Transcripts For CSPAN Texas Gubernatorial Debate 20140920

Here is your moderator, ryan wolf. Republican candidate, attorney general greg abbott in democratic candidate senator Wendy Davis Square off in a one hour debate. Good evening and welcome to this historic first Gubernatorial Debate in texas live from the Edinburg Conference Center in the Rio Grande Valley. I am ryan wolf. This is the first texas Gubernatorial Debate ever held in the Rio Grande Valley and we could not be more excited about it. Certainly we would not be here without the candidate so whats meet them right now. Senator wendy davis, thank you for being here, attorney general greg abbott, thank you for being here. We want to welcome our audience members watching tonight, from the auditorium, people watching this across the state of texas on tv, online, and across the nation on cspan. Myould like to introduce coanchors tonight, carlos sanchez, the editor at the gars monitor. You could be a part of this historic debate. Hop online, social media and twitter and use the rgbdebate. We would love to hear your response and also keep score tonight. Lah with some words for our spanish viewers. Spanishspeaking viewers. Thank you. [speaking spanish] carlos now with a review of the debate rules. The debate sponsored by Doctors Hospital and renaissance will last one hour. Each candidate will have one minute to respond to questions in the opposing candidate 35 second to rebut. The questions have only been seen by the panelists. There will be no Opening Statements but the candidates will have two minutes to close. A coin toss determined that senator wendy davis will take the first question. Mayors haves, expressed concern over the reputation of the region in height of security and militia man. What would you do to join security and Economic Development . I am so happy to be here with everyone in the Rio Grande Valley. I would start by listening to local Law Enforcement officials here who know what is best for their community. Sheriff sue felt like we needed feltboot sheriffs who we needed boots on the ground and had they have deputies on the ground to assist with Law Enforcement. The surge that the governor supported was one that i supported as well because if the federal government will not act to protect our borders, texas must and will. At the same time, we must be sensitive to the reputation of this community. Comments from my opponents calling this area thirdworld are inappropriate and as governor, i will work with this community through our tourism fund to help repair the tarnished image that has occurred as a consequence. Your response . I want to extend my gratitude for being able to participate in this historic debate. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, which raises the issue that you touched upon. That is whether it is in the Rio Grande Valley are anywhere in the state of texas. Secure communities promote Economic Development. That theo ensure community here in the Rio Grande Valley, as well as any community in the state of texas is going to be safe and secure. That was the purpose of ensuring that we have a vision of have additional eps officers on the ground. It is important to point out that after those Law Enforcement officials came here that spacex announced it was opening operations for an entire new world for business and Space Exploration right here in the Rio Grande Valley. Recently, a federal judge ruled that the School Funding system was unconstitutional. Should the system be defended or dismantled . It is clear that one thing that needs to be done is to get structure wehool had in the past. The School Structure that was litigated in this case was based in part on systems that were created in the last century. What i want to do is to reinvent educations and school in the state. My goal is to ensure that texas highhe number oneranked school and lower School Education systems in the entire United States of america and we do that by focusing on the fundamental Building Blocks of education. I want to ensure that education ,egins with a Strong Foundation all the way through third grade, thathooting ensuring the children have the ability to read and do math by the end of third grade. That is what i want to put the trust with the teacher. It gets rid of a one size fits all mandate. Contrast, i was in protest to 5. 4 billion of cuts to our Public Schools. Mr. Abbott has been defending them in court ever since and each ruling goes in favor of our children and against mr. Abbott. These cuts and the cuts that you are defending that have left our classrooms overcrowded, that have left her teachers laid off, that is not liberal. That is not conservative. It is just dumb. It is shortchanging our children and selling out their future. As governor, i will make the education of our children a priority and i will fight to make sure that our schools have more resources, not less. Senator davis, you recently released a book in which you discuss your personal plight with abortion. What ucsf regulation on abortion . I have always believed that women should be able to make this most personal and difficult of decisions themselves. Guided by their faith and their family and with their doctor. I stood on the senate floor for 13 hours to assure that this most privacy of decisions could be made by women. My opponent, on the other hand, has paid women in his office less than he is paid man. He has campaigned with a known sexual predator who has bragged about having