For their second debate this election cycle, Lincoln Mayor Lerion Gaylor Baird (D), and former State Sen. Suzanne Geist (R) debated at the Clyde Malone Center last night ahead of the May 2 general election.
The debate focused on issues that affect black, brown and other minority communities. In addition to others, the topics included creating more opportunities for black businesses, housing affordability, improving the lives of refugees and immigrants, health disparities and Critical Race Theory.
Ishma Yousef Valenti, Director of Teen Programming and Community Engagement at the Clyde Malone Center, moderated the debate. In addition to his questions, Valenti also asked questions submitted by the audience.
“There’s no kid gloves questions here,” Valenti told the press before the event. “These are all hard-hitting questions.”
Opening the debate, Gaylor Baird spoke about her and her husband raising their three children in Lincoln and working in local city government for 15 years. She highlighted cutting property taxes each year and her commitment to hiring more police officers, firefighters and paramedics.
“I’m proud of the way we’ve collaborated with the private, nonprofit, philanthropic and cultural centers in our community to deliver on our shared priorities,” she said. “I’ll support growing our local economy, supporting businesses to create jobs and opportunities, and I’ll continue to enhance our quality of life by expanding our parks and trails network and continue to make this community attractive to families and continue to make us the quality of life capital of the country.”
In her opening statement, former State Sen. Susan Geist said her campaign is about city business and intends to keep it apolitical. Her key issues include public safety, good streets, and growing businesses and jobs. She also praised the work of the Clyde Malone Center to change the trajectory and the lives of young people who visit the center.
“A lot of that vision that you have is the vision that I would like to bring to this office to change and affect the trajectory of our future,” she said. “So I think we’ll make great partners.”
opportunities for minority businesses
Valenti’s first question was about creating opportunities for minority businesses seeking capital and supporting women-owned businesses.
Gaylor Baird said her administration focused on recovery and renewal during the pandemic by utilizing funds to support small and micro businesses. “People of color own a good percentage,” she said. She also highlighted her administration helping over 260 businesses within the Lincoln community to help them stabilize, recover and focus on hiring talent needed for them to grow. She also discussed hiring an Economic Development Specialist who focuses on assisting local businesses to develop.
“This person serves as a concierge in the mayor’s office to help any business that wants a better understanding of how to navigate city processes,” she said.
Geist highlighted her support of State Sens. Justin Wayne and Terrell McKinney of Omaha on the North Omaha Recovery Act— a bill that would infuse over three hundred million dollars into North and South Omaha. Areas that are mainly minority populated. In addition, Geist proposed a bill that would provide wraparound business services and grants to small minority businesses with five or fewer employees, which the legislature voted to amend into the North Omaha Recovery Act. She also spoke about common threads she’s heard from minority business owners.
“You don’t want someone that doesn’t just talk to you when they ask for your vote, but you want to be brought to the table,” she said. You want someone to listen and take action.”
In making business loans accessible for minorities seeking capital, Gaylor Baird said her administration worked with the Small Business Administration to provide some for small businesses during the pandemic. She also touched on her work with Launch LNK and how it will allow entrepreneurs to access grants for starting businesses.
Geist said she plans to hire a Minority Outreach Coordinator, who, along with their staff, will continuously reach out to communities to bring their concerns to the table and respond to them regularly. This individual will also work with an Economic Development Coordinator.
“You will have a point of contact within the mayor’s office all the time,” Geist said. “So that if something comes up in your community that is unknown in the mayor’s office, it will never be unknown again.”
police interactions & crime prevention
When Valenti asked what policies the candidates would support that can help to lessen the disproportionate traffic stops and police contact for black and Latino residents, Geist responded that it begins with education and that law enforcement should understand the difference of cultures.
“What may be respectful in one culture may be quite disrespectful in another and that depth of training is very important,” Geist said.
She also said that she is committed to hiring more police officers who will be proactive and not reactive to problems. When Valenti asked how she plans to hire more black police officers, Geist responded that she pledged to go with law enforcement into the black and other minority communities to recruit them.
