Thursday night’s 60 minute forum of candidates for the Minnesota Legislature, moderated by Pat MacLean of the League of Women Voters, could be called uneventful – no fireworks, no confrontations between individual candidates and lots of agreement.

Friday, October 27, 2000

Thursday night’s 60 minute forum of candidates for the Minnesota Legislature, moderated by Pat MacLean of the League of Women Voters, could be called uneventful – no fireworks, no confrontations between individual candidates and lots of agreement.

If it was the goal of the candidates – two incumbent DFLers and two Republican challengers – to point out their differences, it fell short.

The candidates were State Senator Pat Piper (DFL-Austin) and her Republican challenger for Senate District 27, Grace Schwab, Albert Lea, and State Rep. Rob Leighton (DLF-Austin) and his Republican challenger for House District 27B, Jeff Anderson, Austin.

An example of an issue that saw the four candidates each express partial agreement was Gov. Jesse Ventura’s school financing plan. Piper wants to take a longer look at it before saying that she supports or opposes Ventura’s proposal to have the state take over funding a large portion of education now funded by local property taxes. Leighton hedged on endorsing it, because he didn’t know how or where the state would make up the anticipated $900 million in lost property taxes if the proposal moves forward.

Schwab and Anderson said they worried about school districts losing local control if the state took over funding education.

On the subject of using some of the tobacco settlement monies received by Minnesota for other projects, the four candidates came as close as possible to agreeing.

The candidates did individually score points with the KSMQ viewing audience.

Anderson twice touted his proposal to increase per pupil aid by $300 per student. He also took on-the-air time to correct an alleged misquote in a newspaper on what he would do with tax cut monies.

Leighton showed the most emotion of any of the candidates, attacking radio attack ads over his voting record and alleged absenteeism on the House floor.

Schwab asserted, "I think people know how to spend their tax dollars much better than government" referring to proposals for the state’s growing surpluses.

Piper exhibited the most grace under fire; particularly when attacked by both the other "Grace" and Anderson over her authorization of the so-called "sick tax" legislation, that, in part, helps fund Minnesota Care, an insurance program for the uninsured.

She let Leighton explain the need for the program and how the Legislature is working to rescind the sick-tax of 1.5 percent on health insurance companies.