sex with underage girls. He has shown that he is not favorable even for women to make decisions on their own in cases rape orl rape brutal incest. That is not protecting texas women. On behalf of texas women, i say, no thank you. Prolife and im catholic. Like most texans, i believe all life is sacred. I will develop a culture of life in the state so we can do even more to protect women and children. To directly answer your question, texas is ensuring that we protect more life and do a better job of protecting the bylth care of women providing that women still have five months to make a very difficult decision. After that time, the state has an interest in protecting innocent life. General abbott, in a speech in dallas you compared corruption in the valley to third world country practices. What was your motivation behind that comparison and do you regret that many people were offended by that statement . I made thatint out statement in dallas and i made the statement about corruption across the state of texas, not targeting the Rio Grande Valley. I have fought to root out and prosecute corruption across the state of texas. Or than 100cuted instances of public corruption. It does not matter if you are in the Rio Grande Valley or in dallas, texas. We need to have a state that eliminates corruption. As governor i will continue to outre that we root challenges like this, which is why i have proposed Ethics Reform so that we can prevent a situation like legislators who , but it reallyng does not matter if you are in the rgv or in the panhandle. We want to ensure that your Public Officials are abiding by the law. As your attorney general and as your governor, i will ensure that is done. These comments mean something. They label a community. Mr. Abbott says he has worked on corruption in other parts of the state. Other never refer to parts of this state as third world. Words matter. We embrace this area of our state as a part of our state and an incredible part of the diversity of who we are. As governor, my focus will be on investing and making sure that everyone understands what i understand about the rio grande it is filled with parents who want opportunities for their children. That it is filled with hardworking people who want jobs that will pay them well and as their next governor, it is my intention to provide that. Supportor davis, do you giving drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants . I believe that everyone who was on the road should have a drivers license and should be insured. Other states have found a way to make this happen, even for undocumented immigrants in their community. Far too often as a Public Servant i have been told about incidents where people have been in an accident with an uninsured driver. As arizona does, texas, i believe, should issue driver certificates for people who pass a drivers test and prove they have insurance. Way we can safest ensure that people who are driving on our roads are driving the right authority and with the right insurance. Problems with regard to the conflict that these laws would have with the federal real id act. We saw that come into play when we had another state that tried to create these drivers licenses in the form of california. The u. S. Department of justice rejected californias attempt to create these licenses. I think it is simply unworkable because of the conflict with federal law. General abbott, a recent rgv as worstthe when it comes to wait times for veterans care. Do to increase the timeliness and quality of care veterans receive . The men offensive that and women who have fought for our country are having to wait. It has been documented, sometimes losing their lives because of the and adequate care of the veteran administration. My family looks a lot like texas. It is filled with veterans. My brother served in the United States navy for 20 years. My wifes family served in the army, navy, air force, and marines. She had an uncle who served in the army during world war ii. The men and women who serve on the front line should not have to be pushed to the back of the line when it comes to their health care needs. It is offensive that during his campaign, barack obama came down here to the Rio Grande Valley and said that he would establish a Veterans Health Care Hospital right here. We are still waiting for the president to make true on his promise. I will work with federal authorities to ensure that we get the health care that we need for veterans. It is unacceptable that anyone who serves our country should find themselves here without the medical care that they have earned and that they so deserve. I will work with this community to ensure that we do bring a Veterans Hospital here to serve our Service Members who have served us so well. Right now theyre are having to drive as far as san antonio. We have a great opportunity for this with the new medical school. Us work withto see rgv medical school to provide a hospital specifically for veterans. Texas has left millions of dollars on the table that would have come to the state if we had extended medicaid. Would you go after that money and continuously met . Plan is that we will spend 100 billion of our on california and new york in the next 10 years. There is a reason that republican governors around this country have found a way that is right for their states to bring this money cap. There is a reason that this money down. There is a reason that the chambers of commerce have taken us to do the right