Legislative forum features District 13 candidates

Three of four Senate District 13 and House District 13B candidates participated in a 90-minute St. Cloud Area League of Women Voters evening forum at the Sartell Community Center in Sartell Oct. 7.

Senate candidate Trent Dilks (DFL) and House 13B candidates Justin Doyle (DFL) and Dawn Loberg (R) attended the public forum moderated by Sheila Ferguson, League of Women Voters St. Cloud Area president, who asked almost a dozen issue-based questions submitted by audience members.

Jared Gapinski, Republican candidate in Senate District 13, did not attend the Oct. 7 forum. 

Gapinski requested Ferguson read a prepared statement provided prior to the event. In his statement, Gapinski said he was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict and voters could learn more about his key legislative positions by visiting his Facebook page and campaign website.

Gapinski confirmed Thursday via a text message he had attended a 6 p.m. Meet the Candidate Night event sponsored by the Cold Spring Chamber of Commerce at Rocori High School in Cold Spring.

Minnesota Senate District 13 and House District 13B political territory includes Sartell, a Minden Township precinct, five Sauk Rapids precincts and Sauk Rapids Township in Benton County.

“We sponsor candidate forums because we believe informed citizens are the foundation of democracy,” Ferguson said during her introductory remarks. “We moderate candidate forums according to a standard protocol that is designed to be fair and open.”

Questions asked during forum covered a range of political issues, primarily focusing on the cost of government, fraud, impact of federal mandates at the local level and constituent needs. 

Here is how Dilks, Doyle and Loberg responded in person to four key questions asked during the Oct. 7 forum. Gapinski’s responses were found on his Facebook page and campaign website. 

Fraud and government waste

Candidates were asked to explain what steps lawmakers in the Minnesota Legislature have taken to address current fraud and what more needs to done regarding the hot button issue.

Loberg said the recently created Office of the Inspector General gives legislators the ability to audit and determine where money is spent. She said it was critical to have fraud enforcement. 

“What we really need is more competent lawmakers,” Dilks said. “We need to bring back collaboration. Constant bickering and attacks isn’t going to work, and it will improve nothing.”

Doyle said the real reason that fraud has proliferated for so long is that funding has not been available to provide the adequate technology to combat it. Fraudsters are always looking for a way to beat the government, Doyle said.

“We need to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars by rooting out fraud, waste and abuse wherever it exists,” Gapinski said in his prepared statement.

Healthcare costs

Forum candidates were asked to explain how Minnesota lawmakers can address the burden of rising healthcare costs affecting families.

“We need to utilize large pool buyer groups for health insurance,” Dilks said. “Large pool allows for a combination of public and private competition, with the end result being a lower price and better care for the people who are doing it.

Doyle said healthcare coverage should not depend upon where a person lives, their age, or their marital or employment status. He said the state has an unequal system of healthcare access.

“We need to take a serious look at all programs at the state level,” Gapinski said in an Oct 1. Facebook post. “Minnesotans who need help are looking for a hand up, not a handout. “

Loberg said having the government solve one of the state’s largest problems is not a place where lawmakers should go with time and effort. She said the most expensive healthcare should be spent on people who need it the most.

Federal mandates

Candidates were asked how state legislators could help mitigate the expense of the federal government shifting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid benefits from itself to county governments.

Doyle said he could not offer specific suggestions, but he did mention an idea would be bringing expert witnesses to testify at the Legislature and have them figure out a solution. 

“This really isn’t up to the legislator; we really should count on the people who are in the Minnesota Department of Human Services,” Loberg said. “They are the people who know the processes.”

Dilks said constantly pointing the finger at bureaucrats negates the responsibility and the obligation of Minnesota lawmakers from doing their job regarding cost shift issues. He said improved technology and standardized processes could relieve the strain on counties

“Legislators need to dig deeper into funded and unfunded mandates pushed down to local governments,” Gapinski said in an Oct. 1 Facebook post. “Those mandates have real consequences for taxpayers when local levies are set each year.”

District 13 needs

Forum candidates were asked about specific challenges facing District 13 that could be addressed by legislative action when lawmakers return to office next session.

Small businesses remain the backbone of communities with the district, Gapinski said in a Sept. 21 Facebook post. He said he remains committed to making rural Minnesota a place where local businesses and communities can grow, create jobs, and thrive.

“It really comes down to two things,” Dilks said. “In what way can the state legislature either support or get out of the way to allow local development? When you look at rural communities, we need to be able to bring money back into District 13. Lawmakers need to work on bonding.”

Loberg said that, during recent campaigning, she met with city and chamber of commerce leaders, many of whom mentioned water and wells as key infrastructure needs. She said economic development places a heavy emphasis on water access for residents and businesses. 

“We have such a dichotomy between one half of the district and the other that I don’t see any way to support one without supporting the other,” Doyle said. “We need to produce more products in the district and get people who live here to take advantage of those products.”

Closing statements

Ferguson gave the three attending candidates one minute to provide a closing statement and summarize why each believed they were qualified to serve as a Minnesota legislator. Gapinski’s response to that particular question was included in his submitted forum comments.

“I’m running because I believe the state government should focus on the priorities that matter most to the people of District 13,” Gapinski said. 

Loberg said being trustworthy and having the ability to gather fact-based information from multiple sources and get input constantly were key traits she would bring to the table as a legislator. Loberg said being a servant to her District 13B constituents would remain a key goal.

“It’s a legislator’s job to serve the people that he or she has elected to serve,” Doyle said. “I think doing research is extremely important when looking into issues. You need to find all the information you can before reaching a conclusion that can be supported.”

Dilks said his military service in Iraq as a Minnesota National Guard machine gunner and having his truck blown up north of Baghdad prepared him for the rigors of service as a legislator. Dilks said legislators need to continuously stand firm on key issues, not just during election season.