As Senate District 47’s candidates Erin Brewer and Kelly Hines answered questions at a debate hosted by NonDoc and News 9, arguments about Ryan Walters, transparency and abortion wove their way into the discussion.
Republican candidate Kelly Hines, a retired army colonel, and Democratic candidate Erin Brewer, a business owner, are running to succeed Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat as he reaches his term limit.
In her opening statement, Brewer said she is advocating for Ryan Walters to be “held accountable” and made note of Hines calling Walters “admirable.”
Brewer said Walters is the biggest problem in the district.
“It’s really personal to us — he lives in Senate District 47 — and he has attacked our schools that are here in this district,” Brewer said. “But that’s not only the biggest problem in Senate District 47, I believe it’s the biggest problem in our state. I believe he’s an economic deterrent. I think he is causing businesses to struggle to find the right kinds of employees. He has not done a single thing to insure that children are graduating and improving our educational outcomes. He is the top priority for me as a senator to hold him accountable.”
Hines clarified what he meant by “admirable” in relation to Walters.
“I like that he’s got his spine,” Hines said. “You know, it’s admirable that a politician will actually stand up and say what he thinks. That doesn’t mean I always agree with him.”
One issue Hines disagrees with Walters on is the $3 million proposal to place Bibles in Oklahoma’s public schools.
“I want my clergy, my church and the parents to actually be teaching my kids about religion,” Hines said. “Leave the school to reading, writing, arithmetic and history — maybe civics and a little bit of computer science — and keep those two separate.”
As for their abortion stances, both candidates supported expanding access beyond Oklahoma’s current law for allowing abortion only in cases endangering a mother’s life.
“I’ve seen some accusations and recent ads that say I’m completely against abortion,” Hines said. “I agree that you’ve got to make exceptions for the life of the mother, and I have a hard time, if somebody’s been brutalized, telling them that they have to have a baby. That has come from me having a daughter.”
Brewer said she will stand with women.
“I know that abortion is healthcare. I have a daughter; if something terrible — sexual assault — were to happen to her, she deserves the right to make the best decsion for her future with her doctor,” Brewer said. “I can assure you tonight that I will stand with women, and I will protect them when they’ve been victimized or when their health is in danger.”
When pressed for details on the number of week abortion access should be limited to, Brewer provided no direct answer.
“That’s something I think we could determine with physicians and women at the table together,” Brewer said. “I’m sure we could come to a conclusion on that.”
Hines challenged her ambiguity.
“I just wanted to point out that what she’s trying to avoid is saying she agrees with the Democratic platform that the abortion is up to the mother all the way up to nine months,” Hines said.
The candidates also addressed issues pertinent to university students, such as graduate retention.
Hines said Oklahoma needs to attract businesses to retain graduates.
“We have got to make Oklahoma a place where the businesses, small and large, want to come and move their businesses here so our workforce has a place to go and earn money and a decent living as soon as they graduate,” Hines said.
However, Brewer offered a more internal approach.
“We’ve got to make sure that our career techs and our trade programs and our colleges and universities are aligned with the needs of our business community and that they’re turning out the graduates to fulfill the workforce needs,” Brewer said. “In addition to that, as a state, we’ve got to be making investments in the kinds of things that allow our Oklahoma based businesses to grow. From infrastructure, to broadband, to great schools, these things, and access to healthcare I would add, these are the things that create a great quality of life where people want to live here and businesses can also grow.”
The candidates also discussed how the Legislature can increase access to affordable housing.
“I think the state has a role to support municipalities in the way they’re overseeing development to ensure that multiple price-point types of housing is being built in our areas,” Brewer said. “We need to understand as citizens that it takes apartments and rentals and homes of various sizes to support the kinds of communities that we love to live in.”
Hines turned the issue toward local governments rather than the state Legislature.
“I don’t like government involvement when it doesn’t need to be there. (…) I like the market to decide what we need, and that’s how the American way is supposed to be, and how housing should be as well,” Hines said. “So I don’t advocate for the Senate trying to put in apartments where they shouldn’t be or are not going to be in the best place for them.”
Hines also addressed the Oklahoma Department of Corrections number associated with his name and birthdate.
“I’d never even heard about this number until about three months ago when it came up in the campaign. So it’s from 40 years ago, you’re right, some underage drinking type thing, but I’ve never been a felon, I’ve never been incarcerated, I’ve never had a DUI — whatever other rumors are out there,” Hines said, noting he achieved the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army and received numerous security clearances during his decades of service. “I will gladly stand on my 34 years of honorable service in and out of combat to the United States of America.”
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