thing and bring this money back to texas to go to work for us and create a 300,000 estimated jobs per year that it will bring. Visitor havings california project in texas because he wants to continue sending our tax dollars to them. ,f course, mr. Abbott california already has one. I would provide more access to more health care. I have laid out a plan that would ensure that if we increase funding for women, and increased funding for veterans, we increase funding for the disabled, and we increase funding for Mental Health needs. What i will not do is what will davis will you heard obamacare in texas and is laughingly. Obamacare is an abject area. , is ford for doctors taxpayers. Addressing the future of obamacare with him. Doctors are fleeing of dedicated medicaid is fleeing and obamacare is coming up. The you support a raise of the minimum wage in texas . We do not need those obamastyle mandates telling businesses how to run their businesses. The one thing we know is that government does not know how to run business and proof of that is looking at the state of texas itself. I know senator davis thinks that we need to have an increase in minimum wage here. 94 of the lost fact the hourly wage jobs in texas are paid at the above minimum wage already. There is a reason for that and that is because texas model works. What we need to do is get the government off the backs of businesses and let the free market do this. The wage growth we have seen in the state of texas, the Federal Reserve says the greatest increases we have seen are in the top two quartiles in the category. We have toppaying jobs in texas because we do not let the federal government tell us how to run our business. I know what it is like to work as hard as you can and yet stand at the grocery stand check out and have to put food back because you do not have enough money to pay for it. Raising the minimum wage is not only good for texas families, it is good for our economy. Hour, that is only 15,000 a year. That is not enough to support a family. Tois good for texas for us raise the minimal wage and to provide an opportunity for families to provide for themselves as they so desperately want to do. My opponent is looking out for his insider friends, not for texas families who would benefit if they have worked a hard days work. They deserve a fair pay. Austan is beginning to resemble washington, d. C. More and more with a lack of decisionmaking. T would you do to presen prevent legislative gridlock . I started on a city council where i served for nine words and i did not serve with a partisan affiliation and i did not learn how to function with one. I am proud that as a member of the texas senate, i have worked across the aisle to pass, coauthor, and support legislation across the aisle. As governor, i believe we need a leader who will bring people together, who will stop the partisan division that we have seen in austin and it is creeping more and more into our everyday affairs. The people in texas deserve us put them, not partisan politics, first. As the next governor, i can ensure that i will demonstrate respect for both parties, bring them together for common solutions, particularly making sure that we fund our Public Schools. I will be very effective in working with members of both parties to pass legislation even though i am working from the capacity as the attorney general. Senatororked with rodney ellis and passing criminal justice reform. Ive worked with senator kirk watson in testing reforms to open government laws. I think the most important thing is im going to be focused on issues that i think affect all texas families. I will work on the fact that texas remains number one in job creation. I will work on the roads that we need for the next generation. I will be focused on transforming education to become number one in the nation i will toe sure that we have access the Water Supplies that we need so communities can continue to grow. There have been a number of cases nationally with the Death Penalty opponents that have been proven innocent when they were accused. How would you ensure that an innocent person is not put to death in texas . Im in favor of the Death Penalty. We want to ensure the Death Penalty is going to be enforced effectively. We have several ways that we ensure that no innocent person is put to death. One is we have multiple layers of the appellate process. System,hrough the state the federal system, and back to the state and federal system again. You will have literally dozens of judges who are able to look at these matters before a person is put to death. I think it is important that texas continue to take a National Leadership role in ensuring the accuracy and certainty of the Death Penalty. That is why i worked with senator rodney ellis this last edges light of session on advanced dna testing system to ensure that every person accused of a crime that faces the Death Penalty, we have the right person. I support the Death Penalty. As governor, i will be prepared to enforce it. This week, general abbott and i were both at an occasion, a sad, but a tribute occasion to someone who died serving a prison sentence for a crime that he did not commit. It reminds us all of the importance of making sure that before we meet out that ultimate of punishments, we make sure that we are meteing it out for a guilty person. That is why i am proud to have helped to clear a backlog of over 18,000 rape kits in our state, making sure that victims have justice that