Thank you, brother six minutes now past 11 programming on Minnesota Public Radio is supported by Dayton's oriental rug departments in downtown Minneapolis, Saint Paul and at the Southdale Brookdale and Rosedale home stores. Good morning, and welcome to mid-day at Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary acting glad you could join us. I has an interesting race for governor this year. Lots of candidates. Lots of big names. The race is received lots of attention so much attention. In fact that other races have largely been overshadowed here in Minnesota. For example in Combined State Attorney. General's Camp up free is not seeking re-election. He's one of those big names running for governor and a lively contest is shaping up to replace him as the state stop a law official next week of delegates at the dfl State Convention will be endorsing. One of the 3D flr is running for attorney general. And today all three have joined us to discuss what they would do if they were actually elected in November. So get your questions ready going to be talking today with the candidates for attorney general first, though. We have a report for Minnesota Public Radio is Laura McCollum on what amounted to the official start? Campaign state senator Amber rights guide young and former US attorney David lillehaug officially launched their campaigns yesterday joining former Commerce commissioner, Mike Hatch in the three-way contest less than two weeks before the state dfl convention in St. Cloud Ember reichgott young and David lahon, Jose to make their candidacies official on the same day. Right. Young made her announcement with the state capital as a backdrop surrounded by a couple dozen supporters and Senate colleagues telling her work on anti-crime and consumer protection legislation young pledged to try and make Minnesota. The safest state in the country has been campaigning for a year and is likely to get the party endorsement young also sounded confident about her chances in the primary the primary that combine with the Grassroots. Network that I have gathered around the state labor endorsements key labor endorsements my network of over a hundred elected officials all of that puts me in an excellent position for the primary and I expect to win the latecomer to the dfl race David lillehaug couldn't have picked a more different setting to announce his candidacy. He launched his campaign at a Phillips neighborhood block club meeting in Minneapolis MN Native American drumming incense and the cheers of nearby residents little hugs message of cracking down on crime seem to resonate with residents of one of the city's poorest neighborhoods in a difference what your income is. Or where you live or what your gender is or your race or your sexual orientation or whether you're older? You're young? It should make no difference whatsoever. Whether you live in Apple Valley or Duluth or Burnsville or the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. Everybody has a right to Public Safety and that's why I'm running hahaha GIF knowledge to his late entrance into the race his first attempt at public office but says he doesn't believe in long campaigns the dfl candidate who didn't make a big announcement yesterday former Commerce commissioner. Michael hat says he's counting on his experience running for Statewide office to set him apart as lost to gubernatorial beds, but notes he wanted 70 rule counties in the 1994 dfl primary has his also talking about issues in addition to Crime saying if elected the last Congress to change the system that reimburses Minnesota hmos less than other states were some Medicare cost at says he's also like to tackle the structure of Minnesota's Healthcare System dominated by three insurance. Position but it is so deteriorated right now. It's become a legal issue and I do want to be involved in his attorney general is just now entering the race release his federal employment records in response to Rumours. He was on the verge of being forced out of the US attorney's office. The log says he could have stayed in the post for at least another two and a half years and dismissed the rumors as pure politics. There is no question that some of my opponents are going to see me as a very strong candidate and the only way that they're going to be able to win is to try to tear me down and even on the day of my announcement that kind of hard ball in sharp elbows has started and we'll just take it that way Republicans, maybe quietly smirking state representative and Anoka County prosecutor. Charlie Weaver is considered the only serious candidate is Lone Republican opponent is Jack Graham a political Maverick and former Crow Wing County attorney Weaver says, he's happy to sit on the I find this summer and watch the Democratic candidates grab all the headlines by attacking each other about campaigns are thinking about going to the cabin and gardening or whatever. So I don't think it's going to hurt not to be in a tough primary Weber has been campaigning in rural Minnesota where he says concerns revolve around crime in schools and gang violence. It says minnesotans are also worried about expanding on the success of the tobacco trial by going after the liquor industry, which he opposes. When asked to evaluate his dfl opponents Weber says Amber Ray Scott young May benefit from being the only woman in the race. Michael has probably has the highest name recognition and although he respects David lillehaug as a prosecutor Weaver isn't sure how much support he has yet all four candidates agree that the three-way dfl campaign will bring more attention to a race that could easily be ignored in a gubernatorial election year. Laura McCollum, Minnesota Public Radio FL candidates are with us now to talk some more about the campaign and take your questions. My cat is here in our studios in St. Paul. David little hog has joined us from our station in Duluth and send her Amber Wright. Young joined us by phone from Austin, and of course we invite you to join our conversation this hour if you have a question for the dfl candidates for attorney general, this is the time to ask the question. Give us a call. 227-6000 is our Twin City area number to 276 thousand if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities, you can reach us toll-free at 1 800-242-2828. 