Sen. Bernie Sanders made plain Tuesday that he is not just coming to California to raise money and hold rallies. He is here to talk issues, take questions — and to press front-runner Hillary Clinton to make good on her commitment for a May debate in the Golden State.

“This is the largest state in the country,” Sanders said during a meeting with The Chronicle. “You have a right to hear how the presidential candidates intend to address many serious problems facing this great state.”

We agree that Clinton should keep the promise she made in February to participate in three previously unscheduled debates, including one in California. She may have a significant lead in delegates, but she has yet to clinch the nomination or compel Sanders to leave the race — and, until that happens, she has an obligation to do more than go through the motions of campaigning.

Sanders made plain in his 50-minute meeting that he has not given up, and he served a succession of reminders that there are significant policy differences between the two candidates.

One of the major differences between Clinton and Sanders is their view of the role of government. The Vermont senator’s vision is decidedly more expansive: It includes free college tuition for all and a system of national health insurance.

Sanders sidestepped the question of whether his super-sizing of government would further inflate a national debt that has reached $18 trillion — approaching $60,000 for every man, woman and child in America. He took issue with studies published this week by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center and Urban Institute that calculated his programs would cost $33 trillion over the next decade, while his tax increases would raise just $15 trillion.

On climate change, Sanders acknowledged that U.S. companies shipping coal abroad poses no less threat to the planet than a plant on American soil. He suggested the federal government could find a way to curtail such schemes. That position should catch the attention of Oakland, where local residents are trying to stop a port facility to be bankrolled with the help of Utah coal interests. We would like to hear Clinton’s view on that, and myriad other issues that Sanders took on with passion and clarity.

“If I have anything to say about it, there will be a debate in California,” Sanders said.

This newspaper stands prepared to help make it happen. We also look forward to the Clinton campaign breaking its silence on whether it will match Sanders’ willingness to meet with our editorial board, live online and on the record.