they deserve and that no guilty person is sitting in jail. Governor perry called out the National Guard. What actions would you better secure the border . If the federal government will not act to secure the border, texas must and i will. I supported the surge of dps troops to the border. I also asked the governor, and what i would do had i been governor at the time. I asked him to convene us in a special session so we could hear from local Community Members what their needs were here. Not only in Law Enforcement, where we would have been told by the sheriff that they need deputies with arrests and detention authority. They want the right boots on the ground. We also should have asked those who have been serving the needs of folks who have been coming across the border, the humanitarian side of this issue. Catholic charities and other faithbased and nonprofit andnizations need our help unless the federal government assistance,e that texas must. When im governor, we will. Hashe federal government failed to solve this problem but texas will not stand idly by. Im the only candidate on the stage tonight who has outlined a plan to deal with border security. My plan ensures that we have 500 dps officers to help secure the border as well as internally in the state of texas. I had 20 texas rangers. I had efforts to ensure public integrity, plus i provide the tools, resources, and technologies we need to better address the problem. I go after the gangrelated of the is a result crossborder activity and i came out with a new antismuggling law which will allow us to crack down on those who are harming victims the most. This has been a summer of immigration concerns. That has spurred antihispanic rhetoric. As governor, do you feel there is a responsibly to diminish it . I absolutely do and i feel that in part because of my family. I have been married into a hispanic family for 33 years. Wife and i celebrated our 33rd anniversary last month. If the people of texas elect me the governor, my wife will be the first hispanic first lady in the history of the state and i think that is setting a new tone in our ability to connect with voters across the state. It is essential that everyone in every geographic region, everyone of every type of background know that greg abbott is going to be a governor for them and their culture. What i have found in my marriage is that even though we come from different cultural backgrounds, we unite on common principles of faith, freedom, and the free plesrprise princi that will allow anyone to start and grow a business. Across these permit state of texas and our core for the future of the state. Shown hisbott has disrespect for this community by referring to it as a third world. Is continue to do to provide opportunities for every single hardworking texan. Everyone in our state wants their children to have opportunities and a Better Future than they had. Making sure that we are providing that for every child, no matter who they are, no matter where they are from, no matter how rich or poor, no matter their race is our job. I will consider it my most important job. Mr. Abbott has an working very hard to silence the voices of members of the hispanic community. He leads a party that is calling for the repeal for closing statements, you can add on to that. This seems like a perfect spot for us to take a quick break for texasistoric Gubernatorial Debate from the Rio Grande Valley and we want to remind people that you get to make the decision when you hit the polls in november. There are important dates to keep in mind. The last day to registers october 6 and early voting starts on october 20. The big day is on november 4. Coming up next, what are my do it is a big part of the debate. The candidate to candidate question. Based on what we have seen so far, the potential for the gloves to come off. It could be there. For folks watching at home, use gvdebate and be part of the debate. Let us know who is winning. What you want to hear out of this debate . It is your time to chime in. [speaking spanish] a reminder the first Gubernatorial Debate in texas held in the Rio Grande Valley will continue right here. Be sure to stay right there. We will be back right after this. Welcome back to the very first texas Gubernatorial Debate life here at the edinburgh Conference Room in renaissance in the Rio Grande Valley. We kick it off at the candidate to get a that question. Senator davis, do you regret voting for barack obama . Abbott, what i am working on right now is running for governor of this incredible state. Bringing policies forward that will benefit the state. Im working to make sure that every hardworking texan, the matter where they start, as far as they dream. 