NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Three candidates for Tennessee governor laid out competing visions for the state Tuesday night, tackling issues ranging from affordability and rural health care to school vouchers, data centers, transportation and crime.
Democrat Jerri Green and independent candidates David Hatley and Lauren Pinkston participated in the Tennessee Governor’s Forum at Middle Tennessee State University.
Republican Marsha Blackburn did not participate. Her absence was mentioned several times by the candidates during the roughly hourlong forum.
The event was hosted by the Tennessee Press Association and MTSU. Organizers described it as a forum rather than a debate, with candidates answering questions submitted by news organizations across the state. There were no rebuttals.
Despite representing different political backgrounds, Green, Hatley and Pinkston found areas of agreement.
All three criticized Tennessee's school voucher program.
Pinkston said she has "always been against the expansion" of the program and argued the state should instead invest more heavily in early childhood and public education.
Hatley called the voucher program "a slap in the face to our public education," arguing rural communities may have few, if any, private-school options.
Green said she would move to end the program.
"I believe that public dollars should go to public schools for the public good," Green said.
The candidates also expressed support for expanding public transportation, including passenger rail, as Tennessee continues to grow.
One of the clearest disagreements came when the candidates were asked about the Memphis Safe Task Force and the presence of the Tennessee National Guard and federal immigration officers in the city.
Green, who serves on the Memphis City Council and is Shelby County's chief public defender, said she would send the National Guard home and wants ICE and the task force to leave Memphis.
"I would bring the National Guard home. I would send ICE packing too, and I'd put the resources on the ground to help people," Green said.
Hatley took a different position, arguing the task force has helped reduce crime. He said the outside presence should eventually end, but not until another system is in place.
"I think that it's been a great thing that we've got the Memphis Safe Task Force," Hatley said. "I believe we should focus on getting them out of there, but not until we have something in place."
Pinkston argued resources should instead be directed toward strengthening local law enforcement.
"The way that we address crime on the streets of Memphis is to outfit the Memphis City police officers and give them those tools that they need to recruit and retain better officers," Pinkston said.
The first major policy question of the night focused on the rising cost of necessities, including groceries, gas and housing.
All three candidates expressed support for eliminating Tennessee's grocery tax.
Hatley also proposed freezing the gas tax and limiting purchases of homes by out-of-state investors.
Pinkston supported pausing the gas tax and proposed expanding land trusts to create more affordable homeownership opportunities. She also called for adding 50,000 child care slots across the state.
Green said she would eliminate the grocery tax, freeze the gas tax and work to raise wages. She also proposed using state funds to address medical debt and the child care voucher waiting list.
The candidates were also asked how they would address rural hospital closures and access to emergency care.
Green said she supports Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act and argued the additional federal funding could help rural hospitals.
Hatley described rural hospital closures as unacceptable and said the state should examine different models for providing emergency care. He said Medicaid expansion could be considered if the state can identify the funding.
Pinkston focused on health care consolidation and expanding access to providers, including nurse practitioners and midwives.
The candidates split sharply when asked about state involvement in reviewing content available to minors in public libraries.
Green opposed book restrictions and said librarians should be trusted to do their jobs.
Pinkston also opposed government intervention, framing the issue around parental responsibility.
"Don't give the government the freedom to parent your children," Pinkston said.
Hatley supported the state's involvement.
"I think this is a good measure by the state of Tennessee to take this step," Hatley said, adding that he believes the state has a responsibility to protect children from certain material.
The candidates addressed the rapid expansion of data centers across Tennessee. All three expressed concerns about their effect on communities and infrastructure.
Green and Pinkston called for statewide action to pause or restrict new developments while regulations are established. Hatley called for stronger guardrails requiring data centers to cover costs associated with their power, water and property needs.
The candidates also differed over Tennessee's death penalty.
Pinkston said she opposes capital punishment, citing both her faith and its cost.
Green also said she does not believe Tennessee should continue the death penalty and pointed to the potential for wrongful convictions and disparities within the criminal justice system.
Hatley said the governor has a responsibility to uphold state law, which allows the death penalty, while criticizing the state's handling of recent executions and calling for an investigation.
Transportation was another point of discussion. All three candidates expressed support for expanding public transit, including passenger rail, while criticizing the state's approach to toll or "choice" lanes.
Blackburn's absence became a recurring theme throughout the night, with Green, Hatley and Pinkston each criticizing aspects of the current political system or the Republican candidate directly.
Blackburn declined to participate in the forum and instead held a get-out-the-vote rally in Hendersonville at the same time.
The candidates closed the forum by making their final pitches to voters ahead of Election Day.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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