Debate. This is brought to you by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and others. Our candidates in alphabetical andr are republican democrat. Our moderators are w good evening and welcome to this debate between the candidates for governor of new jersey. The next hour they will answer questions from us as well as from others. Answerdidates will questions submitted through twitter as well. We have several hundred guests in our audience. Refrainasked them to from applause or other interruptions. The candidates have agreed to a one minute closing at the end of debate and by prior drug, the first question comes for mr. Murphy. Every poll shows property taxes are by far the number one issue. At the end of the year, a gap on raises will expire. Local Officials Say letting it expire will undoubtedly lead to tax hikes. What we do in the first 100 days to address Property Tax Relief for the average . This is a great state that has been ravaged by the administration of the past eight years. The middle class has had the biggest price. Choices has been made to defend the Big Companies in the wealthiest among us in the middle class. Infrastructure has been ignored and were in an unfair state. If one looks at the property tax bill in addition to the 2 cap, the tax bill and average in this States Education funding. We will fully Fund Public Education in the state. It has been underfunded by over 9 billion over the past eight years. Theres a report coming out in december that will assess all sides of the 2 question. We want to make that based on facts, making sure we have all sides of the argument together. I too would like to welcome everybody thank you for having me. I want to directly answer the question that you put to phil murphy. One i have yet to hear him answer. That is, i would extend the arbitration cap because it saves the taxpayers of new jersey billions of dollars. Not billions, billions of dollars. As i look at the people listening here tonight i know the number one issue facing them today is Property Tax Relief and i know we have the highest property taxes in this country. An answer to the arbitration question is only one part of the answer. We also need to lower property taxes. My platform is to lower property taxes on the people who need the taxes lowered the most. The most vulnerable Senior Citizens, millennials, workingclass families. Is this based on the facts which will do, property taxes are up 17 . Incomes in the state are down 5 on average. We have among the weakest economy in the country. The cost to send kids to college is up 20, healthcare premiums are up over 40. Nj transit fares are up. So Property Tax Relief is urgently needed for seniors, the middle class, across the board. Lets make that decision based on the facts. The biggest move we can make is to fully Fund Public Education which has been underfunded by over 9 billion. The facts are in, over the fax eight years the 2 tax and arbitration clause have had control over property taxes. It has not lowered property taxes, its still an effort and means by which we can lower property taxes. People listening have a right to know where you stand on the arbitration clause. They know that if we goes back to to the days of tim mcgrady will see a property tax increase each year, every year. I want to follow up. Recently President Trump rolled out a tax plan and a calls for an overhaul of the u. S. Tax code and tax cut that eliminates 18 deductions. This would in the ability of taxpayers to deduct the income and property taxes they pay to state local governments. Whats your take on the plan . This is devastating for new jersey. The Republican Congress is pushing this every step of the way. As you point out, if the state local deduction is a limited, new jersey is victim state number one. If the healthcare bill would have become law, victim state number one wouldve been new jersey. We need our friends in the Republican Party to stand strong and make sure they stand up in our county. This would have a devastating impact. The impact on average in the three or 4000dollar per year, per family which is incredibly burdensome in the weak economy that we have today. I hope the Lieutenant Governor and governor christie and bolden there Republican Congress. Two voted with trump this last week to get everybody together to make sure it doesnt happen. The president s tax plan has to do with the national base. Relief needs to be have her property texted actions a mess because we have the highest property taxes in this country. So murphy has no plan. Murphy has said in the past that in order to lower property taxes people in new jersey need to make more money. Or phil murphy has said in order to lower property taxes we need to fully fund which in his own words tonight was 9 billion. I suggest to the listeners to look to their right and left because 9 billion is coming for you if phil murphy is elected governor. The people of new jersey are taxed enough. We need to provide tax relief and do it now. The 9 billion actually, choices have been made by governor christie in the Lieutenant Governor every step of the way. Theyve chosen