State Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, and Democratic opponent Kenneth Franks addressed a crowd of local residents Tuesday evening at the American Association of University Women's legislative forum inside the Liberal Arts North building on the SFA campus.
Both candidates began with a five-minute introduction in which they addressed why they were running and what changes voters could anticipate from their service.
Christy Wooten/The Daily Sentinel |
State Rep. Wayne Christian, right, R-Center and opponent Kenneth D. Franks listen to the moderator during a forum hosted by the American Association of University Women Tuesday on SFA campus.
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After losing the coin toss that determined which candidate spoke first, Franks, a local rancher, began his initial remarks with what drove him to the decision to run for state representative.
"... I thought this process ought to be a lot broader than just two Republicans in the Republican Primary," he said, alluding to the fact that there has not been a Democratic opponent to the office since 2006. " ... Wayne, I didn't feel, was representing this district in a way that I could support."
He continued by saying that public school money should go to public schools, and should not be diminished by school vouchers, and he acknowledged his disappointment in the Republican health care plan where people without insurance go emergency rooms for treatment, as well as his opposition to the Trans-Texas Corridor.
Christian, in his opening remarks, cited the numerous changes that have occurred at SFA during his 10 years as a state representative.
He said SFA received more than $185 million from the state above the standard funding, some of which was part of the only tuition-revenue bond the state issued.
"SFA is very important to me," he said. "And, it's been a great part of my work and will continue to be."
In addition, he also voiced his opposition to the Trans-Texas Corridor, stating that it has been "an experience for all of us."
Following their opening remarks, each candidate was given a minute to answer a handful of questions submitted by members of the audience, while AAUW member Kathryn Robertson acted as timekeeper, holding up a red flag when each candidate ran out of time.
Questions ranged from qualifications to the issues the candidates anticipated in the 81st Legislature.
Franks, in response to a question on how he would address the range of concerns that were brought up earlier in the evening, said he would give cost-of-living increases to retired teachers and would continue to work on the Trans-Texas Corridor project, because "it's not over."
"The minute order did not stop (the TTC), and they have the right to go back to the original route on that corridor. We need to do something about it, and we can this next year," Franks said.
Christian, in response to the same question, said he formed a study this session to research the costs associated with attending college, and found that in many of the universities across the state are holding tuition scholarship plans and not allocating those dollars in full to tuition for students.
"They're getting billions of dollars, and it's sitting in banks of some of our larger universities across the state ... (the funds) are just sitting there having been given by citizens to provide tuition for our students, and they're not being used for such."
He said in the next session he'll be leading the charge on a lot of other issues, as well, including the elimination of property taxes as the primary funding mechanism for public education.
In addition to hearing comments from the two state representative candidates, those in attendance were able to hear brief comments from several candidates in locally contested races.
District Judge Ed Klein, who is at the end of his first term of office in the 420th district court, described his judicial philosophy as absolute to fairness.
County attorney candidate David Guillory, a civil rights lawyer, said he was concerned with local government and felt there needed to be more cooperation between law enforcement agencies. His opponent, John Fleming, also a local attorney, said he had a vested interest in making Nacogdoches a better place.
District clerk candidate Loretta Cammack said she wanted to restore trust in the office, to which she has served for five months following the resignation of former district clerk Donna Phillips, who was indicted Friday for theft by a public servant. Her opponent, Vanessa Thorn, kept her comments short, simply stating that she had the necessary experience to do the job.