227 6001 800-242-2828 and the folks thanks for joining us today. But thank you. I appreciate it brother too badly here. Let me give you each an opportune brief opportunity here to explain what it is that you would bring to the office that the other two candidates wouldn't my cats won't you start? Why was Commerce Commission enforcement agency? There's about 250 to 300 people involved in that agency think I've got a pretty good experience doing that. I've only managed to Law Firm that got that good pretty good experience managing lawyers. I was chairman of a Democratic party at one point that many years ago. I think I'm pretty good experience in terms of management. Their attorney general's office involved with 500 employees of part of the experience is Administrative. You got to learn how to manage that kind of staff and I've done it with regard to issues. I think it's very important to focus on The Attorney General ought to be doing and I one of the issues with. Do think differentiates us is that I believe that the Attorney General want to have jurisdiction on crime. I propose at the Attorney General have primary jurisdiction. In other words be able to call a grand jury be able to get involved the issue charges with regard to multi-jurisdictional gang-related activity. I think that the Attorney General should be very active on Health Care issues. I think it's a we got a system here that needs to be changed. I think consumerism is very important thing. I've got a good record on consumerism at the Department of Commerce Mike to bring that forward. So, I mean that's kind of short version of what this campaign is about 5, I'm running the race and would bring to the office that the other two candidates weather. Background, I think it fits the office the very well. I've been at a business attorney now 400 up to about twenty years and a management degree. And so I do bring a real understanding of those issues as my hand. But in addition to what he has I have had 16 years in the legislature fighting crime and fighting against a fraud consumer scams, and also fighting to keep cat tobacco and alcohol and drugs out of the hands of young people. And what I want to do as a attorney general is think of mine all that. I want to put the full weight of my office Behind These tough anti-crime laws that that we've that I'm sponsoring and supporting over the years, but you don't even if we put every felon in jail, we won't prevent the next killing in a high school. And so I really am going to focus on prevention. We need to stop the crime before it happens. I want to work closely with the schools and teachers and school liaison officers. I want to attack the roots of violence like domestic violence and child. I want to put Community prosecutors out there in the neighborhood so that the neighborhood to become more livable. We stop the vandalism in the car theft in the break-in which really do cause such such were such a crime in the in the in the city and I'm finally I'm just going to work to protect senior citizens against the fraud and con artists and and build on a very strong traditions of consumer protection in this office has has no law enforcement experience. I was the chief federal law enforcer for the state of Minnesota as United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota or running a staff of a hundred employees which 30 were prosecutors and we put together a distinguished record over 4 plus years Prosecuting gangsters drug dealers felons in possession of firearms Prosecuting corrupt tribal leaders, encouraging democracy and financial accountability. The reservations drawing attention to gambling addiction and what it is doing to the state and a variety of other things and it is that qualification. I think that makes me the most qualified to be the chief state law enforcer. I want to deal with one thing right up front. There was a shot Throne yesterday and the Very day that I was announcing suggesting that somehow maybe I hadn't been a good us attorney and had to leave quite the contrary had a conversation with attorney general Janet Reno two weeks ago told her that I was thinking about leaving. She said that I done wonderfully is u.s. Attorney fact, she just come out to Minneapolis to apply to us and a lot of others for reducing Minneapolis is homicide rate. So that rumor is entirely false. And as I said with a qualification that I've got I'm going to be taking other shots like that. My platform is strong leadership for a safe Minnesota. I want to put together a Grassroots Bottoms Up comprehensive five-year state law enforcement plan, and we certainly need Community prosecutors. Point I'm going to be making it as that I was a community prosecutor and will be focusing on prevention and law enforcement dealing with gangs and methamphetamine in Greater Minnesota felons in possession of firearms. They Hennepin County criminal justice system, which is pretty dysfunctional right now domestic violence and hate crimes. Minnesota is changing tremendously and we didn't attorney general out in front providing strong leadership. Sorry young. I imagine you are the hands-down favorite actually win party endorsement next week. Are you not and they have been responding to what I've been saying and that is to to to attack crime upfront help law enforcement prosecutors get the dangerous criminals off the streets, but also to prevent the crime before it happens. Yes. I am very hopeful that I'll get the endorsement. It looks very good. The endorsements are expected. Amber would be endorsed doesn't matter. It hasn't effects. It has no effect at the helps in terms of some organization