State Treasurer Beth Pearce is facing a challenger in next week's Democratic primary: freelance strategic policy consultant Richard Dunne. They'll debate each other live on Vermont Edition.
Dunne and Pearce will defend their positions on the state pension fund, a state bank, divestment of fossil fuel stocks, and debt reduction. They'll answer questions from the moderator and from Vermonters, and they'll question each other directly about the issues in this campaign.
The full debate audio is above, but to jump ahead to the part in the debate where a certain topic was discussed, click on the specific links below and the debate audio will open on SoundCloud at the start of that section.
Moderator questions:
- On the divestment of fossil fuel holdings from state pension funds
- On the stability of pension funds
- On Vermonters with a lack of retirement savings
- On a state bank
- On the Higher Education Trust Fund and higher education costs
Candidates' questions for each other:
- Dunne to Pearce: On Pearce's letter to the SEC regarding the disclosure of climate risk
- Pearce to Dunne: On Dunne's comments regarding right-to-work legislation
- Dunne to Pearce: On Vermont using corporate banks
- Pearce to Dunne: On Dunne's experience level for the state treasurer post
- Dunne to Pearce: On the possibility of a break-even study regarding divestment
- Pearce to Dunne: On defined benefit plans vs. defined contribution plans
Lightning round and wrap-up question:
- On Vermonters' financial literacy
- On increasing the state minimum wage
- On free tuition at state colleges
- On state treasurer being an elected vs. appointed position
- On how their election will make a difference in the lives of Vermonters in the future
This debate aired live on Tuesday, August 2, 2016, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