30 years ago i could not have imagined that i would have the privilege. When i was a young, single, struggling mother, sitting on this stage and having the opportunity to ask texas for his vote. Turning point and that is what is important in the selection. Will we create a 21st century future economy that works for all hardworking texans were just some . I believe that we need a governor who will fight for all hardworking texans every single day because their future depends on it. I believe we need a governor who is going to make sure that our children will receive a worldclass thank you, senator davis. Abbott, a judge has recently ruled against you and in favor of the schoolchildren of texas. Ruling that our schools are unconstitutionally underfunded. The only thing right now coming between our children and appropriate funding of their schools today is you. On behalf of the 5 million children of this state, will you agree tonight that you will drop your appeals and allow our schools to be appropriately funded . Another is actually thing coming between and settling that lawsuit and that is a law that you voted on and helped pass in 2011 that removes from the attorney general the ability to settle lawsuits just like this. Understandtant to that what i want to do is focus on creating, as governor, a better Education System in this state. It is time we put our partisan differences aside when it comes to building a Better Future for the next generation what im is not a School System that was constructed in part in the last century. What im focused on is building a better Education System for the next generation. Goal as governor is to work towards elevating the texas Education System to be ranked number one in the nation. Attorney generals senator davis, at the end of we program senator davis, agree to the rules before hand. I appreciate you want to interject. We know it is a lively discussion. At the end, we have closing statements and i encourage you to use that statement to continue the discussion. These are rules that we agreed upon together. Senator davis, if elected would you push for individuals receiving and if its like food stamps to be drug tested . Ivesupported a supported a bill that would put in place a mechanism like that last session. We put need to make sure in place a mechanism that would not force people off food stamps. I am very sensitive to the fact that children should not be punished by virtue of the fact that they may have a parent who is drugaddicted and therefore worked with the author of that bill to include a provision, if it was the case that a positive drug test was found for that person to continue to receive their assistance, if they would agree to go into a Drug Treatment Program and to receive the help that they need. I do support that law. In the to do all we can state of texas to help those in need. Part of what we can do to help those in need is help them improve their lives. One way to help them improve their lives if they are relying upon government benefits, we can try to help them deal with and overcome challenges they may have because of drug addiction or other challenges that may have shown up in the tests. A winwinr this to be situation, helping those dependent on government benefits to find a pathway beyond so they can begin to be a contributing to the fabric of the state of texas. Recently voted to raise taxes to create a universal prek program. Did you support a statewide prek program . If so, how will you funded . Fund it . I support improving prek. I view prek as the starting point in our education and what i have rolled out in the strategy i have is to have the prek premier prek program in the entire country. I know if we can continue educating our students at the very beginning, we will have that Solid Foundation that students need to build on. My Education System does begin with prek four. It builds ontly, that to make sure that what they learn in prek is going to continue all the way through. That what weal have in prek is not just drawing more money at it, but instead that we structure the most effective programs so that students really do have literacy and numeracy skills that they can begin to build on. Support quality, full day prek for every. Ligible child in this state unlike my opponent who would pick and choose which children are able to get off to a strong start, i would provide that strong start to every fouryearold in our state. My opponent has proposed a standardized tests for fouryearolds to demonstrate that they deserve to have prek support, picking and choosing those who would receive it and those which would not. Under mr. Abbott, fouryearolds in the state can be assured they would be subject to standardized tests. The only way they would get around that is if they hire a andyist, form a pac, donate to the great Abbott Campaign because that is how he works. Governor rick perry was indicted for abuse of power. Do you agree with the decision to indict . I cannot presuppose whether i agree with the decision to indict because i do not know what the grand jury as before them. I do believe these are serious charges and deserve serious consideration. I wont secondguess the justice system. I will trust it to do its work and will abide by whatever decision is and respected. I was not a part of the grand jury and so i do not have the facts grand jury may have have. It is bizarre that a governor for exercisinged a veto of a spending master. The Veto Authority is a Constitutional Authority and i want to make sure it remains so robustly so that when i am governor, i am able to exercise that veto for what i consider inappropriate spending. One of the key roles i will play the state ofg sure texas lives in the confines of a budget. Part of being able to fulfill that role is being able to exercise the constitutional veto power. Abbott, a mayor says that at the in the mayor, she expects to spend half 1 million in taxpayer funds for the humanitarian relief efforts related to the influx of immigrants this summer. What would you do to ensure voter cities are reimbursed . Office ispeak, my working on a potential lawsuit against the Obama Administration where we are putting together all of the expenses incurred by the state of texas. One proposal that i am