running Statewide. However, you got to go beyond 7,000 people that show up at Senate District Conventions around the state that there was a time when the dfl had 80,000 people showing up. It's deteriorated substantially to the degree that putting resources into a group that at this point, you know, one of the priorities is nobody where is perfume at a convention. Nobody bring strobe lights things like this political convention on a parliamentarian society, and I think that when those kind of priorities exist, it makes it real difficult to be allocating a lot of resources to to obtaining an endorsement. My Approach is a little different. I am seeking the endorsement of the dfl party. I care a lot about the party. I've been a state convention delegate twice and National Convention delegate. I worked a lot for senator Paul wellstone and Walter Mondale when he ran for president the endorsement would be meaningful to me. Now I've been in the race for what One Day by the time of the convention all have been in for a week and a half Miss Young has been calling delegates for about a year-and-a-half notwithstanding. The fact there was a formal announcement yesterday. I think the conventional wisdom of course is that you will win overwhelmingly on the first ballot, but I'm going to go to the convention ask for support both at the convention and in the primary and do so in a very respectful way because I think our political parties play a very important role in our system and some listeners involved here. We have been joined today by the three dfl candidates for attorney general next week. The dfl State Convention will be meeting in St. Cloud and delegates will be endorsing a candidate then it's on to the primary election in September opportunity today to find out a little bit more about where are the candidates stand on the issue. So if you'd like to join our conversation, give us a call to 276 thousands are Twin City area number to 276 Thousand Oaks side the Twin Cities 1 800 to four +228-280-227-6102 for 22828. David little hug is joined US senator Amber rice got young and Mike Hatch as well. Tim first question Glen Place. I believe he brought all the Metropolitan Police Chief's in the to Metropolitan County Sheriff's together and basically indicated that if they didn't want to issue any permits to carry, they really didn't need to outside of the requirement for a job this setup. But the economy between the metropolitan area in the out state area is 2 people who have a valid reason for permit to carry being able to get one to the pointed in the metropolitan area. Even if you have a restraining order on a judicata personal safety hazard, you still may not be issued a permit to carry and I would like the opinion of the candidates regarding that he wants to take that first. We're all in different places. Why don't you choose Gary? Why don't you start? Mr. I am not in favor of liberalizing carry laws as I go around the state and I talked to police Chiefs and sheriffs and and Community people and neighbors. I just don't think we need more guns on the street concealed weapons concealed pistols on the streets in the state of Minnesota having said that I am concerned about the lack of uniformity that you identify. I think everyone's right to Public Safety is the same and greater Minnesota as in metropolitan area and vice-versa. So so I am listening to you and that's and I and I want to look into that and also having said that I wanted I want to say that we've got a lot of firearms laws on the books and now the key it seems to me is to enforce them. I do believe that it would be worth adding a felon in possession law that would set of mandatory 5 year prison sentence for somebody's been convicted of a felony crime and then persistent carrying a firearm so we got Focus on Firearms but more by way of enforcement rather than by liberalizing carry carry requirements to sponsor this last year and that was to increase the sentence for a felon to possess guns from 18 months to five years and that is a mandatory sentence and I did sponsor that and it is now will be it was signed into law and will take effect shortly. So that is something that I have work on. I believe we need to keep guns out of the hands of felons and children but like like a David I do not think that we should provide a more liberal to carry laws and allow more concealed weapons. I've talked with a lot of the police Chiefs and sheriffs around the state and they oppose that I think the police Chiefs and sheriffs have discretion now, they use it wisely. They provide the permits when they are necessary. I would put my trust in them and I think the local community has done that to make those decisions. What a state law would do would be to take away those decisions from the Chiefs and sheriffs. I don't think that's the right way to go. So I think our laws right now on the books on guns are appropriate. They need to be enforced better to make that type of a change at this point at the issue with regard to the discretion of the police chief's I don't want to be directed to the police Chiefs and I don't think expanding a Statewide is necessarily the answer back to the phone. So Julie's on the line with a question for the Attorney General candidates glad place and I was just wondering how the candidates what address the increasing problem with hmos deny coverage for certain kinds of life-saving treatments. Well, I this is Mike Hatch I've been involved a lot on that particular issue and that's going in the court for a number of people in number women in particular I probably 50 to 100 people in the state to who have we're facing a fatal disease or there's a Treatment available for them up from their physician about HMO denies it and today there really isn't a recourse available for these people within the current structure and there ought to be at we end up buddies people end up going to court. We're sitting in a courtroom with a adjudge a couple of lawyers