Thread by @asanderford

Made it out to Holdrege for the #NEgov debate tonight between @CWHerbster, @votelindstrom and @TThibodeauNE.

The debate will be live on KFXL and KPTM at 7p. It will also stream live on @NTVNEWS. I’ll try to live tweet.

Here they are on stage.

All of my tweets are paraphrases unless quoted.

Lindstrom gets first Q: Top two priorities if elected?

Lindstrom: We just passed the largest tax cut in Nebraska history. A lot of issues dealing with workforce. My two top priorities are infrastructure investment. Rural broadband is top of the list. Other part is roads funding

Thibodeau: One of my priorities is actual property tax relief. The other is we need to shrink the size of government. They increase red tape. "If we grew food as much as we grow government, heck, nobody would ever go hungry."

Herbster: We need tax reform. If we are going to grow Nebraska. We have to change our tax code system. We have to rewrite it from the bottom up, not only to keep our young people here, but to bring new business here. We need to market with a state logo, an outline, a brand.

Q: Nebraska has eighth highest prop tax in country, what is your plan?

A Thibodeau: The brave bold move I'm going to do is to take a deep dive into government and curb the spending. To get rid of our school aid formula and fund our kids per student. Immediate prop tax relief.

Thibodeau (continued): Every child in the state is worth the same and deserves the same.

Herbster: You have to rebuild it from the bottom up. It has to be revenue neutral. We have to grow the population. Seniors are moving out of state. Those people are leaving because we have a tax code that is driving business away, driving our young people away.

Herbster: "We have everything here we need. We just have to utilize it."

Lindstrom: We passed the largest tax cut in Nebraska history. But we're not done. 157 school districts get no equalization aid. My plan is to direct sales tax dollars toward a 20 percent property tax reduction.

Thibodeau: Tax bill was nice but my opponent (Lindstrom) raised the gas tax. Now he wants to raise the sales tax.

Lindstrom rebuttal: It wouldn't raise sales tax. It would carve out some over years to address prop taxes.

Q: Nebraska has consistently reported lowest unemployment rate in the country, with that comes labor shortage, what will you do to attract new people to the state?

Herbster: When you look at what Kristi Noem is doing in South Dakota and what Kim Reynolds is doing in Iowa, they're attracting businesses. It comes back to the fact that we're one of the highest taxed states. It keeps people from living here and wanting to stay.

Herbster: We've got to rebuild a tax code that's attractive for people to be here in Nebraska and stay here.

Lindstrom: One of the first thing is changing the motto that Nebraska is not for everyone. That's the wrong message. We have 60k unfilled jobs.

Lindstrom (continued): The next step in this tax plan is taking on the working class and changing the thresholds. 50k single filer and 100k family filer, we need to get to zero income tax. Other thing is to incentivize training and apprenticeship programs.

Thibodeau: All I get told is property taxes, if we could have our property taxes reduced now. If we get rid of TEEOSA, it would be an immediate 50-75 percent property tax relief. (Don't know the sources of that number. Don't know the cost.)

Thibodeau: If we lower property taxes, more people will invest in their communities. It might help us keep our nursing homes.

Q: All of you live in Eastern Nebraska. What will you do to make sure the concerns of central and western Nebraska are heard?

Lindstrom: We need to make sure we address the TEEOSA equalization aid formula to make sure all districts get aid. Rural broadband, child care, workforce housing, those need to be addressed everywhere. Nursing shortages, law enforcement shortages. We'll address it all.

Thibodeau: I'm there to bridge that urban and rural divide by choosing a lieutenant governor who comes from the rural part of the state. That goes back to our education. We have to get rid of TEEOSA or we'll never have everyone funded the same for education.

Thibodeau: If we divide our state up into regions and focus on the drivers of each we can succeed.

Herbster: We are beyond question No. 1 in agriculture, and we have to address the situation we've already talked about and people are ready. I've crossed the state again and again. People are ready to sit down. Have to look at tax plan in South Dakota. Have very few exemptions.

Herbster: As governor, we're going to address those exemptions. (tax exemptions in Nebraska)

Q: Do you think the Department of Ed should report to the governor?

A Thibodeau: I do not believe we solve problems with government by adding more government. I'd rather have the elected board, because it leaves power with the people. I suggest looking at the board members.

Thibodeau: Vote the bad ones out of there, the ones who want to control your children. Get them out of there. If we put it under the governor, those never work out well.

Herbster: We are under attack because we took prayer out of school. We have too many unwed women. We have too many people who treat parents like terrorists for trying to engage in their children's ed.

Lind: I'm opposed to moving any more power to the executive branch.

