Highlights from the Sept. 30 gubernatorial debate
ABBOTT
• Abbott said Texas needs a block grant.
• He supports increased spending on women and veteran health care and mental health care.
• He doesn’t want to impose the Affordable Care Act as an additional cost to Texans.
DAVIS
• Texans are writing harder tax checks to the IRS, up to $100 billion that Texas will not get back, to create 300,000 more jobs to Texas.
• Texas tax dollars will go to other states for healthcare and Texans will have to pay more in hospital and property taxes to compensate for the lost dollars.
ABBOTT
• He wants to increase funding per student to as much as $1,500 in Pre-K4, an advanced program for young students.
• He wants to build a strong foundation for children beginning at Pre-K4 through third grade and get them at par or above their grade level in reading and math.
• He wants to bring control of education back to the local level.
DAVIS
• She prevented a $5.4 billion cut for public education in a filibuster in the Senate.
• She supports more funding for public education and will reduce standardized testing in high, middle and lower school grades if elected.
• “I, unlike my opponent, would never advocate the idea that we expand the use of standardized tests to four year-olds.”
ABBOTT
• He wants to fix the broken immigration system.
• He doesn’t favor providing licenses to undocumented immigrants without checking for compliance with federal mandates or safeguarding against inappropriate use.
• He will not veto any attempts to repeal the DREAM Act.
DAVIS
• Davis supports comprehensive immigration reform.
• She believes it is better to provide training and a driver’s permit to every motorist as opposed to having people drive on the roads without adequate training or insurance to drive.
• She supports the DREAM Act of 2001 and will veto any attempt to repeal it.