bureaucrats all over the place trying to get an injunction. I most people can't afford that they should be in a hospital getting treatment not having to go to consult lawyers. I do think the Attorney General's office is a forum to to provide access to people to get these type of issues resolved at present. They can call a couple of a state agency Department of Commerce Department of Health in call the federal government at the US Department of Labor. I bet there's not a lot of result during the effect of Nora. How to get a hug and a pat on the back and that's about it. This is all symptomatic. I think of a healthcare system in our state that needs to be addressed. I think there's a lot of a tragedy that occurring right now that the public officials are in addressing there was some talk during the last session of a creating yet another agency to look at that. I think there is enough Authority already there. I just think it needs so somebody was going to be active aggressive and I haven't got enough to do a stand up to the issue and and I like to think that I can do that. As the center of a system and Jordy leader and legislator for 16 years. I've worked to support legislation that provides for a very strong consumer Bill of Rights for healthcare consumers. Also, I supported office of a consumer complaints in the Attorney General's office where people who have been wrong you haven't gotten the treatment that they should feel they've been overcharged who feels somehow they haven't been treated right to buy an insurance company or nature mold have a place to go and his attorney general. I want to be that voice for those people. I also want to bring the Attorney General's office out to the community so that if people are having these problems, he's day-to-day problems. They can talk to someone they can get advice. How do you deal with the company's? How do you read an insurance policy? How do you read a warranty on another area bring it out to the community so that people can learn more about how to fend for themselves against some of these Mishawaka hog. I thought those were both good comments for mr. Hatch and Miss Young and I have a strong interest in consumer protection the prosecution of white collar crime, but there's more of a human Point here. You know, it's the health care industry has gotten larger. It has become more bureaucratic and it's kind of ironic that we rely on a bureaucratic institutions government to check the healthcare industry. I'll tell you having been in private practice for a. Of time and then four years as head of a government agency. I had to deal with the attitude of some government employees that well where the government and what we tell people what to do and that's that's what they're going to do government needs to be more consumer-friendly help people understand the bureaucracy in the system. And so does the healthcare industry and I think that's a Viewpoint. I would bring to the office of Attorney General do we need longer criminal sentences in the state of Minnesota or the bad guys being put away long enough. I'll answer that one first if that's alright. We are we are 50th. The nation in the percentage of people that we incarcerate on the other hand. We are 5th in the nation and the percentage that we have on probation. This is fundamentally a pro probation State and has been since 1973. We need longer sentences for some crimes it is true. But the thing that I think is most important to supplying the state sentencing guidelines in Wentz when somebody commits a crime and the state sentencing guidelines say you should go to prison for particular. Of time. You should go to prison far too often. We have catch and release of criminals who are slapped on the hand given probation and then when they violate their probation that violation is just rolled over into the next offense and I seen that time and time again and I've seen it as a federal prosecutor prosecutor looking at the rap sheets of gangsters and and other violent and chronic criminals. So I think we do need to lock more people up. We got to do it in a wise way. It doesn't mean that we have to build a lot of Maxima. Security prisons around the states and some prison camps wood would help a tremendous amount. But yeah fundamentally, we've got to change our philosophy. You shouldn't be able to steal five or six cars in that go to prison. I agree with that point. I don't think that beating up on judge's is necessarily the answer to this though. I think that the that we do have sentencing guidelines. They do Supply penalties in the judge law to enforce it beating up in charges not going to be a platform for my candidacy for attorney general as there's a lot that there's a lot of issues I go into the mix when it comes to sentencing with regard to the extent of sentencing in the state. I think that the certainly a drug-related activity. I think we've got some pretty good sentencing guidelines at this point through the issue is is are they being enforced are they being followed? I do think with regard to murder was triggered a violent crime, you know, it's important and when you talk about drive-by shootings it ought to be first degree murder and not necessarily what they intend to kill somebody or not if you're out using a firearm achoo. Get in the car. If I don't care whether they're intending to kill him there oughta be first-degree murder. Now, there's been several bills passed in that regard but none of them not to my knowledge say that if you're just shooting without intent to kill and you kill somebody that it's first-degree murder. It be I can't think of a crime that is more likely to have a recidivism when it comes to murder than that type of a crime. Somebody wants to Simply use the sights of a gun. That's not mine and I'm a public so on some certain areas and I think something got to be strong and I think I should be off the street in other areas. I think it's more of an issue of following sentencing guidelines Center