WI governor candidates square off
First of two debates
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — For the first time Wisconsin’s voters got a side by side comparison of who could be their next Governor.
Governor Scott Walker and Democratic Challenger Mary Burke squared off Friday night in Eau Claire for a live televised debate.
It’s the first of two debates the candidates will take part in. Both Governor Walker and Mary Burke were questioned on topics like abortion and the state’s budget.
With the U.S. Supreme Court recently blocking Wisconsin’s voter ID law, both the candidates were asked whether or not they supported the decision.
“While it seems like a reasonable requirement about the hurdles that places in their lives in order to get that, I am very concerned that we are not doing the right thing and that we are shutting down peoples voice,” said Mary Burke.
Governor Walker took a different approach and referenced a question and answer session he recently did with the public.
“One person asked me how many cases of fraud have there been in this state and I said it doesn’t matter if there’s 1, 100, or 1,000 I ask among us who would be that one person who would like to have our vote canceled out by a vote that was casted illegally,” said Walker.
One question that is on everyone’s mind that will be on November’s ballot is minimum wage. The candidates were asked if they thought if Wisconsin’s minimum was reasonable to live on.
“Our plan for the future is based on a concept in part called learn more to earn more. We want to raise wages but you raise them by giving people the skills expertise and the talents they need to be more valuable to their employer, said Governor Walker.
Mary Burke focused on people who are working full time that shouldn’t have to get help from government programs.
“I want people who work full time to able to have that pride of a job of being able to support themselves and at $7.25 an hour that’s just ridiculous, you can’t do that, it insures people are dependent on Government assistance,” said Burke.
The two candidates will face each other again October 17, in Milwaukee.
