offenders like through recovery courts."

Harwell: "I would like to continue the work we started with the Juvenile Justice Reform Act this year. If we can get juvenile offenders into treatment and educational programs earlier, it will go a long way to preventing them from entering the criminal justice system as adults. I also believe the next governor will need to review the criminal code to work toward truth in sentencing."

Lee: "I’ve been involved with prison ministries for a long time, including groups like Men of Valor, and their recidivism rate is dramatically better than the state and national average. We need to partner with nonprofit and faith-based groups like this who are getting better results than the state alone."

Dean: "I would look to bring a panel of experts together to review what can be done. The bottom line is the majority of people in jail are going to get out and be introduced back into society. So we need to provide them with the resources to better their lives and remain out of the criminal justice system."

Fitzhugh: "We are arresting too many people for low-level drug crimes, and these convictions are following people who are trying to rebuild their lives for too long. Let’s focus on serious crimes, and also reduce our dependence on private, for-profit prisons."

Do you support continued use of incentives to attract businesses and jobs to Tennessee?

Black: "Yes, I will make sure the world knows that Tennessee is open for business, and that every Tennessean who wants a job has one. Unlike the last administration, the state’s Economic and Community Development department on my watch will prioritize homegrown Tennessee businesses and spend less of your money on expensive foreign recruitment trips."

Boyd: "Incentives can be an important tool for business recruitment when administered properly. As commissioner of Economic and Community Development we made certain that incentives were tied to accountability, transparency and produced a great return for taxpayers. Accountability, transparency, and a great return on investment are the keys."

Harwell: "The best incentive we can offer is to continue to make Tennessee the best state to run a business in. We’ve done a lot to make our state more attractive to major manufacturers, including creating a stable legal environment for business by reforming worker and employment compensation laws. I think there are many additional ways we can improve our laws and cut taxes on other industries."

Lee: "While I’d welcome potential deals to attract businesses to Tennessee, we should be wary of entering into bad deals. I believe a job created in Tennessee is better than a job brought to Tennessee. The best way to create and attract jobs is to have low taxes and an environment where business can thrive."

Dean: "Yes. Incentives aren’t always popular but the reality is they are critical to remaining competitive when attracting jobs. There are two ways to bring revenue into the state. You can either raise taxes or grow your economy by making investments that will create jobs. My priority will be to grow our economy."

Fitzhugh: "Tennessee attracts a great number of businesses because of our great quality of life, low taxes and central location in regards to the rest of the nation. I believe the best incentive for continuing to attract businesses is to ensure we have a highly educated workforce. I passed a bill that makes sure that any job incentives we provide must be tracked to show actual gains, and if they are not obtained clawback provisions would get that money back for the state."

Should the governor and top staff, including the Cabinet, be subject to additional economic disclosures — including personal income — to avoid conflicts of interest? Why?

Black: "Yes, I believe in transparency. That’s why I was the first Republican candidate in the race to release my tax information. I intend to serve the people of Tennessee well and continue to be transparent as governor."

Boyd: "I believe in transparency and openness at every level of government and would support measures that make our state government more open and transparent."

Harwell: "Sunshine is the best disinfectant, and if there is a need for more disclosure to ensure there aren’t conflicts of interest, that should be explored. We need Tennesseans to have confidence in their leaders."

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Lee: "Tennessee taxpayers need to know that their elected officials don’t have conflicts of interest and aren’t in a position to enrich themselves while they’re in office. Prudent financial disclosures make sense while still protecting privacy. In addition, I believe term limits for lawmakers and lobbying bans on top executive officials and lawmakers can also help."

Dean: "Yes. In the mayor’s office in Nashville all employees were subject to economic disclosures and I see no reason why we wouldn’t do the same at the state level."

Fitzhugh: "The governor and his/her staff have a duty to do what is in the best interest of the state, not their own self-interest. They should disclose any conflicts that may arise in their duties when working for the taxpayers. Our campaign was one of the first to disclose our finances."

If faced with a revenue shortfall and a recession, how would you balance the state’s budget? Look to increase revenue or make department cuts?

Black: "I will conduct an efficiency review of every department and cut waste and duplication. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, I passed the most conservative budget in decades, and I will fight to do the same for the state of Tennessee."

Boyd: "As a businessman and not a career politician I know what it takes to make tough budgetary decisions and how to manage a payroll. In Tennessee we can’t simply print more money like they do in Washington. I’ll follow a simple philosophy — we won’t spend more than we make."

Harwell: "I have been in the legislature to help manage our state through downturns. Cutting the size of government should always be the solution. When there is a downturn, people are hurting, too — they don’t need higher taxes to make things worse. We can find ways to live within our means."

Lee: "I’ve led my company through a recession, and I know good economic times are when you plan for the future, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. I’ll do the same in government. Faithful stewardship means you don’t wait for a shortfall to act. I’ll look for efficiencies in government on day one."