young as a member of the Senate Judiciary crime prevention committees over the years. I have watched how we have taken taken strong steps to toughen penalties on violent crimes repeat crime just as last year. I mentioned the bill that that I sponsor to lengthen the mandatory sentences for felons with guns another just another example I talk The police officer in Minneapolis a year ago who said that that drug dealers were using juveniles to transport drugs. And so we hiding the penalty for strength and penalties for drug dealers who use juveniles are always places where we need to do that and and I I certainly would agree with that but I think that we're our system is most week is in the area of the revolving door of juvenile court. We're Young offenders feels that car and nothing happens feels the car for 5 6 times and nothing happens. That's what law enforcement in the Ride Along Dr. Have have told me is their frustration there needs to be a consequence for every offense for every violation of the law because they get away with it. The first time they're going to do it again and again and they're going to escalate into more serious crime. So I believe there need to be Swift and sure consequences for juvenile offenders. We need to close the revolve. Door of juvenile court that combined with getting at the roots of violence and paying attention. When these young people give us warning signals in the schools and others I think will be the best thing that we can do. It's a balance of all of those things tough sentences heating the warning signals, which ensure consequences for juvenile offenders for attorney general and a great opportunity to get your questions in if you have a question about where the candidates stand on the issues, so give us a call Twin City area number 227-6002 to 7000 outside the Twin Cities one 800-242-2828 and we'll get to see more colors in just a moment. Bonds have long been regarded as the best place to put the conservative part of an Investment Portfolio and the stock market viewed as overvalued by many people of bonds are attracting a lot of attention these days I this is Bob Potter and we'll take a good close. Look at the bond market on sound wanted this week with fixed-income expert Jane Wyatt sound body Saturday morning at 10 again Sunday afternoon at 5 on Minnesota Public Radio FM 91.1 in the Twin Cities. By the way over the noon hour today, we've changed our plans. Are you probably heard by now that the Pakistan conducted to the nuclear tests earlier today and so over the noon hour today. We're going to be talking about the what that means for nuclear nuclear weapons issue what that means for peace in South Asia and so will be discussing that over the noon hour today the program and that we had been promoting of the conversation with high Berman Minnesota historian High Berman what we're going to do with broadcast that tomorrow and I think you'll find that to be pretty interesting. So you want us today for the conversation about the nuclear test issue and then tomorrow at noon the conversation with a broom and by the way, one other program reminder tomorrow at 11, we're going to be joined by the man whose job these three candidates want it going attorney general. Skip Humphrey and we'll be talking with him. About his campaign for governor. That's tomorrow at mid-day. There is a chance for some thunderstorms in Southeastern Minnesota, possibly in northeastern, Minnesota as well, but generally sunny skies today across Minnesota high is low 70s in the North near 90 in the South Twin Cities sunny and warm today with a high approaching 90°. I guess this hour of the three dfl candidates for State Attorney General Center Denver, right scapula has joined us from Austin David little hug joins us from our station in Duluth. Mike Hatch is here in our studios in st. Paul. And again, if you have a question for the candidates, give us a call 227-6002 276 thousand out side the Twin Cities 1 800 to +422-828-227-6000 or one 800-242-2828 Gary your question, please I'd like to ask each one of the candidates how they feel about the death penalty. I'll hang up and listen to the answer. Okay senator in the legislature several reasons for that. They're just really isn't any proof that it does that deters crime. Secondly, it's it sends a very poor message children and it is really in my view just says, it's that somehow it condones violence in third, you know, it's actually more expensive tea to do the death penalty then to go through all of the good life imprisonment and all the appeal. So that's the other reason why I carry it. May I ask the senator question is I would take it Senator them that that you would oppose the death penalty for Tim McVeigh in the bombing in Oklahoma City. That that in a heinous crime heinous crime like that. There should be no possibility that that person should ever get out of prison that he should be locked up for life without any chance of parole. And and I think that's the that's the appropriate way to deal with that circumstance. I have I have always voted that way then this is my cash. I've tried cases. I don't know if the others have actually been in front of a jury and argued cases, but I've done it for off and on now for 25 years and seen many jerries and many judges and many orders and then the system provides Justice doesn't necessarily have truth but it does have Justice cuz you got a lot of hardworking people going at it trying to find facts and presented them and the truth of the matter is when when you look at this system. It also depends upon the caliber of the people you've got representing U of a lawyer who's competent knows what they're doing who is well-paid is going to go in there and do frankly a better job of presenting arguments and evidence then want to isn't and a one of the problems with the death penalty frankly and there are people I can I get Jeffrey Dahmer and you can I come back Bay and I think a bunch of them out of Friday off, but