pondering is the possibility of being able to roll into that potential litigation, the expenses that have been incurred by the Rio Grande Valley because these are comeses that should not out of the pockets of taxpayers in the state of texas. The reason is because it was not mckellen or the Rio Grande Valley that caused this. Is reason why this happened because when the president stood in the rose garden in 2012 and cast a message basically telling people they would be able to come here without any type of enforcement. What we need to do is hold the president and his administration responsible for paying this bill. As we speak, i am working on getting that done. Earlier, had i been whennor at that time, and i am elected governor, if i have the privilege of serving there, i will call all of our local communities before the legislature and asked them what they need. I sent a letter to governor perry asking him to convene us in a special session and to bring forward not only local Law Enforcement from our border communities to hear what they needed, but also to hear from our faithbased and charitable organizations to see what it was we could do for them. It isthe case that ultimately the federal governments responsibility to secure our border and to pay the cost of the consequence of not securing it. As a governor, i do believe that the state should step in and help communities such as this one. What would you do to combat the influence of drug cartels in texas . I believe that we must focus our efforts where they belong, on Drug Trafficking and human trafficking. That is why i supported the the surge of dps officers, officers who have the tension and arrest authority here. Focused onbe just as the economic relationship and texas. Ico when to invest more and not less in the infrastructure that will help accelerate efficiently the movement of goods to help mexico and texas. Our economy is dependent on our relationship with mexico and as governor, i will make sure that we work across the border, not only on security, but in continuing to keep that economic relationship strong and vibrant. Im the only candidate for governor who has a plan to go after the drug cartels. In visiting with a young latina, about college age. She pleaded with me to fill my promise to secure the border and go after the cartels because as she explained, her brother was playing a pickup soccer game here in the Rio Grande Valley and had to play with the son of a cartel member. Children should not be forced to have to make those types of play date decisions. Secure our, i will border and go after any drug cartel that tries to harm our taxpayers. Leaders blame Drought Conditions and mexicos noncompliance with a treaty for forced shortage that has some regions to come back on farming. How would you make sure the mexico repays the water debt . I have started to work on this process. I met with an ambassador to visit about it. We talked about a number of issues. He was the ambassador from mexico to the United States. The we talked about the need for mexico to fulfill its obligation , to provide water to texas that texas deserves. You can tell he understood because you can see were mexico is today. They are growing economically and they know that part of their Economic Future is tied to the Economic Future of the state of texas. I think mexico wants to be a good partner. I think they want to see Economic Development flourish on both sides of the border and just like we would with the president in 2004 to ensure that we got our access to the water from mexico, i think we can do it again. Drought conditions have cost the Rio Grande Valley millions of dollars. Last year farmers had to turn hundreds of millions of dollars as a consequence of that. Ensuring enforcement of a 1944 eaty with mexico is essential and as governor, i will create the relationship with axa go that fosters the kind of Partnership Mexico that fosters the kind of partnership that will foster that. That is why as a state senator i supported and was proud that voters supported a 2 billion Water Revolving Fund that will help communities to create and grow Water Resources and conservation efforts to ensure that drought does not have the devastating Economic Impact it has. Senator davis, the texas city of was rocked by a terrible explosion caused by chemicals that were stored there that many did not know were stored there. What you believe the state should do in regards to informing residents of cities if dangerous chemicals are in their midst . Lets be clear right now the only thing that is coming between texas families knowing whether dangerous chemicals are being stored near their homes or r whereeir school o they work is greg abbott. Greg abbott, who has shown time and again wholl favor the interest of his insider friends over those of hardworking texans when he rolls, that texas families no longer have a right to know whether these dangerous chemicals are being stored close to them. This came with him almost simultaneously with him excepting a 100,000 plus donation from his buddies in the chemistry industry, koch industries. When im governor, i will put hardworking texans first. There is a law in texas called the community right to know law and people in the state of texas have the right to gain information whether or not chemicals are stored in the neighborhood. There is another law competing with it. That is the texas Homeland Security act. I applied the texas Homeland Security act to make sure that