to give out tax incentives to large corporations in our state for over a billion dollars. Theyve chosen to give the wealthiest among us tax breaks. All that at the expense of the middle class. I left the state bankrupt, state thats ravaged. The reason we dont have the money to fully fund higher education, education or infrastructure, is because this Administration May choices to favor the wealthy among us. We want to reverse that. The first thing we can do is to have a thriving middle class. The way we do that is to lower the property taxes. I dont how many times ill come back to it tonight. The number one problem facing new jersey todays property taxes. The murphy doesnt have a plan, i have a plan to help the middle class people. I call him property taxes intention. A generation of questionable tactics by governors and rulings by the courts but the new jersey system on a catastrophic path. According to metrics the worst funded pump Pension System in america. In the 2020s, we could see the funds for state employees and teachers to be depleted. Do take a quarter of the state budget to fend punch pensions on a yearly basis . Do you raise taxes . Or do you impoverish 800,000 people . These are intolerable choices. But the next governor will need to figure it out. It is a crisis. To fully fund the pension healthcare we would need 15 billion out of 34 billiondollar budget. We know thats not realistic. I know promises were made in the primary that he would fully fund the pension and health care, what i would do is talk about it honestly and openly and sit down not just with the First Responders the talk about it honestly. Right now were hiring 21 your kids to teach in our school of promising them a pension that we know they will not have. We need to talk about it thoughtfully and respectfully and realistically. On our commitment to the 800,000 people and also talk realistically to what happens to that 21yearold child who is going into the Pension System now and will not have a pension. We are state that people no longer trust. Things have been left at the altar, agencies have downgraded our ratings during the christie a good on a administration 11 times. If that werent enough, college seniors. We have to get back to being the state that folks trust and respect again. We can keep leaving the folks at the altar and then say ill meet my end of the application if you make more concessions. Thats not in the category. So we will fund our pension obligations because its the right smart thing to do. We cannot do the damage this administration has brought unless we can find the trust, respect and strength. Of the question is how will you fully fund that . We have a very credible plan to fund these as rapidly as possible. At least a whole lot faster than this administration. Forgive me, ms. Guadagno, your rebuttal. In the primary he said he would fully fund the pension. For gonna talk about trust us talk about what he said. He said he would fund those as soon as he could. Quite frankly, that sounds like the Chris Christie plan. I think we need to sit down and talk about what we can afford to do and how we can afford to talk about it. Tom burns has a good plan to make those pension solvent. But that has to be executed in a thoughtful and respectful way. This is an administration which has vilified publicsector employees. Educators should be up on a pedestal and they been vilified from a state years. So i ask where of you been . You been alongside governor christie for every step of the way. Theres a bit a new surrounding President Trump recently, i like each of you to take 30 seconds to answer this question. Your governor of new jersey, you have 30 or 40 seconds with the president and the oval office. Actually will go to miss guadagno first. Very quickly, i would say please fund the infrastructure you promised at the beginning. We need the gateway tunnel. We have trillions of dollars of reasons for getting along with this governor. I like what hes doing with regulatory reform. I love his idea funding apprentice programs because one of the probe problems we have is middle skills. I would tell the president to please fund the infrastructure is in we can do other necessary programs. I dont how phil murphy will make that argument since hes had a fight with the governor since the day he ran for office. Mr. Murphy. I would employ him every step of the way to fund infrastructure. I would say beaver dreamers alone. They were healthcare alone. Enough of the tax cuts. Of the wealthiest among us. This is the most wrongheaded president in the history of our country. For the tenth largest state in the nation. The most ever stayed in the nation. We have as much environmentally at risk as any other state. All the steps he has been taking our damaging lives. I hope his actions matches words on infrastructure. I think thats one area i could find common ground. We asked voters to submit questions by way of twitter. This what is your plan to prevent gun violence . Including mass shooting. We have a gun crisis in this country. We see it in big events like the tragedy in las vegas. Its also a daily drumbeat in our state in communities up and down the state. Im strongly of the opinion that i would sign all of the gun safety less vetoed by the Christie Administration, keeping guns out of the hands of those convicted of domestic violence, carjackings, making terrorist threats. My kids are here tonight and they have to go through a lot to learn how to drive a car. Folks should go through a Training Program to discharge again. We should tighten up the background checks. 