that's right. But the problem with this is when you look at the the ultimate out, you look at the statistics when it comes to the death penalty the vast majority of the people on death row are people who did not have a What legal representation now, they got people in horror stories of people who you going to public defender with the you know, 50 murder files. There's no possible way. You can you can be successfully or adequately or competently representing people that kind of a load the end result being as people end up losing that because of what the truth about because they didn't have adequate representation. So maybe you know, if you could push or yourself I could be assured that they have adequate representation and I wouldn't have any problem having a death penalty that like there's a there's a disproportionate number of people of color on death row as well face it die when it comes to minorities generally speaking the economics aren't there to be able to go out and hire a high-priced lawyers represent represent you and that does have a consequence in the courtroom. Judges, I can I counter with David here on this. I believe that judges in the state are extremely competent and I wouldn't and I can tell you this as a candidate and his attorney general. I'll never bad-mouth. One of them. It doesn't work and I would never badmouth a federal judge David and but I will tell you this. I think that when you wrap a when this system the system works as well as I can but the fact is that experience the success of the lawyers involved does affect the outcome of Trials. Everybody knows it and when you have a disproportionate number of people on death row who simply have not had a very good representation, then I get bothered about it Dave a little hug, I have a position on the death penalty. That's more than an 8-second sound bite. And since this is MPR presumably we have more than 8 seconds. My view is it is not cruel and unusual punishment for the death penalty to be applied in certain narrow circumstances, the intentional annoying killing of a cop the kind of terroristic act that occurred in, Oklahoma. Murderers who kill again rapes kidnappings and murders of children now having said that I agree substantially with what both mr. Hatch and Miss Young say which is that there is a great danger of the death penalty being provide being administered in discriminately or disproportionately and I written in fact on this and I worked on a death penalty case involving fellow down in Louisiana, and I'm very very concerned about it. If we were ever to have the death penalty in the state. We need to invest the money up front so that the defendant can hire the very best lawyer available probably have three judges and I just one running the trial so that legal error is minimized and so we don't end up in a situation which so many states have where it's 10 15 20 years before the death penalty. It is applied that's bad for victims. That's bad for our system of justice having said that I think we can reduce crime considerably in the state through other means and I'm just giving you my personal view based on what I think an appropriate punishment is for an appropriate crime and have the highest crime rates in our country like text Susan others have the death penalty. If there is just no proof that the death penalty deters violent crime in the bottom line is what kind of a message do you send to our children? If in fact you've got the government having the death penalty how much greater deterrent to violent crime is having a system where they're sentences that are handed out and for serious crimes were people are locked up and that's why the violent crime rate in Texas has been dropping so much. I agree. It's not because of the death penalty in kalettes sabeti has been waiting patiently with a question. Go ahead place on a consumer issue when he was at Commerce commissioner and he did a great job for me. I was just wondering what each of the candidates plan to do for just the average consumer that's out there. This is my cat's and I'll pay the ten bucks after the show. I know I buy thank you for that. And I like to think that the I'm going to be very proud of my record consumerism. I when I was commissioner the Department of Commerce, we get about 40,000 complaints a year. We didn't just sent back a computer reports. We actually open the files we did the work and we got resolutions and not without a lot of complaints by certain insurance companies in a few other people, but we did get the job done and I think I set a standard in this state for the financial industry that the it didn't prove that I'd like to as attorney general continue that I think that's an important role for the Attorney General to be a consumerist. I'd it does have a consumer Division. I think that it is important part of the Attorney General should be the people's attorney Attorney General on to represent the people I represent the underdog if there's anything I can like to think I bring to the table as I've got a history of representing underdogs if you will is it It's women dying of breast cancer going in against a multi-billion-dollar HMO or farmers were robbed of the drought Insurance during a drought. I've been there and I do believe in representing those people and I think the Attorney General want to do it Saturday and I believe like Mike that consumers must receive a fair deal and I have been fighting for that in the legislature. I have had legislation that would prevent things like credit card fraud and and and the against rent-to-own companies and that's what you think. But the the main thing that I've been working on because I'm just horrified by what I'm saying is the whole area of phone fraud this session. I worked with the AARP because phone scammers calling from England and Canada and Georgia are preying on her senior citizens in Minnesota, and they're taking her life savings Away by phone, you know, if you hold it Turn up to someone and say