INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana’s lieutenant governor also serves as secretary of agriculture and rural affairs. The two candidates for that office met Tuesday in a debate focused on those issues.
The debate between Democrat Christina Hale and Republican Suzanne Crouch included discussions of rural broadband access, soil and water conservation funding, and attracting young talent to Indiana’s farms.
The two candidates also talked energy policy, with Hale bemoaning the lack of a state energy strategy under the current GOP administration.
“Now, we do need to diversify our energy portfolio. It’s based on about 80 percent coal. That’s not sustainable over time," Hale said. "Coal will continue to be a very, very important part of that energy portfolio.”
Crouch stressed the importance of some alternative energy sources.
“These wind farms or these ethanol plants are a major economic development engine in those communities and they provide jobs,” Crouch said.
The libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor, Karl Tatgenhorst, did not respond to invitations to participate in the debate.