80 of the crimes in the state come from outside. Last week when those 58 innocent people were killed i heard from the Lieutenant Governor that now was not the time, i would say is not the time for them to lose their lives either. I think we have to start with the following. That is that 50 people lost their lives last week. Another 500 or so are still in the hospital. We need to remember this is not a political problem. This is a heinous act of a madman. We need to respect that. Thats the reason why did make it a political issue last week, unlike my opponent. So talk about what we can do in new jersey to avoid these insane acts. First we have the third mostly restricted gun laws in the country. You cant buy a bb gun without firearms permit. When a greater penalties and enforce the law. Most of the crimes are done with handguns. We need Better Mental Health background checks. In the case of the the nevada shooting, i would recommend the death penalty. You just heard from someone who has a rating of a from an nra. Up for the first time in my life to have been given an f from the nra. I reject completely this business that now was not the time for politicizing this. My god, these are innocent people getting killed every day. Now is exactly the time. I would just say, the Lieutenant Governor only moved after the nra said they be willing to ban these bump stocks. We have to get the law on the books. Fifty caliber weapons law. Even if we save only one life it will have been worth it. Ive been a federal prosecutor, a state prosecutor, no one knows better how to protect people in the state than me. And i do not believe the answer is to take guns out of the hands of honest, lawabiding citizens. I believe phil murphy has to answer the following question. If guns are so bad i is Goldman Sachs invested in gun manufacturers over the years. And how much has he profited by that investment . [applause] if i had your track record i would try to change the subject as well. This is about savings peoples lives. Lets stop changing the subject. Are you denying that Goldman Sachs and you profited off of. The opportunity to talk about this later. Right now, we have more ground to cover. Please audience, the problem youre creating is it takes time for you to express yourself and creates a delay on part of the candidates away lose opportunity to cover more material. Our next question is to miss guadagno. The Trump Administration released a number of demands tight immigration policies. Among his priorities, funding the border wall in exchange for protecting immigrants were brought to the u. S. As children also known as dreamers. These young undocumented immigrants have been protected from deportation which is due to expire next march. But what you do to protect the 22000 dreamers who currently live in new jersey . A new jersey now theres 20000 dreamers and they would be impacted by the president s executive order. What we have asked and the president has asked is to fix the problem. Its a congressional issue. I would use the bully pulpit to use and encourage our leaders, most were democrats in new jersey anyway to fix the problem so we dont have a constant uncertainty going forward. The one thing we have to do is make it affordable for them to live here. The way to make that happen is to lower taxes. My opponent said he would raise taxes. And that will hurt everyone of those 20000 individuals, as well as their families. About what would you do if theres nothing reached in washington on march 5 next year . What would you do specifically if there is no Congress Agreement by march 5 next year . I would follow the law. Im a former federal prosecutor and a former sheriff. Its our obligation to follow the law. But i would not do is make it more dangerous for lawenforcement officers and for people to live in the state by declaring it a sanctuary state. We have 22000 and were every bit of american as my four kids. This is a moral test, black and white. This is mr. President not the state of new jersey. Will stand up to this president. Will be a sanctuary that just city, but state. This is america. The america i know is the poem at the base of the statue of liberty. We open up for all to come here. 91 of these dreamers are either in education or working. They contribute 67 million of tax revenue, 1 billion to the economy. I will have their back, we will stand up to the president , hopefully his wrongheaded rightwing immigration package she just came out with which is the price we have to pay is unamerican. Please said very carefully what phil murphy had. He was asked specifically whether he would defend as part of his sanctuary state a child rapist who had killed four students