information involving certain chemicals is not disclosed to potential terrorists, terrorists like Timothy Mcveigh who used a fertilizing element that blew up element to blow up a courthouse in oklahoma city. I have been involved in prosecuting a terrorist member of isis. We need to be cautious about the information provided to terrorists in texas. Do you think texas is tough enough on Capital Punishment . Are we tough enough on Capital Punishment . We have probably the toughest Capital Punishment laws in the nation and our job in criminal justice is to ensure those who commit the most heinous crimes get the Capital Punishment they richly deserve and they deserve it because when you think about what has happened to the victims and the way the victims have been harmed and sometimes struggle before losing their lives, you need to make sure we need to ensure that those who commit the worst of crimes will be punished accordingly. Essential that we carry out the ultimate punishment in a way that is fair and just and certain. A statesession as senator, i voted to expand the enforcement of Capital Punishment to include other crimes. I do support and will carry out as governor the Death Penalty. We also in texas have the highest number of exonerations of any state because we have not appropriately been using dna evidence. As governor, i will make sure that we do not have guilty ple meeting the ultimate nonguilty people, i am sorry, meeting the ultimate punishment. Only those were we are sure that this is the person who has inmitted a heinous crime those instances should the Death Penalty be carried out. Troopers along with 1000 National Guard troops to protect the border is estimated to cost 20 million a month in texas. Is it worth the cost . It is important that we put money into areas that will grow our economy. Investing in education, making sure that every fouryearold in state has access to pro to quality prek to get off to a strong start, making sure that High School Students have access to college and we make it affordable to them. When we spend money on something that was not requested by this local community and we put boots on the ground that dont have the tension and arrest detention and arrest authority, approximately costing 12 million a month, were to dohanging our ability what will make a smart investment in the future of this state. This was an expenditure that was necessary. Because thesary federal government failed to do its job. The federal government has the fundamental responsibility to secure and protect the border. It failed in its fundamental responsibility. Texas will not stand idly by. We will step up and do what the text the federal government has failed to do. This is one reason why we are demanding from the federal government reimbursement from the expenditures that we have to pay up to secure the border. Remember the last point, and that is secure communities promote Economic Development. Empowering thef economy in south texas even more. Please state your position regarding voter identification and explain that. I am in favor of voter identification loss. My office is the one representing the state of texas in this case. I favored because the are fraught israel. It must be stopped and voter identity i favor it because of voter fraud is real. It must be stopped. I am the only candidate that ensures that stands for rooting out corruption in the voting process. Thisost hesitate to bring up, but you know that one of the challenges going on as we speak is the fact that the fbi is involved in an investigation about people in the Rio Grande Valley for using cocaine to buy boats. We cannot accept or tolerate this kind of lack of integrity in the election process. The Supreme Court has ruled that voter identification is one of the tool state rights can use to maintain integrity in the election process. Im the only candidate willing to fight for that principle. As a senator, i fought for the principle of making sure that people with valid opportunities and identifications to vote were provided the ability to do that. Mr. Evan mr. Abbott has a party was platform calls for the. Ppeal of the Voting Rights act lets be clear what it is about it is about repressing the minority vote. Courtbott is defending in a voter id law that has the purpose of that outcome. By tearing communities apart from each other, tearing minority voters across them each other, to suppress or voices at the ballot box. Concludes this historic debate at the Rio Grande Valley. Now it is time for the closing statements. You will each have two and its. A dear friend of mine has a grandmother who gave her the advice when someone shows you who they are, believe them. I have shown texans who i am. I showed it when i stood and fought against 5. 4 billion in cuts to our Public Schools because that is not just bad for our children, it is bad for our future. I have shown up by fighting for every fouryearold to have access to fullday prek to get off to a strong start and every High School Student to have Affordable Access to college. I have shown it by fighting to people paid have fairly for a hard days work. An increase in the minimum wage is good, not bad for our economy. Giving 2. 