Current Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic candidate Tony Evers clashed on taxes and healthcare in the first gubernatorial debate Friday. The candidates have been neck and neck at the polls since the primary election in August.
After a Marquette University poll found that 30 percent think that road conditions in the state are poor, Walker attacked Evers on his plans to improve transportation services without including a number.
“He's not telling us what it is," Walker said. "If you don't have a plan until after the election, ladies
Evers said he would work across party lines to develop a long-term solution on transportation funding but refrained from adding any specifics.
The pair butted heads in their discussion on healthcare as Walker approved a lawsuit that would overturn the Affordable Care Act. With this decision, those with pre-existing conditions would no longer have protection.
However, Walker noted his support of a state bill that would require coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.
"Scott Walker is talking out of both sides of his mouth," Evers said. "He wants to save pre-existing conditions, but he's in federal court to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, which will get rid of those protections."
Questions of Evers’ credibility loomed in light of four plagiarized passages in a budget document released by the Department of Public Instruction, which he is at the helm of.
“I don’t know of a teacher out there that would allow a student to hand in a term paper that plagiarized major portions of a document without attributing, particularly from Wikipedia,” Walker said.
In rebuttal, Evers hinted at the similarities of Walker’s new education budget proposal to his own.
"My definition of plagiarism is when Scott Walker takes my budget and calls it his own," Evers said.
While familiar discussion took precedent, the pair discussed
Walker and Evers will debate again next Friday at Marquette University.