in a parking lot by shooting them in the back of the head, three died. One survive. He said he would have their back. I wonder if he would have the backs of the individual who climbed into a second floor window two weeks ago in a sanctuary city in new jersey and raped a sixyearold girl. I will have their back and i will keep them safe. Those axing crimes are heinous. Those people need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Both all due respect, lets not tell halftruths or untruths about this. What happened to that little girl, is awful. Heinous, lets call it out for what it is. Its a crime and the person should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. What youre doing is donald trump doing. You pit us against them. You can cast over entire communities of people. The next question we welcome man from new jersey, his question goes to mr. Murphy. This is a question about unrealistic promises. You may promises for spending a policies and programs that you would need substantially to fu fund. And miss guadagno, you promised to cut taxes by spending one and half billion dollars, money that would come by auditing the State Government which suggests your administrations has been sitting on hundred millions of dollars of waste over the past eight years. In short, why should voters believe you and why shouldnt they believe your opponent. I appreciate the question. All at the Lieutenant Governor speak for her plan. Our plan is credible. You have to remind yourselves of the state of the state. This is an economy that is wrecked. Its been bankrupt and ravaged over the past eight years. The only winners are the Big Companies in the very wealthy. All we want to do is build the bridge to get back to investing again in what we used to do naturally, the middle class. So thats funny public educati education, meeting our pension obligation so were state with trust again. As we grow our economy, we dont grow, by an average comparison of the past eight years i want to present myself as someone who understands how to grow a sophisticated economy in the 20th century to fund the programs youre asking about. Quite simply, phil murphy cant keep his promises. Its been reported anything up to 65 billion worth of entitlements have been proposed by the murphy campaign. And is simply unrealistic. What i will do as governor is address the number one problem facing people in new jersey and you can poll anybody at home or here, the number one problem facing us is property taxes. Lets deal with the problem that faces them, 1. 5 billion is what we estimate it will cost and save the average taxpayer 800. Be a y not be enough to multimillionaire. But those people in new jersey need the help and need it now. May i say, lets make sure were having a discussion based on facts and evidence and the truth. Youre proving, Lieutenant Governor, along with governor christie you were trump before trump was trump. The numbers you referred to as relates to our plans has no basis in reality. I want to make sure everybody gets that. Number two, your plan is an interesting plan. Youve been alongside governor christie every step of the way for 2,821 days. If its such a good idea, where have you been . May i . The last time a Goldman Sachs governor ran the state of new jersey we had 9. 8 unemployment. And when this governor asked me to be his first ill start over. Those are your folks. Well said. The seconds are ticking away. The last time we had a Goldman Sachs governor in charge, we had 9. 8 unemployment and i was in charge of one thing, lowering the Unemployment Rate. Even though were the highest tax rate in the country went from 9. 8 to 4. 5 . We have more people working today in the history of the state of new jersey. We have to move on. The problem is you cant afford to live here. We have to move on. May i respond . The next question comes from a student and he has a question. Good evening. As a student graduating in may, many of my fellow students are concerned about employment opportunities. This state has a history of students leaving new jersey for better im sorry, i cant hear the question. We cant hear the question. Sorry. I dont want to be rude. Why dont you walk right up to her. Ok. Im all right. I dont bite. How are you . Do what you have to do. Come a little closer. Here you go. Speak in the microphone. Theyll both hear you and theyll both answer you. Can you hear, phil . As a student graduating in may, a lot of my fellow students are concerned about employment opportunities. The state has a history of students leaving new jersey for better paying jobs in school. As governor, what steps will you make sure to ensure the Mass Immigration stops and what opportunities are in the state . Thanks very much. Hes a good sport. The answer to your question is very simple. We need to continue growing the economy by making it more affordable to live here. Weve seen billions in terms of growth and in terms of building buildings in the state of new jersey, so theres more seats for more people to go to school. We need to work harder to make sure school is more effective and more affordable for you and then when