The talk is sponsored by The Colorado Springs Gazette, Colorado Politics, KOAA News5 and The El Pomar Basis’s Discussion board.

Observe dwell updates right here.  

Vaccination

One of many greatest clashes of the night time revolved round vaccination.

Ganahl accused Polis of successfully permitting folks – girls specifically – to be fired for refusing to get vaccinated.

“I’m against and I’ve been to vaccine necessities,” Polis stated. 

Ganahl replied, “Why have you ever not put your foot down?” 

Polis responded, “Have you ever been vaccinated?” 

Ganahl stated sure – and the governor thanked her for “agreeing with me” on the significance of vaccination. 

The undercurrent of this dialogue is girls’s alternative, extra particularly, the correct to get an abortion. 

Housing

This is one other glimpse into how Ganahl and Polis differ.

Polis argued that the value of homes is up as a result of folks wish to dwell in Colorado and reap the benefits of every part it has to supply.

Ganahl blamed the scenario on inflation and insurance policies Democrats have embraced. 

Vitality

Nowhere is the conflict of ideologies extra obvious than within the space of vitality.

For Polis, the transition away from fossil-fired vitality – 100% renewable vitality by 2040 – is an ethical crucial, an obligation that right this moment’s era owes to the subsequent. The governor and his allies view the combat as existential – Colorado, America and the remainder of the world should transition – and rapidly – with the intention to save the planet. The transition, they argue, additionally presents Colorado the chance to “drive innovation and harness the patron financial savings and financial advantages of main the transition to a clear vitality financial system.”

“Colorado is susceptible as long as it’s reliant on pure gasoline and coal,” he stated. 

For Ganahl, the disagreement isn’t over the lofty objectives of unpolluted land, air, and water however over ways and tempo. The transition is happening too quick, too quickly, forsaking Colorado’s most susceptible residents, she argued.

The transition, Ganahl insisted, have to be tempered by giving folks and industries the possibility to undertake. Specifically, she argued that the subsequent authorities should encourage native oil and gasoline manufacturing – exactly as a result of Colorado already figured to extract gasoline from the land in a cleaner and extra environment friendly method.

Ganahl stated the insurance policies Polis embraced have made the state unaffordable, driving them away. 

“Increasingly folks have been transferring out (as a result of) the state has turn into so unaffordable,” he stated. 

Immigration

Each Polis and Ganahl stated they might compassionately cope with individuals who cross into the nation illegally – in the event that they find yourself in Colorado.

The context right here is that some border states have despatched immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities, straining the latter’s social security networks.

“I’ll cope with care and compassion with they get there,” Ganahl stated. 

The issue, Ganahl stated, is America’s southern border is porous. That, she stated, means medication, notably fentanyl, get by means of, finally ending up in Colorado, the place they poison kids.   

“It’s killing our youngsters. You guys, we’ve got to get up,” he stated.

Polis, too, stated he would welcome immigrants with care and compassion, noting that Colorado embraced hundreds of Afghans who fled their nation. 

“On the finish of the Colorado just isn’t a border state,” Polis stated. 

Does the federal authorities must step up in securing the southern border? Completely sure, Polis stated. 

Crime 

Ganahl pressed Polis on crime, noting Colorado’s crime charges are among the many highest within the nation, and blamed the insurance policies he and Democrats championed in the previous few years.

She stated Colorado is now essentially the most “harmful” state to be a child, itemizing off Colorado’s crime statistics.

Charges and taxes

Each candidates clashed over the best way to strategy taxes and costs. 

Ganahl, specifically, accused Polis of “mendacity” to Coloradans by calling the TABOR refund the “Colorado Cashback.” 

Democrats had accredited laws to provide Coloradans their Taxpayer’s Invoice of Rights refund sooner than scheduled – $750 verify for people and $1,500 for joint filers. Coloradans acquired their checks this summer season.

Polis countered that he and his Democratic allies have moved rapidly to ease the financial burden.

“We had been in a position to ship on the most important property tax lower within the historical past of Colorado – $700 million,” he stated. 

This session, Democrats handed a number of payments providing Coloradans fiscal reduction within the type of small cuts in prices, similar to by decreasing or stabilizing charges for automobile registrations, gasoline taxes, drivers’ licenses, enterprise filings {and professional} licenses. Bigger financial savings are anticipated from a couple of different measures, similar to Home Invoice 1304, which invests $178 million in constructing inexpensive housing; Senate Invoice 238, which presents $700 million in property tax reduction; and, Home Invoice 1359, which gives loans and credit score for low-income households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Opening remarks 

And we’re off! 

In her opening remarks, Ganahl stated she’s a fighter – someone who fought by means of a few of life’s direst adversities. 

Polis, then again, rapidly outlined what he has achieved and he intends to if elected into workplace, notably protecting Coloradans protected and protecting issues inexpensive.