8 million texans an increase in spending power and provide for their families is terribly important. I will fight for equal pay for equal work and i will fight to close outdated tax loopholes that benefit giant corporations and send that money instead to fund our Public Schools. My opponent has shown that he will not support equal pay for equal work for women, that he thinks we should pick and choose which of our children should get off to a good start and that time and again he will favor his insider friends over those of everyday texas families. Voters will have to ask themselves this from the ballot box. Who will fight for me . Who will fight for my family . I am asking for your vote tonight. If i have the privilege of serving as your next governor, you wont need a high paid lobbyists from the Texas Capital to represent you. Your voice will be there. Im you. I have never forgotten who i am willere i come from and i fight for you every single day. Hosting thisfor unprecedented debate opportunity here in the Rio Grande Valley. As your attorney general, i have been fighting for your liberty against an overreaching federal government. The texas Child Support system to be ranked number one in the system. I fought to defend the 10 commandments monument on the Texas Capital ground and we won. Now i want to fight for the future of texas as your next governor. Texas is already great. I am running for governor to make it even better. Texas is number one in the nation for creating jobs and i will keep it that way by keeping government small and taxes low. Roads and water projects we need to keep texas growing. I will also keep your Community Safe from the Rio Grande Valley all the way to the red river. To build a work Brighter Future for the next generation. The way i see it, texas is number one in the nation for jobs. We are also number one in the nation for farms, for exports, for energy production, for so many different things. The time has come to set a new aspiration. Texas should be number one in the nation for education our educating our children. Toyour governor, i will work fulfill that aspiration. As your governor, i will keep texas in the land of opportunity. The place where hopes and dreams can still be realized. The place were more freedom and Less Government still matters. I am running for governor and i am asking for your vote to make texas even better. Thank you. That concludes the first texas Gubernatorial Debate live from the Rio Grande Valley. What a great hour. We appreciate both candidates coming out. Senator wendy davis, thank you for your time and insight. General greg abbott, thank you so much as well. We appreciate you coming tonight. This is all about arming our viewers with the information they need to make an informed decision when they hit the polls. It is worth reiterating once again the important days. The last day to vote register to vote is october 6. Early voting begins october 20 and the big day where we will decide a new governor here in texas is on november 4. , thet to bring in carlos editor of the monitor. Your thoughts on this historic debate . Thank you for your participation. As the post game begins tonight about who won, we should be mindful that there is one clear winner that is the voters of the Rio Grande Valley. We appreciate your willingness to come here and subject yourself to questions with your candor. Your final thoughts to your spanishlanguage viewers . [speaking spanish] we all to want to thank Doctors Hospital renaissance for this beautiful venue tonight. Absolutely amazing. Also, the crew that work on the set design, thank you so much for helping out. You. You to both of for everyone watching it home, have a great night. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] ofand look at a couple campaign ads in the governors race in texas. He let his wealthiest donors they made off with money that is meant to find a cure. I pray that greg abbott never becomes our governor. A recent investigation finds that democratic candidate wendy davis did not always recuse herself from City Council Work when the city was doing projects. She voted fore, 21. 5 million in tax praise for her developers. They used her Title Insurance in the sale of the building. Every week, businesses leave california to escape high taxes and strangling regulation. They come to texas. We keep taxes low and regulations reasonable. I am greg abbott. Plan will build on that. E will control state spending we will keep texas number one in jobs. In the texas courtroom, greg abbott will make the made the case against our children. He fought for 5 billion in cuts made to education by insider buddies and abbott is proposing giving standardized test to fouryearolds. Heard enough . Wendy davis will reduce the number of standardized tests that our children produce a bong the board. She will use the education to build an economy for all hardworking texans. You decide who will be best for texas. Tomorrow night, live coverage of the iowa governors debate between incumbent republican Governor Terry branstad and Democratic State senator jack hatch. A recent poll shows up in her branstad with a wide lead over his opponent. It starts at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan. We partner with comcast for a visit to st. Paul, minnesota. In the 1930s i would not call las vegas but it was a very lively city because the gangsters brought their gun moles. Molls. You had the biggest jazz artist of the decade in st. Paul. It was a lively place, partially because the gangsters are welcome here. Virtually every major gangster, kidnapper, and bank robber in america lived and worked within a three block radius of where we are standing today. John dillinger, baby faced nelson, health and creepy carpus they were all here