In a mostly civilian debate that focused on the roles of government, education and healthcare, Steven Henry and Colton Moore discussed their plans if voters in Georgia’s Senate District 53 were to elect them on May 24.
The two Republicans are vying to replace Sen. Jeff Mullis, who is retiring this year after 22 years in the state Senate. Mullis has endorsed Henry, a construction company owner who has resigned as chairman of the Catoosa County Board of Commissioners to run for the seat. Moore is an auctioneer, drives a bulldozer, and served in the State House from 2019 to 2021.
(READ MORE: Candidates step up to fight for a seat vacated by Northwest Georgia Senator Jeff Mullis.)
No Democrat qualifies to run for the seat.
Tuesday’s debate, moderated by Chattanooga journalist LaTrice Currie, was broadcast live and can be viewed on the UCTV Facebook page.
“My family has been here for five generations and it has served our family very well — a state of liberty and a state where we can promote our values, Christian values and values of conservatism,” Moore said of Georgia. He vowed to fight the far left and “weak Republicans who have sold their values.”
Henry said in his introduction that he is a conservative Christian who has lived in North Georgia all his life and has had his family here for as long as he can remember. He said he loves the area and started a home construction business in his community 26 years ago.
“I’ve lived on the same little old street for 50 years. I look like I’m hoping to be the next 53rd District Senator,” Henry said.
When asked how he would recruit well-paying jobs in the community, Henry said he was passionate about economic development and knew personally how difficult it was to run a small business.
Although some people didn’t like it, Henry said that a business park was set up in Catoosa County to attract a specific type of business, with the idea that good wages drive all types of other economic development.
“The reason I think we need to do that is if you have a good paying job and you bring quality companies that are families that are part of your community, those people are going to come there to go to work, they They’ll stop and shop, they’ll buy gas along the way,” Henry said. “You’ll spend money in your community instead of going to Chattanooga or what you have to spend money on.”
Georgia is a great place to live, raise a family and retire, Henry said, but more businesses are needed.
Moore said everyone deserves an opportunity to work to bring dignity to themselves and their families. He contradicted a common message of the last 20 years that the state needs to stimulate the economy.
“Unfortunately, it became a tool of blackmail. The Economic Development Agency went to the county commissioners and said, ‘We need more funding, we’re going to try to boost jobs,'” Moore said.
He noted that during his tenure in the Senate, Mullis headed the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority.
Moore said he would rather make the district more competitive for businesses by lowering taxes and regulations. Government economies always fail, he said.
“A person who makes their dollar knows best how to spend their dollar, not a government that manipulates for those dollars,” Moore said.
Henry responded that he felt government should play a role in marketing the community to new businesses and making efforts to improve the workforce. He gave the example of Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy, which was established through partnerships with local businesses to help students prepare for the job market.
Henry said that if elected his No. 1 priority would be law enforcement, adding that young people should be taught respect for law enforcement and teachers.
“Honestly, we’re wasting a lot of money there [in schools]because we have to have school resource officers because authority is no longer respected,” Henry said.
Moore’s first priority would be election integrity, he said. Voters have told him inflation is their biggest problem and electoral integrity comes second, he said.
Moore said that when he voted for the Dominion voting machines when he served in the legislature, he said there were promised audit options that weren’t available and he believes the company is violating its contract with the state because of it .
Henry said he thinks the legislature has addressed most issues with elections and that he and Moore agree that dropboxes for voting should be done away with.
On the question of schools and workforce training, Henry referred again to the College and Cooperative State which he had helped found. He said he wants to build on the work done by technical schools in Georgia and launch additional programs across the state so students are ready to enter the workforce.
“A lot of them, you’re not just teaching them a skill, you’re changing a cycle,” Henry said. “You take them from what they never thought possible and show them what they can be.”
He added that education should not only prepare people for the world of work, but also teach them to be tomorrow’s leaders.
Moore said that while graduation rates have increased in Catoosa County, he wants high school students to be better educated so they can go straight into the workforce, rather than spending time and taking on more debt with additional schooling.
“We need a major overhaul of our education system, which is now costing 55% of our budget,” Moore said.
To clarify, Henry said the collegiate college lets its students work while they get their education.
Moore said he wanted school vouchers because the education system was overwhelmed with regulations. Discipline is a big issue at school, Henry said.
“Teachers spend more time feeling like supervisors than teachers. If we had a little bit of authority, a little bit of respect, they could spend more time teaching,” Henry said.
“I think we need to do a better job of figuring out what this kid wants in life,” Henry said, pointing to the fact that there was more professional training in his school days. “That’s why we’re focused [at the college and career academy] more about the paths – what do they want to be?”
Currie said vouchers could leave some students behind – and Moore said it sounds like she was describing the current system, where many community schools are already underfunded.
The voucher system could be exploited, Henry said, and there needs to be a balance for the goal to be educating students rather than raising money with vouchers.
Henry said he strongly supports the CHI Memorial’s new hospital proposed for Catoosa County. He said Hutcheson Medical Center closed when he was district commission chair, so he set to work to find a hospital that could be built in the community.
“Every single hospital had an equal opportunity,” Henry said. “I was looking for a hospital as a partner. I didn’t have a name in mind. I wanted a partner who would help me and my community.”
He said he’s upset that an out-of-state hospital is trying to stop CHI from building in Catoosa County, not only because the community may miss out on closer healthcare, but also the jobs and economic development that the new facility will provide bring would bring.
(READ MORE: Parkridge tries to stop CHI Memorial’s new hospital in Catoosa County)
Moore said Georgia’s needs certification laws enforce a monopoly on health care. Free markets produce the best product and price, Moore said. The needs assessment process is slow and needs improvement, but Henry said he works within the system because his community needs better healthcare options.
Regarding the pandemic, Henry said there have been no mask or vaccine mandates in Catoosa County under his chairmanship, but Moore has criticized him for offering financial incentives for employees to take the vaccine.
“We offered a choice. Some people embraced it, some didn’t,” Henry said, adding that the incentive helped save taxpayers money since the county pays for its workers’ health care out of pocket.
Moore also criticized Henry for removing a speaker from law enforcement at a Catoosa County commission meeting last year when he accused Henry of a conflict of interest over a rezoning decision to allow a subdivision expansion. Henry countered that there are rules that prohibit speakers at commission meetings from speaking ill of others.
(READ MORE: Catoosa County Commission chairman escorted resident from session; man claims conflict of interest)
In closing remarks, Henry said he has a track record of building teams and getting things done.
“Working with people and having relationships isn’t a bad thing, you just have to make sure you never lose your morals and ethics,” he said.
Moore concluded by saying that things must change in the legislature.
Legislation these days, Moore said, increases control over our lives, increases taxes or increases spending — “and it’s about time we put an end to those things.”
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @tweetatwilkins.
