Independent candidate Michael Coachman differed on several issues Thursday in a gubernatorial debate with Republican Kelly Armstrong and Democratic-NPL candidate Merrill Piepkorn.

Here’s how candidates responded to four major issues highlighted during the debate moderated by Prairie Public News Director Dave Thompson:

Measure 4

Armstrong and Piepkorn said they both oppose Measure 4, which would eliminate assessed value property taxes in the state, while Coachman said North Dakotans shouldn’t be paying property tax now because of Article 10 of the state constitution.

“You will start losing absolute local control in the smaller communities,” said Armstrong, North Dakota’s at-large member of Congress. He added state programs would need to be cut to raise funds to fill the budgetary hole left by eliminating property taxes.

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Piepkorn, a state senator, said he worries townships would be put into a difficult position if the measure passes because they don’t have taxing authority.

“They’ve got hundreds of miles of roads they are responsible for and it costs a lot to gravel, and maintain and pave those roads,” Piepkorn said. He added a statewide sales tax, more special fees and a decrease in services could be the result if voters pass the measure this fall.

Coachman said “people aren’t free” if they don’t actually own their property because it can be seized by a local subdivision for failure to pay property tax

“What no one wants to address is what happens when people can’t pay a property tax,” Coachman said. “They come and confiscate all those lands.”

He said he would cut services that “don’t have a purpose” and audit state agencies to find and free up funds to eliminate property taxes.

Abortion

Armstrong said he believes the judge who overturned the state’s abortion law erred in his decision.

“I don’t think that’s the last say and I think the North Dakota Supreme Court will have an opportunity to weigh in,” Armstrong said. He added he’s proud of his anti-abortion record and wants the state’s abortion law to make sense for doctors to be able to use in an emergency room and not be worried about a courtroom. 

Coachman said life begins at the moment of conception and he does not support exceptions for rape and incest.

“You can call it women’s health care, it’s murder,” Coachman said. “I’m going to do everything I can to protect life.”

Piepkorn told Coachman he doesn’t believe abortion is murder and said the Legislature has no business in conversations between a woman and her doctor

“We shouldn’t be involved in any of that talk,” Piepkorn said. He added people shouldn’t want this type of government overreach.

Child care

Coachman said the state should not be involved in helping to provide child care for North Dakotans.

“You don’t want the state involved in everything,” Coachman said. “We have to stop the spending … because what you are saying is that we should almost be like a socialist country, or communist country, to take care of everyone. No. It’s a free enterprise.”

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He said child care is best handled at the local level with residents helping each other.

Armstrong said the child care workforce needs to be a focus because new facilities won’t be able to succeed without people to adequately staff them.

“You can’t just build your way out of it,” he said. Armstrong said streamlining grant writing processes for providers would make it easier for them to receive assistance.

Piepkorn said the state should incentivize businesses to start child care programs to help their workers, and even suggested they should start a child care program for workers at the Capitol.

“How about at schools for teachers?” Piepkorn said. “So they can have their children right there in that day care at school.”

School choice

Piepkorn said the state should increase its funding commitments for public education before any extra funding is allocated for a school choice program.

“Taking money away, right now, from public education for vouchers, any money you take and send in that direction, is going to mean less money for the public education we have now,” Piepkorn said.

Coachman said he would support a school voucher program because parents should be given choices with their child’s education.

“Parents should have the opportunity to send the child to whatever program they want, public school, private school, home school; the power needs to be in the parent’s hand,” Coachman said.

Armstrong said he believes in school choice, but doesn’t think vouchers would be a good approach because private schools could raise their tuition to take advantage of the new state money.

“It doesn’t need to be either-or,” Armstrong said. “We can fund our public school system and we can have the best public school system in the country, and we can still allow for significantly more parental autonomy in school choice.”

The final debate of North Dakota’s gubernatorial race will be held at 7 p.m. Monday hosted by BEK TV.