Lindstrom: I want to empower parents by making sure they can work with officials to make sure the curricula meet the needs of families and kids.

(Sorry had some technical difficulties.)

Lost the answers to the question on critical access hospitals.

All three candidates essentially offered workforce development answers. Some focused on reimbursement to providers on Medicare.

Q: What is your stand on medical marijuana?

Lindstrom: I have cast votes supporting medical marijuana. Talked to a lot of veterans with PTSD. Had a lot of moms come down with kids who have epilepsy. I support parents making that choice for their kids. Other reason is opioid crisis. This can help. We can do it responsibly.

Thibodeau: A bill was presented this past session, and I get it that it can be helpful for children with seizures, PTSD or children. We don't want medical marijuana that you can grow in your home. Want to legalize it like a medicine. We don't want recreational marijuana.

Herbster: 12 pounds of fentanyl is enough to kill so many people. Ask the people in Colorado what the pathway was starting with medical marijuana. It's going to be voted on in November.

Herbster: We need to empower the people to make the choice. If the choice is that, as governor we're going to tax it and it'll go directly to relieve property taxes.

Q: What do you think about Pillen not participating in debates? Would you participate in a general election debate with the Dem?

Thibodeau: I think it's a shame. It shows he won't be accessible. I'm sick of not being listened to. I'd like to return the power back to our second house.

Herbster: It's very difficult to lead if you don't want to communicate. And debating is part of communication. As the individual who will win the primary on the tenth of May I'll be more than happy to debate the Dem.

Lindstrom: I'm not going to talk about Pillen deciding whether to debate or not. I want to talk about what we're going to do. I will be glad to debate the Dem.

Q: What about what happened in Mead?

Herbster: Anytime we have something that endangers people's lives it's our responsibility to fix it.

Lindstrom: One of our most important jobs is to protect our water. I'll work with DEQ to protect our water and make sure our water quality remains strong, clean and remains available to all of our citizens.

Thibodeau: Water is one of the most important things in our lives. Ethanol is important as well, but not at the stake of contaminating our water.

Now specific Qs for each candidate.

Q: Sen. Lindstrom, you've been attacked by ads saying you're not conservative enough. What makes you conservative beyond taxes?

Lindstrom: I've been a strong supporter of pro-life. Voted for every bill. I've got an A from the NRA. I've voted for property tax relief every time. And one of the biggest tax cutters in this race.

Thibodeau: Why it's up for question is the gas tax. Lind voted for it. He voted against voter ID. He was endorsed by the NSEA.

Q to Thibs: Why did you run instead of staying LTG for Herbster?

A: Transparency wasn't there. Candidate (Herbster) emailed me and said maybe you should be the candidate. I'd be a better supporter.

Q to Herbster: You have adamantly denied allegations of sex assault. All the female senators called on you to drop out. How would you work with them?

Herbster: I'm familiar with political hit jobs. I understand what happens in political races. They did this to President Trump. I am a born again Christian. I can work with anybody, even those who have attacked me.

Q: What countries would you like to target as trade partners?

A Lindstrom: Nebraska products can be everywhere. We want to keep relationships we have strong, Japan, Germany and others. We want Nebraska beef in Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam. We need more trade and avenues.

Thibodeau: We have more cattle than people in this state. There's no reason we shouldn't be the producers of food for our entire nation. We're the bread basket for the entire world. I'll work with other countries, Brazil and Asia. Working to get more money in producers' pockets.

Herbster: I'm going to change Nebraska's not for everyone to Nebraska's open 24/7. As the beef state, everything at Memorial Stadium should be Nebraska beef. I sell bull semen in Mexico and Canada. I have the ability to sell our ag products and technology. We work with our U.

Q: What about climate change and how it's affecting agriculture as they battle these changes?

A Thibodeau: Our farmers are going through very tough times right now. I'll make sure farmers have the water they need to produce our food.

Thibodeau: I'll go to the wildfires and make sure they have what they need in the aftermath. It's going to be years to recover.

Herbster: I'm going to ask everybody to bow their heads and have a moment of prayer. The loss of livestock, life and property, with 100k acres that have been burned. (He's now praying at the front of the room.)

Lindstrom: I was happy to support Gov. Ricketts in making sure we met the challenges of the future with our water. Brought this up at the Farm Bureau event in Kearney. We knew we'd have a difficult situation, like what happened when Kansas sued us. You could see it coming.

Lindstrom: We'll continue to see drought. We need to protect our water rights as Nebraskans, even if that means that we're going to have to sue Colorado.

Q: What are the values that make a Republican in Nebraska?

