 Gubernatorial candidates seeking the DFL endorsement shared their vision for the state last night during a candidate's form at Bemidji State. The Beltrami County DFL and Bemidji State College Democrats co-organized the event prior to the forum. Candidates had the opportunity to meet and greet many of the attendees. Questions during the forum covered health care taxes, jobs, the state's economy, and the replacement of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline. As the governor, I want to make sure we're moving as quickly as we can to a renewable energy economy. We can do that quickly and not from my perspective, but we're going to continue to see fossil fuels supporting some of our energy and the time we have to make sure we know how to safely transport those as well. I want Minnesota to have the opportunity and grab those clean energy jobs that other states are going after. They're good. They support a family of wind energy technicians that starts at 70,000 per year. If we don't grab those, someone else will. We need to protect our water. That is absolutely the case. The EISC indicated that a particular one route, in fact a preferred route, is the one that would be the safest. But more importantly to me, the question comes down to the sovereignty of those tribes and the seated tribal lands. And we cannot proceed with this pipeline until we get their sign off. In Minnesota, backwater is a precious resource. But so are the commodities that move. So by the end of the time three goes, if the science supports it, if the sovereignty of the tribes is supported and we can do so, we should build it. What I do know is a 50-year-old lion that's leaking and contaminating groundwater right now is not the safest way that we can do it. And so we have to figure out a way that we can move forward on this one. As everyone has said, look at the science, look at the issue of tribal sovereignty. This is critically important. But at the same time, we can't be afraid to ask those questions. Candidate Tina Liebling was unable to attend the forum. Rebecca Otto won the straw poll vote taken at the event. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.