take out your life savings from a bank. They all say well, I'm the victim of a crime but if somehow they can turn that money over on the telephone and they don't realize that they're the victim of a crime. They don't tell anyone and what happened to one senior citizen. I talked to her that she didn't tell anyone and then a week later. She got a call saying that they were very sorry that she lost her money and they could help her recover her money. And if she would just pay them another $5,000 they would help her get her money back while she was so desperate. She hadn't talked to anyone to turn the money over to the same scammer who took her money in the first place. That's the real problems. We need to have a lot of consumer education. We need to have a network out there where we trained seniors and others work with seniors like bank tellers and the law enforcement officials and the the drivers of delivery trucks who are sent to the house has to pick up their check and into that Network seniors will learn how to See the signs of fraud how to prevent them how to tell their neighbor to prevent them and they won't be afraid to call the Attorney General's office when it happened to another reason why I want to have our prosecutors or are your Consumer Fraud specialist out in the community so that they can talk with people in this kind of thing happens two points first attorney general Humphrey deserves a considerable degree of credit. He's had a distinguished 16 year term and certainly one of his legacies will be not only a tobacco settlement but standing up for consumers. His office has done a superb job in that regard at number two as a federal prosecutor and if someone who's well familiar with white collar crime and is not afraid to stand up to wealth and power and influence. I seen these kind guys I seen him in court I listened to the tape recorded conversations of them bilking the senior citizen and you need to have that visceral understanding of how some people will stoop so low as to rob the most vulnerable in our society. I believe that I have that understanding and I think the other candidates probably Jim my little plug that I never remember to mention is that it has Medicare supplement fraud was rampant in the state and nursing home insurance fraud was rampant in this state and I like to think I played a pretty big role in getting things cleaned up and you don't find that kind of fraud going on now. Unfortunately this Broad and seniors is going on in other areas with Investments annuities life insurance and other areas. It does need to be cleaned up that like to be there to do it Jim your question, please the right thing quady public policy issue. I'll be almost certain Republican nominee. Charlie Weaver has made safe schools though right at the top of his agenda. And this is before the recent school killings that is made safe schools, even given more public visibility as I understand it right. Young has differed with representative Weaver in in one regard as far as safe schools. There is a bill or there is a movement to make the mandatory school age to raise it from 16 to 18 A Charlie Weaver opposes us and I believe right Scout young approves of this and I'd like to see the comments from the others and who they agree with and also the comment that many school principals disagree with racing they'd 18 cuz they're afraid of having a lot of disaffected 17 year olds who really don't want to be there to keep our comments relatively short here. I got a couple more questions for you before we sign off center. He would go first. That's a something that's shared by a number of juvenile police officers around the state because if you don't have these young people in school, you don't have a way to to work with them to give them the skills to help them. And so I do think it's important to to keep them in school. And now at least we straight we the law does say that before they come out of school that you have to talk with your parents and have A conference and at least take that decision much more seriously, but if I may I think when you're talkin about schools, I want to work closely with the schools at the front end to we need to recognize the early warning signs in our children because last week I talked to a first grade teacher who told me that right now. She knows that one of her students will likely hurt someone in the future. We got to listen to her. We've got to heed her warning do something positive for that child because if we don't pay attention to our children now, we'll never have enough money to build all the prisons will need all good. I'm just keep kids in school till 18. I'm studying the issue and but I want to say one thing about warnings parents and teachers and others involved in the school system are afraid to communicate with one another because of the Minnesota data Practices Act. I hear this all over the state and that's something that we've got to look at there certainly are interest in privacy, but we got to be able to communicate with each other if we're going to identify. These problems before they end up in shooting my cat. Okay, I ate an interesting statistic is at the highest conception rate for teenage girls is between the hours of 3 and 7 in the afternoon. The highest crime rate on juveniles is between the hours at 3 and 7 in the afternoon. And I think the answer that is because there's nobody home and they got nothing to do and they're out there getting in trouble. It's important needs kids be active and involved and I think the issue relates not just to those hours. But also when you're 17 years of age, maybe they shouldn't be in the mainstream school, but they oughta be involved somewhere if some alternative school. So be it but the idea being is keeping these kids active in off. The street is important. This goes back to the old CCC program at Roosevelt. It wasn't an economic program of the ideas yet 25% unemployment among young people get him off the street plant trees