you come out of school, you need to have opportunities and the way to do that is to closer the cost of doing business in new jersey, to lower the cost of living in new jersey and make sure people can afford to live in new jersey. My possibilitys idea of living in new jersey is to make more money and thats not realistic in the world we live in. My opponents idea of lowering property taxes so you can afford to stay here and find a job here put 9 billion back in the School Funding formula. All of you will have to pay more for that. We need to continue to address the problems of jobs in new jersey. We have to move on. Im sorry. First of all, great question. Before i get to it, the reason our Unemployment Rate is low, everybodys is lower, were at a 10year low labor Market Participation. Talking about the last governor after being there every step of the way alongside christie is talking about something Grover Cleveland did. At some point you have to own the record. Sir, great question. We need the nation in exporting High School Seniors and college tunors, we need a stronger, fairer economy that works for everybody, particularly the next generation. The two biggest economies we think we can grow is the infrastructure and innovation economies. We dont mean just the Big Companies. We had talk of amazon and the Big Companies but we mean the starters. We were Silicon Valley before there was a Silicon Valley. Under this administration we lost our edge. We have 15 incubators and new york 179. That doesnt happen by accident. Those are policy choices. Theyve ignored it, we embraced it and will do more in your future. In 40 seconds, let me tell you this, we in the most tax state in the country have been able to cut the Unemployment Rate in half. There are more people working here on average than any place else ever in the history of the state of new jersey. We need to Pay Attention to small businesses. We have an innovative economy, lets do what they do in israel and create a startup economy as ive proposed, a chief innovation officer to bring together the resources, public, private, all the resources to grow organically rather than stealing from new jersey, pennsylvania or new jersey. Murphy would cut tax credits and raise taxes and make it impossible for businesses to work here. May i say can we let this poor guy sit down . The labor Market Participation is at a 10year low and with all due respect to your focus on small businesses, we have fewer in new jersey than the day governor christie took over in the hit of history of the state. Those are two pesky comments but are true. I need to respond. Our debate will continue after this commercial break. We want to welcome you become to the new jersey Gubernatorial Debate live from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in newark, new jersey. Were going to start with a question for you, mr. Murphy. Lets talk about a topic making major headlines today. Mr. Murphy, your opponent charged for years youve worked with Harvey Winestein to raise money and he has contributed to your campaign for governor. In several reports mr. Weinstein has been charged accused of abusing women over the years. Have you partnered with from weinstein to raise money for the Democratic Candidates and if so what do you plan on doing with the money . I didnt ask for or get one dime from this guy. What hes done is completely outrageous and heinous and call from those who have gotten contributions is to send them to organizations focused on womens rights in our country. Its completely outrageous. I wouldnt take one dime from this guy. In fact, he was going to be a part of something and when we read what happened we canceled the entire event. I didnt realize my opponent had said that and want to take this opportunity to say the Republican Governors Association which is running a lot of ads against me have gotten at least 60,000 from her friends at the n. R. A. This year and find it unconscionable, particularly what happened over the past nine days. Lets make sure were focused on the facts. I dont have one dime from this guy and anybody who does should give it back but understand all sides of this. Lets understand completely all sides of this. Harvey weinstein is a predator, and i have to take a second to applaud any woman who stood up under the pressure of the public and called it for what it was, which is a predator. Es an awful, awful man. I think we should applaud the women brave enough to do that and any other woman who has been victimized by him or anybody else should stand up and say what happened to them so we can bring it into the light. Second, i want to call phil murphy a coward. Phil murphy didnt start to talk about Harvey Weinstein until after my Campaign Today listed the tens of thousands of dollars he raised as a part of his position as a finance chair for the d. N. C. Shame on him for not coming forward earlier and helping those poor women. Hes a coward. I literally have no idea what shes talking about. Our next question youll have to wait to find out. Our next question comes from john muni of new jersey spotlight and goes to you. Hi, everyone. This is a