Dean: "We need to ensure our state has a healthy reserve fund to put Tennessee in the best position possible in case of another economic downturn. During my first term as mayor we went into a deep recession. We made cuts where we needed but we also protected our priorities: education, public safety and job growth."

Fitzhugh: "Our state workers are the backbone of any success we have. I would take every measure to keep from cutting vitally important positions, and to maximize our revenues to implement and sustain the programs we need."

Gubernatorial candidates speak on DACA and higher education Gubernatorial candidates speak on DACA and higher education at the gubernatorial forum

Do you favor in-state tuition for immigrants living in Tennessee who entered the country illegally as children?

Black: "No, if the legislature passed a bill giving in-state tuition to illegal immigrants I would veto it."

Boyd: "No, I do not support in-state tuition for those here illegally."

Harwell: "No."

Lee: "No. I believe providing benefits to those who are here illegally is unfair to American citizens, and it does not help address the problem of illegal immigration. I will also oppose sanctuary cities and enforce the rule of law."

Dean: "These students were brought to this country as young children. And just like my own three children, they grew up here and went to school and church here. They are Tennesseans. Denying them access to in-state tuition is denying them access to opportunity."

Fitzhugh: "I do favor in-state tuition for these students because they are in-state students in Tennessee. They have lived, worked and attended school. This is their home. Their parents pay the same sales tax as everyone else, and these students will contribute greatly in their careers to our state."

Rural Tennessee gubernatorial forum full event The full event of the gubernatorial forum on rural Tennessee featuring Craig Fitzhugh, Karl Dean, Bill Lee and Randy Boyd.

Do you favor increased funding for expanding broadband access to rural areas?

Black: "I do. Rural communities need access to rural broadband now. It is as important to this generation as rural electrification was to the Greatest Generation. As governor, it will be my priority to have fast, reliable broadband, and I will support whatever method brings broadband to these communities the quickest."

Boyd: "As commissioner of Economic and Community Development, we took some good first steps by allowing electric co-ops to provide service and created a grant program to promote expansion. We will actively grow and expand on this work to fill the critical need for broadband service throughout Tennessee."

Harwell: "Yes. We should be treating broadband more like a utility now. Broadband access not only helps existing businesses, students, and residents, but also can help attract new businesses and employers that many of our rural areas desperately need."

Lee: "I’m a product of rural Tennessee, and I know it’s a problem. In fact, we don’t even have broadband at my house, and I know it’s a disadvantage. Whether it's health care, economic development, or education, we need broadband to support our rural communities."

Dean: "Yes. The state should be doing more for broadband access in rural communities. It is critical to creating opportunity. If a student can’t get access to the internet it’s like tying both hands behind their back. It is impossible to attract business and entrepreneurs to areas without it. We have to get it done."

Fitzhugh: "I am in favor of rural broadband. Our rural areas cannot compete without it. Broadband is not an option — it is a necessity in the 21st century, just like electricity or water. It is vital for our students and for small businesses."

If lawmakers pass more restrictive abortion measures, would you sign the measures into law?

Black: "Absolutely, and I hope I have many opportunities to do so. Every time I have had the chance to support a pro-life measure, I have. As governor, I will continue to be unapologetically pro-life and give a voice to those who do not have one."

Boyd: "I am pro-life and pro-adoption and will support measures that keep Tennessee pro-life and will also work to make adoption easier for families across our state."

Harwell: "I am 100 percent pro-life and always will be as governor. If the proposed measure can pass constitutional muster, I would sign it."

Lee: "I am 100 percent pro-life, and I will sign any bill that will lead to a decrease in abortions in this state. I support the heartbeat bill and will work to make sure Planned Parenthood is defunded and remains defunded in this state."

Dean: "Tennessee ranks at the bottom for women’s health in the country so as governor I will be focused on increasing access to important services to improve women’s health."

Fitzhugh: "No."

Do you support allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes?

Black: "Nothing from the National Institutes of Health has shown that smoking marijuana is beneficial. I support FDA-approved cannabinoid medications like Marinol and Cesamet because they are safe for consumption. I will veto any bill that legalizes a substance without clinical trials that prove the substance is safe and effective."

Boyd: "I oppose the recreational use of marijuana and believe that any potential medical uses must first be fully tested and go through full FDA approval, just as any other medicine would."

Harwell: "I am in support of a well-regulated medical marijuana law in Tennessee. I was pleased to see that President Trump signaled his support for allowing states more freedom in designing their own programs regarding marijuana, and I think it should be an option for patients with chronic conditions."

Lee: "We just passed legislation providing for limited use of non-psychoactive CBD oils, and I believe we need to continue exploring and ensuring quality access for those before trying to legalize marijuana for medical use."

Dean: "As governor I would be guided by medical professionals for what is best to alleviate pain and suffering. If that is medical marijuana then I don’t think the government should be standing in the way."

Fitzhugh: "I do support the use of medical marijuana. Studies have shown that marijuana provides unique therapeutic benefits that we cannot find with conventional pharmaceuticals. I do not want bad law to get in the way of good medicine."