do whatever it takes but put them to work and at the idea of taking these kids and releasing at 3 in the afternoon. The people are the kids were most most at risk don't have the money to be able to participate. After school program so that they're four they're out there with nothing to do a trouble. I mean, it's guaranteed trouble when you got that when you're 17 years of age and if you don't have the parental support there and you don't think of you don't know the value of Education. Nobody's really been able to get it into you and you're out there with nothing to do you're going to get in trouble. So I do think that until they're 18. Let's give me something to do. It may not be mainstream school. But let's give them something to do one more thing on this if you keep these kids in school, like I say you have a lever over them and truancy is a gateway to kids if they're if they're allowed to be truant this leads to more crime and and we got a deal with it early in one Community. They have for citizen officers do nothing but take true and children off the streets and take him back to school and after 1 year of doing that. They only needed to not for officers to do that and daytime stuff went down 27% but here's the real When they asked one of the young people why he chose to stay in school after that, he responded that it was the first time anybody had cared enough to pick him up off the street and take him back to school. And that was the reason he stood back in school. These are easy ways to fight crime. They don't cost a lot of money and yet they make a world of difference for the young person and Gary if they dark if if they're not fit for school, you know, the old days was really easy you're going front of a judge and they say I would you like to go in the army you get straightened out there all sorts of places. You could go out today. We we have a crate of those options and if if it's standard school is an appropriate we want to build those options. So they are get them off the street dammit Idle Hands at that age gets people in trouble. Hey, this is a good substitute of exchange of views. And I I really hope it sets the stage for the rest of the campaign cuz people are pretty tired of the rat at tat back and forth between candidates. This is good. We have the first one we've had and so I really do apart NPR for doing this. I hope it'll be the first of many we only have about two minutes left. So I'm going to give you a few seconds here. I'm curious what you make of this settlement that the state. They're the agreement the state had with a Surrey BC Law Firm. Did they get paid too much for their representation in the tobacco case question 1 and number 2. If you're elected attorney general, can we look for some other Blockbuster like the tobacco suit who wants to go first? But let me go first to Gary I this is my cash. I think I can't get it. I don't know what the contract was with us. Ricci Law Firm. I think it'd be really money Monday morning quarterbacking for me to jump in and start criticizing it. I do criticize however, the portion of the settlement were a half a billion dollars goes to Blue Cross Blue Shield. It's awarded to them as part of a settlement pursuant to their argument to the court that they're representing the policyholders and was a policyholder's a paid more money. Now that they got the money. They're not refunding it back to those policyholders. I think that stinks and I do think that ought to be changed. I did an ounce yesterday that I think that if Congress doesn't make changes was regarded Medicare reimbursement. We ought to be involved in a lawsuit with the federal government whether it's successful or not. It will bring attention to this issue and that's about it. But that's about the same amount of money do seniors in the state. If you'd said four years ago that a lot from was going to get 70% of recovery against the tobacco companies. Most lawyers would have thought it be 7 3% of nothing. So there was an enormous risk taken by the Robinson Law Firm. It was the agreement was 25% It was substantially lower it and I think any criticism that is Monday morning quarterbacking. They got a victory for Minnesota not only getting 6 Plus billion dollars, but also in disclosing all these tobacco industry documents that I think will be very important for national settlement free for all minnesotans that law firm took a risk that no other law firm would have taken and the value of that settlement is in all of those documents that future plaintiffs are going to be used at that future plan is can use you need to remember that no tax dollars are being used to pay for this a settlement or to pay for those lawyers. And I think it was a very appropriate way to do that other states when they had to hire attorneys in the Attorney General's office. It cost them just millions of dollars. This was an appropriate approach. I had more time and I'll be spending more time with you three dfl candidates for attorney general joining us this hour to talk about the issues. Of course, the delegates to the state to dfl Convention will be endorsing a candidate or expected to endorse a candidate next weekend. Lots of live coverage here on Minnesota Public Radio. Man. We hope you'll be able to join us for that coverage. My cat's was with us David little hug and Senator Amber rights got young thanks to all of you have been with us this hour or especially those of you who called in or tried to call him with your questions and comments will continue in just a moment. I'm Ray Suarez. There's a full moon a warm breeze soft music romance is in the air. I'm getting close to 80. We'll talk about late life love sex and intimacy on the next Talk of the Nation from NPR news. Start of a Nation begins at 1 over the noon hour today right before Talk of the Nation. We're going to be taking a look at the situation in India and Pakistan Pakistan is now conducted its nuclear test right now. It's time for The Writer's Almanac.