4 in governor debate, but fireworks 2-way

Taking part in Friday’s Arkansas Press Association gubernatorial debate in Hot Springs are Joshua Drake (from left) of the Green Party, Republican Asa Hutchinson, Libertarian Frank Gilbert and Mike Ross of the Democratic Party.
Taking part in Friday’s Arkansas Press Association gubernatorial debate in Hot Springs are Joshua Drake (from left) of the Green Party, Republican Asa Hutchinson, Libertarian Frank Gilbert and Mike Ross of the Democratic Party.

HOT SPRINGS -- Arkansas Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson and Democratic candidate Mike Ross sparred over minimum-wage initiatives, income taxes, the state's lottery and health care Friday during an hour-long Arkansas Press Association debate.

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Two third-party candidates -- the Green Party's Joshua Drake and Libertarian Frank Gilbert -- joined in the four-way debate that marked the first time the general-election candidates for the state's top constitutional office squared off in public. Hutchinson and Ross took to the attack quickly and focused on each other throughout the debate.

During the first question about gay marriage, Ross used more than half of his time to attack Hutchinson's tax-cut plan and his stance on the minimum wage. A ballot measure was submitted for approval earlier this week to the secretary of state's office that would raise the state's minimum wage from $6.25 an hour to $8.50 over the next three years.

"He does not trust the voters to decide whether or not the minimum wage in Arkansas should be increased," Ross said. "If you're earning [minimum wage] working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, never get sick, never take a day off for vacation, you're earning $13,000 a year. That's $2,000 less than Asa Hutchinson makes in one speech."

Hutchinson used his rebuttal time to expound on his minimum-wage views. He said he supports raising the state's minimum wage to the level of the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour, but said the change should come from the Legislature in order to be "responsible government."

Hutchinson portrayed Ross as an opportunist, who has shifted to the right on some issues while remaining loyal to former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

"Mike Ross, he finds himself on both sides of an issue... His problem was that he has a district that got more conservative so he said he voted against the Affordable Care Act down the road when he decided he might want to run for office again," he said. "We've got a candidate here who's on both sides of many issues."

Hutchinson focused his attacks on Ross' stance on health care, which he called inconsistent. He criticized Ross for supporting a version of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act when it made its way to a House committee where Ross served.

"I've been a consistent conservative. Mr. Ross has been a conflicted conservative," Hutchinson said.

According to the congressional vote record, Ross voted against the final version of the Affordable Care Act that was signed into law and was one of a handful of congressional Democrats to vote to repeal the act, which he mentioned in response to Hutchinson's criticisms.

"We still don't know where he stands on the Medicaid private option, which, by the way, is now providing health care for nearly 200,000 working Arkansans," Ross fired back.

"I would have voted for it. I would have signed it [into law]. And as governor, I will protect the funding for the Medicaid private option," Ross said.

The candidates also wrestled with what to do with the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, which has returned revenue below projections, experienced the removal of one director and had another employee arrested for stealing tickets. Most recently, legislators and the governor barred the lottery, at least temporarily, from offering electronic monitor games.

Ross focused on his support of the temporary ban on multidraw, screen-based games through March, saying he hopes the ban becomes permanent. He added that more oversight was likely needed from both the legislative and executive branches, but did not say what specific oversight or changes he would recommend.

Hutchinson said he thought the lottery should operate similarly to the Arkansas State Police, which has an oversight commission and a director appointed by the governor.

"I think it would be easier to coordinate if it was a state agency and that it would have greater oversight by both the executive branch and the legislative branch," he said. "We have significant challenges with reduced revenues ... and I think that direct oversight is important."

Gilbert said he would eliminate the state's income tax, support gay marriage and pardon all nonviolent drug offenders. He also said he'd work to end the private option. Noting that its funding arose from the federal health care law, he called the private option "a terrible idea tacked onto a disgusting idea."

Drake said he would support universal health care and gay marriage, protect the state's water supply with stronger environmental regulations and encourage alternative sentencing.

Both third-party candidates advocated for more inclusive debates, saying they haven't been invited to participate in two forthcoming televised debates.

A section on 07/12/2014

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