Gubernatorial hopefuls face off

By Ramsey Scott
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
CHEYENNE — In a statewide televised debate, the two major party candidates for Wyoming's next governor mostly stuck with the same messages they've hammered throughout the campaign in their attempt to win undecided voters. 
Republican Mark Gordon, the current state treasurer, and Democrat Mary Throne, the former minority leader in the state House, kept up their positions on issues like expanding Medicaid, economic diversification and how to balance a struggling state budget. 
Throne continued her support for expanding Medicaid and re-examining how the state collected revenues. She said it was imperative to fund education at higher levels and questioned where Gordon stood on the issue, pointing to what she saw as contradictory statements made on the campaign trail.
"Unfortunately, the Legislature has thought fit to cut chucks of (education funding), and going forward, we have to find revenues and meet our Constitutional obligations," Throne said. "I have advocated at looking at our tax structure. I also think we can also divert money into our investment portfolio to strength the income stream.
"I am really curious to see what (Gordon) has to answer this question, because he has said the hard truth is we can improve efficiency, but we have to do more with less in education. However, he told the Tribune Eagle he wants to expand education in Wyoming."
Gordon didn't address Throne's comment, and instead continued to highlight the need for the state to put more power into the hands of local school boards to help improve education outcomes. He said the cure for reducing medical expense while increasing coverage was to look for answers not tied to Medicaid expansion, including having the state subsidize certain insurance pools and increasing transparency in medical billing. 
"You know (education funding) was an issue we saw some time ago. And one of the reasons why we chose to change the way the treasurer's office manages those funds (was) so that we could make sure more current income was delivered to try to advance those gaps," Gordon said. 
"There are other things we need to do, and part of that needs to settle with the local school boards. As a school board member, I realized that from the top-down approach, it is very hard to calibrate what's going to work in Meeteetse and what's going to work in Natrona County. I think it's very important we give some accountability and some guidance to our school boards so they can make those choices."
While there wasn't much new ground to be found on issues the two have sparred over in previous forums, Thursday night's debate did allow the two to address issues including the gender pay gap in the state, mental health services and early childhood education.
Both Gordon and Throne called the stark gap in pay between men and women for the same work an embarrassment for the state and said they would address it if elected. 
Throne said she would expand mental health access in large part through the expansion of Medicaid through the state. Gordon said the state should work with local partners and take advantage of things like telemedicine to increase access to mental health services. 
Gordon said it was important to provide early education, but how it would be provided should depend on local decisions. Throne said early childhood education access should be provided across the state no matter where the child lived.
MINOR PARTY CANDIDATES TRY TO DRAW SUPPORT
As the two major party standard bearers tried to win votes, the two minor party candidates did their best to convince undecided people a vote for them wasn't a wasted ballot. 
Libertarian Lawrence Struempf used his time at the podium to lay out his view of a government that both provides necessary services while not intruding on Constitutional rights. On more than several occasions, Struempf found himself in agreement with Throne, including a belief in climate change, the need to expand Medicaid and for the state to pass a hate crimes bill. 
"One of the biggest issues (in rising medical costs) is preventative care. I know many people who are in that gap that don't have health coverage. So when they do go to the hospital, they go to the emergency room. They're not as healthy, they have more problems," Struempf said. "I really feel that we're one of the few states in the nation that hasn't passed Medicaid expansion, and it's just the responsible thing to do. 
"If you talk to most medical providers and (hospital) board members, they agree that the hospitals, medical institutions and the people want Medicaid expansion."
Struempf was the only candidate to come out completely against the Capitol construction project currently underway in Cheyenne. 
Constitution Party candidate Rex Rammell blamed government assistance for multiple issues, including poverty, low life expectancy and substance abuse on Native American reservations. Rammell said those issues were tied to those residents not working and instead choosing to live on government assistance. Along with railing against the government, he continued his vociferous attacks on Gordon. At one point, Rammell had to be asked to not speak beyond his allotted time as he yelled at Gordon.
"I want you to know I am seriously worried about Wyoming. There's been policies in place by the two major parties that have put Wyoming in terrible shape. We've got the 43rd economy in the United States, and we've had it since 2006. And I am very worried that if I am not elected governor, this state will go blue," Rammell said. 
"I am the only conservative talking conservative positions. To you people out there, throughout Wyoming, please, you don't have to just vote for major party. There are others that have brains."