question about education. The fact new jersey has more than 500 separate School Districts has been a point of debate and discussion for decades yet in the face of home rule little has changed in trying to consolidate them despite arguments it could reduce property taxes not to mention racial segregation in our state. What specific steps will you take as governor to address new jerseys multitude of districts, promote consolidation and regionalization . The very first thing we have to do is deal with the property tax problem. We do that through our 5 plan and also by reevaluating the School Funding formula. Those are two specifics. The third thing we have to do is consol dade the consolidate the districts. The newspapers say that could save in terms of administrative costs billions of dollars which could pay for my 5 plan. Those would just be two or three ways we could immediately address consolidation. If you do this weve done in lake cuomo and belmar and washington transplant and but low. You can force it or do it by agreement but with the 2 cap in place, if im the governor it will, it will force consolidation and im sure well all save a lot of money. Im shocked the Lieutenant Governor worked property tax into your answer. A marco rubio moment there for me. The reality is the sad reality is that we are the most segregated states in the nation. And there are many reasons but the two principal reasons are understunneding underfunding public legislation but its ripping it out of the middle class. I grew up working poor and my dream in life was to be comfortably in the middle class. Underfunding Public Education and kicking the Affordable Housing can unconscionablely down the road the past eight years. With all due respect, getting those two policy areas into the right place and funding them are a big reason a big way to get out of the segregated state were in. I think you can insent School Districts and communities to Share Services as opposed to hitting them over the head with a stick and leave it can be and will be done if we get there. I think we have to demand School Districts do it. Any public service, Police Departments consolidate, career Fire Departments consolidate. Any time we can streamline government we should do it and do it now because people cant afford to pay the ever increasing taxes. Under phil murphy pps plan, hes going to not sign the arbitration clause and he has all the facts he need. The people of new jersey need to demand and know whether or not hell sign the arbitration clause because if he doesnt, you know taxes are going back to the rise we saw under John Mccready with a 7 rise every year. May i say again on consolidation, this is a big opportunity, where have you been . 2,8821 days. Youre there, im trying to get there. Youre in the seat. And there is a real opportunity. We put together a plan with shared services and potentially a shared Services Czar and would take two parties to look at it and fund it. We have to leave it there. Our next question comes from twitter, a question to murphy on transportation. This is from renaissance dude and the person wants to know how will either of you reform new Jersey TransitPort Authority and we add to that, the system says its mismanaged and in need of upgrade. What would you do to fix it and would you be willing to raise fares . The answer is theres no reason to raise fares. Let me frame it with the policying observation. You would think you would have to look at the hand youre dealt. You would think if youre dealt the smaller hand, fourth largest in the country, the debt situation and sitting alongside the largest market in new york and one of the los angelesest in the country, philadelphia. The one thing you get right if you screw Everything Else up, it would be commutter rail and apparently thats not true because the Christie Administration has made choices and underfunded transit by 0 and we need the funding back in tout pecks folks who run it with a background and totals over the hudson up 88 . Is your experience up 36 , id ask. We need real leadership and transparency at the Port Authority and a governor to get a fair share of the products of that organization. Well ask for your response and then move on. As a working mother, i had to take the 546 train out of Little Silver to get to court on time or i got a judge really mad at me. Help i had to get the train home on same or i had a babysitter really mad at me. I know what it means to make sure the lines run at the same time. The number one problem the governor has to be responsible for is making sure the train runs on time. The Inconvenient Truth for phil is that Chris Christie is not on the ballot in november, i m. [cheers and applause] your time is ticking. What id do as governor is quite frankly be disruptive, tear it apart and put it together again. Audit everything in transit, whether transportation or transit and make sure people are getting their moneys worth. People dont believe theyre getting their moneys worth and theres no evidence that they are. Lets go back and audit it and redo it all together. Thank you. Were going on. Rear running out of time. Our