Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, right, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate, and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, left, Republican Gubernatorial candidate, shake hands before the final gubernatorial debate in a KERA-TV studio in Dallas on Tuesday Sept. 30, 2014. Ebola, ethics and education were among the issues that dominated the final debate between the two. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Andy Jacobsohn, Pool)

DALLAS — State Sen. Wendy Davis tried to chisel away at Attorney General Greg Abbott during Tuesday’ gubernatorial debate.

Sen. Davis, 51, said voters should ask themselves “Who will fight for me?” and reiterated her record of fighting against industry for everyday Texans. While she was fighting against efforts by payday lenders, chemical companies and insurance providers, Abbott “cozied up” to industries that have donated more than $1 million to his campaign for governor, she said.

“Texans have a choice and they need to know I will fight for them every single day in office,” she said.

Abbott, 56, said he would work to maintain Texas’ No. 1 ranking for job creation and focus his efforts to improve education, transportation, public safety and water.

“Texas is exceptional and I am running for governor and asking for your vote to make it even better,” he said.

Tuesday’s debate was the second and final debate scheduled between Abbott and Sen. Davis. The two major party nominees faced each other for a televised debate earlier this month in Edinburg.

 

Immigration

A Texas Lyceum Poll released Tuesday identified immigration and border security as the most important issue facing the state among Texas adults, surpassing education.

Abbott said the state should enforce federal laws and not provide Texas drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants.

Sen. Davis said she would allow undocumented immigrants to receive permits. She said there are too many drivers without driver training and insurance and that other states have created successful programs that protect all Texas drivers.

She said undocumented immigrants also should continue to receive in-state tuition.

“It makes sense for our students and for our economy,” she said.

Abbott said the goals of in-state tuition is noble but that the law is a symptom of the greater immigration problem. He said he would not veto a law repealing the law granting tuition.

Dealing with undocumented residents will not end until the broken immigration system is overhauled, Abbott said.

Sen. Davis said she is for comprehensive immigration reform and making sure people are willing to file documents, learn English and pay back taxes to begin a path toward legally working in Texas. But she said Congressional GOP members continue to road-block any change to the system.

“People who know me, know my record, know that I fight for the people I represent first and foremost,” she said.

 

EDUCATION

Sen. Davis said standardized tests should be reduced but used by educators to locate “holes” among the student populations to ensure they are progressing. She said students should be measured but that teachers should be rewarded for student progress outside of standardized testing results.

“I will fight to make sure there are fewer standardized tests across the board and to make sure the pressure associated with them is gone,” she said.

Abbott said he does not want to test 4-year-olds with standardized tests. Abbott said he wants the state’s public education system to build a strong foundation for children beginning in Pre-K through third grade to ensure every child is able to read and do math at or above grade level by the time they complete third grade. 

Sen. Davis said teachers’ pay should be more in line with the national average and that there should be fewer standardized tests.

Abbott said he wants to invest in teachers, to ensure they have the training, equipment and pay to improve learning. He said the state should look at the value of the public education product produced.

“More spending doesn’t always mean better results,” he said.

Sen. Davis said Abbott is pushing costs to the local level, which raises property taxes and keeps children in poorly performing schools. She said Abbott’s appeal to maintain more than $5 billion in public education cuts was a fight for overcrowded classrooms and teacher layoffs.

 

TEXAS ENTERPRISE FUND

Sen. Davis struck Abbott on his failure to monitor the Texas Enterprise Fund early and often.

A state audit of the Texas Enterprise Fund last week found that Republican Gov. Rick Perry gave roughly $172 million to private companies that never submitted applications for lucrative economic development awards. Political repercussions of the report could shadow Abbott during the gubernatorial race’s stretch run.

Abbott is responsible for monitoring applicants and recipients and recouping taxpayer dollars if recipients do not meet job creation goals.

Abbott said the audit did not find anything critical of his office or the governor. He said there were no rules or regulations controlling the fund until two years after the fund was created.

Sen. Davis noted several times that Abbott received more than $1 million in campaign contributions from companies that received money from the fund.

He said the Legislature corrected those control problems.

 

HEALTH CARE

Medicaid expansion also was discussed.

Abbott said he would increase spending on healthcare for women, veterans and the elderly. He said the costs of “Obamacare” would cost the state in the long run.

Sen. Davis said Texans are sending $100 billion for Medicaid to other states and that she would return it to the state. She said she would expand Medicaid and that public officials know accepting the federal money would be a positive for the state, employers and uninsured Texans.

She said Texans would pay twice if Medicaid funding is not accepted, once to the IRS and the second time at the local level to pay for unfunded care.

“A true leader stops partisan posturing and does the right thing,” she said.

Both candidates suggested the Legislature should stop transportation diversions.

Sen. Davis said she was proud of co-authoring Proposition 1, which would put more money into the Texas Department of Transportation. She said leadership has used alternative methods, such as toll roads and debt to fund transportation.

Abbott said diversions should stop and that portions of the oil and gas severance tax and vehicle sales tax should be directed to road funding.

Sen. Davis said the state should return to a “pay-as-you-go” system and reduce debt used to pay for road projects.

 

GAY MARRIAGE

Candidates were asked how they would answer a 10-year-old regarding why her two dads were not allowed to marry.

Sen. Davis said she favors marriage equality and that people who love and are committed to each other should have equal protection. She would welcome a proposition for voters to repeal the constitutional amendment preventing same-sex marriage.

Abbott said voters decided decisively that marriage is between a man and a woman.

 

ABORTION

On abortion beyond 20 weeks, Abbott said rape and incest victims should be dealt with compassionately but that he believes women have five months to deal with unwanted pregnancies.

Sen. Davis said the difficult decision of terminating a pregnancy should be made by individual women rather than government.

Independent polls show Sen. Davis trailing Abbott by double-digits. She has raised $27 million, exceeding all other Democratic candidates in state history. But her campaign reports having barely a third of the $36 million that Abbott had left to spend as of July.

The candidates outlined response to the Ebola case in Dallas. Abbott said he would ensure the state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were working diligently to ensure the Ebola virus was contained and that patients received proper care.

Abbott said the quarantine threshold has been met and that the top obligation is to contain the virus’ spread.

Sen. Davis said a coordinated effort from local to federal levels of government is needed to maintain public calm and ensure quarantine is maintained as the patient receives care.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.