A Herbster: The division, all the things that you're referring to is because we have lost our moral compass in America. The No. 1 thing that demonstrates that, we allowed our churches to be closed and locked.

Herbster: We've taken god out of our schools and board rooms. We have to get back to the moral values of God first, family second and business third. Without it, we will not save the state or the country. We cannot do it on our own. (applause)

Lindstrom: I believe in self-reliance, individual freedoms and liberties based on your own willpower and belief that you can overcome things. Empowering people and the doers to do. Governors can walk along with people, but always bottom up, not top down.

Thibodeau: Being a Republican means standing up for our Constitution and what our forefathers stood up for. At federal and state level, we have given over so much power to bureaucracies. That needs to be back in the hands of the people, where it should be.

Q: Perkins County canal funding was recently authorized. Do you support the project and would you advocate for state funding for the $500m cost?

A Lindstrom: Yes. I did authorize that. We have finite resources. We can't do all things in a short amount of time. But yes.

Lindstrom: "We'll see if it continues to be a 500m project, but we will continue striving to protect Nebraska's water rights."

Thibodeau: We're going to have to plan on a lot more than 500m. Our farmers need water now. They only need 6-7 inches of water to grow their crops. With our water and where we are in the cycle, I'm worried they won't have it this year. Worry about food shortages.

Herbster: 500m I'm not a politician, if somebody's going to spend 500m I need to know a whole lot more than anybody knows right now. My first visit is going to be to the State of Colorado. I want to be sure we're not taken advantage of. The No. 1 resource the next decade, water.

Thibodeau: I've already been to Colorado, because it's important to do the work ahead of time (knock on Herb). I've already started building a relationship with them, because as a candidate, I do my research.

Q: What is your plan for staffing and keeping prisons below capacity?

A Thibodeau: It would cost more to fix the State Pen than to fix it.

Thibodeau: But I want to change the culture of the prisons, so we can have prisoners in there who are getting access to the resources they need, but not at the risk of letting people out early to free the beds.

Herbster: One building is 100 years old. The other was built in the wrong place (Tecumseh). We have a lot of people today who are in prison and provide them a job when they get out and reform them while they're there, we have an opportunity to do that.

Herbster: We need another prison, because there are people who need to be there. We need to do both.

Lindstrom: All of us agree we don't want to let violent criminals out. There's 270m needed to spend on a prison, but I think we've given up too easily on what needs to be done on the front end. I'd rather focus on decreasing recidivism, addiction, skill training.

Last Q: Mental health, more Nebraskans are seeking these services, what would you do to help make these more accessible?

A Herb: Under Johanns, mental health help for the Patrol was cut back. We have to stop the drugs at the border. We are in the process of working with vets.

Herbster: We're going to have to really invest some money and time and realize that mental health is one of the leading issues we have in Nebraska we have today and relieve the pressure, particularly in western Nebraska to work through what it takes with medication.

Lindstrom: I think our health care providers have done the best they can do on their own. Has to do with provider rates. Need rural broadband for tele-health. Need more access to providers who might live in metro areas or farther away. We need to build that out.

Thibodeau: We're seeing mental health exasperated by COVID and the fires. Children committing suicide and trying. It's devastating to families. Tele-health is good as a follow-up. But someone in crisis, that's not going to do them any good. People driving hours to find beds.

Thibodeau: We need to let the public know it is OK to seek help. So many people hide it worrying society will reject them. We need to find providers who will go into the mental health area to treat those patients.

Now closings, starting with Thibodeau: Time for Nebraska to have a tough female who will stand up for our children and our freedoms, to protect the resources we have, so the fed government doesn't take over our land or put mandates on people. I'm listening to everyday Nebraskans.

Thibodeau: The over-arching theme is could you just get government out of our way. Be opportunity makers so we can live our lives and prosper.

Herbster: Elon Musk bought Twitter today. We should smile, because he believes in freedom. Finally we have someone on our side who invested money because he believes in freedom. If we lose America, where are we going to go? There is nowhere else to go.

Herbster: Right now we are being attacked because we don't have election integrity. I'll make sure we have law and order. The open border in this country affects Nebraska. They're bringing drugs and sex trafficking. We are going to realize that every state's a border state.

Herbster: I'll send as many as I can to Washington, not here in Nebraska.

Lindstrom: This is about next-generation leadership. Rural broadband, childcare, workforce housing, tax reform. I've been a pro-life advocate, a pro-second amendment advocate. We look forward to getting the job done come January, making us competitive.

Thanks for following along. Sorry for losing the one question. Story to come on @NE_Examiner.

@threadreaderapp Please unroll

Clarification: Cost more to fix than replace.