next question coming from doug doyle and goes to kim. When it comes to climate change, both of you said if elected youd have new jersey join the regional greenhouse gatt initiative. I was fortunate only to be a nter when Superstorm Sandy replaced. But many this little to do but elevate their homes and with many hurricanes missing us this season but serving as strong reminders, at some point does the cost of rebuilding and shore protection exceed the benefit it produces . Yes, i think it does. Im a sandy victim and lost a 1 3 of my house, both houses beside me were destroyed by sandyy. I know what youre talking about. We need to reevaluate whether or not were resilient enough which is what weve been doing in places like thayerville with the blue acre program. The problem we have now is we from an t away economy that encourages building houses in places that are at risk. I want to talk about the reggie program. In new jersey we need to focus on our renewables. The only way is it we get together and talk about the number one problem in new jersey and that is job creation and cost of living in new jersey. To nt bring an ecosystem develop the renewables and take care of places like orchid creek when they leave and make it easier to do business here. Whether its the last question jim or tony on n. J. Transit, a really good question on sandy and the environment, Chris Christies record is your record, Lieutenant Governor. Youve been decide him with every step of the way. On this particular issue on the environment, this is an administration that pulled us out of reggie and could have pressed the button and made us the leader in offshore wind across the world and chose not to. We have a Solar Industry that used to be a National Leader which slipped. We have huge Environmental Justice issues in newark as an example with little kids with the four times the rate of asthma because this administration turned their back on them. We need an administration or leadership who understands to do good and do well and not just embrace the environment but not only have a stronger state from a environmental standpoint but a stronger economy and the fraud and letting down of folks that sat with them in ocean county after sandy is unimaginable. Our next question is from the new jersey advanced media. He return with a question for mr. Murphy. Concerning marijuana, what does the state look like the next four years under your administration snl are we talking rebling creational marijuana shops up and down main street and in the state or diskim bout total nation. But in four years what can voters expect to see . The most important frame we have to talk about legalization of marijuana is the social justice frame. I say it as much as the former tional board member of the awcp. We need criminal justice reform. Its not the only thing to do but low end drug crimes is the biggest contributor to that disparity. Thats the reason we want to legalize marijuana, not because we can make money off of it which is the last reason. Secondly, im very happy were not the first state to have done this. To answer your question we talked about it recently, colorado, nevada, washington, oregon, soon in California Well have other models of those that have done things smart and not so smart. Do you take the liquor as a noto. We need to get it right and do it for social justice and it has to be done right. Theres a less intrusive way to solve the social injustice problem than legal sizing drug dealers. Im wholly opposed to legalizing marijuana. Having said that i do believe we can decriminalize it and would solve the social justice issue just raised. I also would expand the medical marijuanaa program. Its onerous and hard to work with. Its not available to those who it should be made available to. The one thing i would not do is legalize a controlled substance and enable drug dealers in a state where we have three times the National Average of overdoses as a result of drugs overdoses. I would not legalize it just to raise revenue. You have another question now . The Enrollment Period for a. C. A. Begins november 1 and was reported the Trump Administration is slashing funds for new jerseys enrollment Counselor Program called navigators by 62 , that is one of the hardest hit states in america for this cut of it program. How would you replace the money that the Trump Administration is asking or taking away and how would you help 300,000 new jerseyans who Purchase Health re in the marketplace in advantage of these enrollment counselors . Weve added 530,000 people to the rolls and its always been my position we should work very hard, who matter what replaces it and no matter that we call it to make sure those 335,000 people tonight have the rug pulled out from under them. We need to make sure they pick their doctors and make it affordable for them. Our congressional leaders have to go back to washington and entitlely hat is ours. Murphy on the other hand, a single payer advocate, he said he believes the government, in particular, trenton, is in a tter position to wick your doctors before you are. Thats a disaster waiting to happen because i want to pick my own doctors and i believe the public listening today do, too. Also because its so expensive. If i had your practical record and govern wore fitry, i would include your comment about single payer. [crowd booing] you mentioned medical marijuana, Lieutenant Governor, youve been there every step of the way and visitted a dispensery. You with governor christie gummed it up and makes it hard for those what are sick to get their lives back together. President trump has been wrong in the Republican Leadership in Congress Every deap of the way. Its perfect and even barack obama would say that. Its massachusetts a huge impact on the state. 