“I will hire anyone who does the job, who is willing and able,” Geist said.
Gaylor Baird said Lincoln has an outstanding police department committed to community policing and is committed to building in partnership with our community.
“We also work to diversify the force and we’ve spent time making sure that we are reaching out to diverse communities bringing warmth into the city team that helps us represent the beautiful diversity of this community,” Gaylor Baird said. “So we are more reflective of the communities we serve.”
Since Spring 2019, Gaylor Baird said the Lincoln Police Department had hired four Black officers, eight Asian, 15 Hispanic and two representing more than one nationality.
Gaylor Baird also said she supports diversion programs to prevent people from entering the criminal justice system. However, she touched on Geist’s notions that Lincoln has become incredibly dangerous and that Geist criticizing the city and law enforcement’s work does not provide support.
“Lincoln is an incredibly safe community, we always have more to do, but we are approaching 30-year lows in the violent crime rate,” Gaylor Baird said. “At the very time, you say you do everything to support them, you have been trashing the work that they do.”
Geist rebutted that law enforcement has supported and endorsed her campaign for mayor and asked the audience if they feel safer today than they did four years ago. Following up, she highlighted creating and supporting legislation to establish mental health courts to take people who have mental illness out of the correctional system. She also voted to expand DUI, drug, young adult and family courts, which she said are all diversionary tactics to trim the incarcerated population.
“I am a firm believer in redemption and that there’s second chances for everyone,” Geist said. “Those should be offered upfront time, and time again, before we consider incarcerating people.”
Gaylor Baird rebutted that Geist voted against LB 920, a bill last year.
“She actually led the filibuster that derailed criminal justice reform at the state that would have expanded diversion, lessen penalties for first-time offenses and for nonviolent controlled substances,” Gaylor Baird said.
food insecurity & affordable housing
Regarding food insecurity, Geist said she supported legislation proposed by State Sen. Megan Hunt (D) of Omaha on SNAP benefits.
“I did support SNAP benefits for felons who were drug users,” Geist said. “One of very few Republicans who supported a bill that came from Sen. Megan Hunt.”
Gaylor Baird rebutted that Geist voted for a consumption tax in the Nebraska Legislature to increase taxes on groceries in medicine. Geist argued back that she pulled her support for the legislation because she found out it would harm large businesses to the degree of them potentially leaving the state. She also touched on voting for historic tax cuts.
Geist argued that government overregulation causes an increase in housing costs, subsequently making homeownership unaffordable.
“Government in this situation needs to get out of the way,” Geist said.
Gaylor Baird referenced her administration making a six-figure allocation to the food back with federal funds during the pandemic and continuously working on community redevelopment projects.
“Making our neighborhoods more complete neighborhoods,” Gaylor Baird said. “A complete neighborhood is a neighborhood where you can access what you need, whether it’s food or medicine, to go to the grocery store to access services, without it being a burden.”
Touching on housing affordability, Gaylor Baird said it is a critical priority for her administration and has launched an affordable housing coordinated action plan to rehabilitate 5,000 affordable units by 2030.
“We’re well ahead of achieving that goal,” Gaylor Baird said. “We’re piloting a program in the south of downtown to rehabilitate rental properties, working with landlords and NeighborWorks Lincoln to help make high-quality housing.”
bridging the political divide
In bridging the political divide, Gaylor Baird discussed launching the One Lincoln initiative to create a community where everyone experiences equitable opportunities.
“I was pleased to sign an executive order that prohibits discrimination at City Hall on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity,” Gaylor Baird said before highlighting Geist signing “a petition that supports the notion that employers should be able to fire people for being gay.”
Geist argued back that she believed Gaylor Baird signed the executive order wrongly.
“Forcing an ideology like that on the community without the community permission is the wrong method to enact something that you’re for,” Geist responded. “I believe discrimination and any arena is wrong.”
Gaylor Baird argued back that Geist has been echoing a national culture war agenda.
“I just want to be clear that my opponent’s agenda in the statehouse of Nebraska has been a politically divisive,” Gaylor Baird said. “It is a political playbook that we are seeing in Republican-led statehouses all across the country.”