800,000 without Health Insurance and 3. 5 Million People with preexisting condition to cite two populations. We have to do everything in our power to push back against this wrongheaded president and wrongheaded leadership in congress. New jersey, again, as i mentioned earlier, if that law were to come through were victim state number one. Thank you. Our debate will continue after this commercial break. Welcome back to the debate live from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in newark. The minimum wage in new jersey is about to go up to 8. 60. I want to know 15 an hour at minimum wage, for or against, whats your story . Im shor it. It needs to be phased in in a series and so we dont give sticker shock to our businesses and restaurants. Even at a 15 an hour, two barely dependents, under the poverty line. Its the first time i heard phil say hes going to phase it in. In the primary he said hed roll it in and has been a debate. My 5 minimum wage will take away the various chobs. It will close Grocery Stores and restaurants and hurt the Senior Citizens the most because theyll have to pay more for their food. Thank you. Thats the time we have for questions and answers tonight. The candidates will have one minute for a closing statement, by random draw, kim goes first. I want to talk to the people of new jersey. I want to talk about the 55yearold woman, my age, working two jobs and standing in line at the food bank twice a month to put food on the table. This election is not about republicans or democrats but about affordability. Its about making new jersey a place where we can afford to live again. My plan has been simply to make it affordable, 5 Household Income and to audit and get rid of the waist. My opponent is a Goldman Sachs millionaire who pays 200,000 a year in property taxes and completely out of touch with the world. That 58 yearold woman lives in. This campaign and asection is about one thing and thats whether we can afford to raise our families here and whether we can afford to have our children live in the state that we love. Mr. Murphy . Only in america could a guy that grew up as i did find himself on the stage like this tonight. Im humbled and honored. Weve heard two stark visions, different visions for the future of our state tonight. On the one and more of the Chris Christie playbook where the middle class is ravaged and Public Education isnt funded and infrastructure ignored and we become more unfair by the day or we can turn the page and change leadership, leadership that celebrates and rebuilds the middle class and bridges into the middle class. Leadership that is inexclusive and makes our state fair again for everybody. A state that stands for the right thing like funding planned parenthood and signing common sense gun safety laws and doing something about climate change. If thats the same vision you have, i need you and humbly ask for your support on november 7. That brings us to the end of our debate and thank you for watching and taking part. Thank to you our partners, univision, new jersey spot light and Rutgers University and to our host the new jersey erforming arts center. Im toni from new york. And im from philadelphia. We urge you to exercise your right to vote on tuesday, november 7. Good night. Good night. Cspans washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Coming up this morning, well look at President Trumps expected decision to deearth certify decertify the program this week and georgia Republican Congressman rob wouldall with the republican tax reform proposal. And the future of administration, in a Trump Administration to protect dreamers, ted lue will talk about that. Watch washington journal live at 7 00 eastern. Join the discussion. Were live in nashville, tennessee, for the next stop of the cspans bus 50 capitals tour. Phil will be our guest at washington journal starting 9 30 a. M. , talking the tough policy issues. Join us thursday for the entire journal starting 7 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan. On thursday two members of President Trumps cabinet testify at oversight on capitol hill. First ben carson and secretary of housing and urban development appears before the House Financial Services commit, last coverage at 9 30 a. M. Coverage on cspan 3. Ck barry made plans but on cspan 2 well have coverage both online at cspan got oregon or streaming on the radio app. Next we bring you a Supreme Court argument. The nations highest court decide wls a person who