Improving the lives of refugees and immigrants
With Lincoln’s diverse community of refugees and immigrants, Valenti asked about some policies each candidate has to support those populations.
Gaylor Baird spoke on creating the Career Ladder Progam, which would help immigrants become credentialed in the U.S. and allows them to return to careers of their choice.
“One of the things that we’ve been really focused on is creating access to opportunities and networks guided by an overarching welcoming and belonging strategic plan that I was pleased to support and help create during my first term,” Gaylor Baird said.
Geist spoke about her work this past legislative session with the Ukrainian community and helping refugees obtain driver’s licenses.
“That community will be able to integrate more into our society because they will be able to drive to the job, which is hugely important,” Geist said.
Abortion, early childhood and health disparities
Geist said that she is pro-life and will not deny her core values. However, she said she does not want to restrict women and wants them to be free.
“Those of you who are African American, let me speak to you. You’re 4.78% of our population, but 21% of abortions are from your community. To date, there are 40 million Black Americans— 20 million of you have been aborted,” Geist said. “Is that positive for your community? Oh, it’s not. And I don’t say that out of judgment, out of anything but a heart of loving your community. Imagine the potential that’s gone because half of your people are gone.”
“Wow, you want to talk about freedom and about what to do for you, in your judgment, as you do not call it, but it’s clear that she believes the political politicians for you making those decisions instead of you. I don’t call that freedom,” Gaylor Baird said. ” Look, what I’m focused on is the fact that my babies born in this country are twice as likely not to see their first birthday, and maternal health outcomes for black women are not as good as they are for white women.”
Gaylor Baird said she is proud that she could include universal home visits. A program that would allow up to three visits from a home health nurse for any new parent and provides guidance, assistance and support. She also spoke about working with the Lancaster County Health Department to survey diverse communities to understand their priorities and help them achieve their goals.
Geist spoke on the volunteer opportunities she had years ago at Clinical Heart— a clinic that offers free health care to the uninsured and underinsured.
Gaylor Baird’s Ashland home
When asked about her second home in Ashland, Gaylor Baird said she and her family have lived in the Near South neighborhood for over 20 years. However, she said her second home in Ashland is not her primary residence— which has become an issue because her opponent’s supporters spread misinformation and lied about where she lives.
“I’m still waiting for you to denounce that lie. I think it’s a silly thing,” Gaylor Baird said. “This could be a much more substantive mayoral race, if we weren’t spending so much time arguing about my zip code.”
Geist’s Father’s alleged prison Blood Donor scandal
Valenti asked about Geist’s father’s alleged involvement in an Arkansas blood scandal that forced inmates to give blood, subsequently sold for profit.
Geist said she was a teenager when that occurred and had just moved to Lincoln when it was going on. She said that her family never benefited from any money from the scandal and that the report is filled with lies and misinformation.
“You know, 40-45 years ago, someone in my family— I can’t speak to that. That is not a history that was mine,” Geist said. “This race is about me, not about my father, anyone else in my family tree— this is about my record.”
Geist also highlighted that she is proud her father was the first white man on their school board to stand up for integration.
critical race theory
Valenti asked both candidates if they understood Critical Race Theory from the perspective of the systemic oppression of Black people and how they plan to eliminate oppressive policies.
Gaylor Baird said her administration works for equitable outcomes. Whether that be addressing health disparities, maternal health or the health of babies born in minority communities.
“This understanding is critical. If we are to recognize how to do better, how to change our systems; we have to understand how they’re built, how they can be improved, and how we can address the concerns of racial minority groups in this country and denying that is not right,” Gaylor Baird said.
“Do I understand? Absolutely. I was raised in Arkansas,” Geist answered Valenti. “I was raised in a community that was very diverse and have moved to a community that is very diverse. What would I do about it? I think one of the best things is what we’re doing tonight. We need to get to know each other better. We need to teach our kids the truth with transparency. We need to be honest about some of the things that have happened in our country.”
