MARSHALL — Candidates for the Minnesota state Senate race in District 22 talked about topics ranging from a projected state budget deficit to how Minnesota has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Bill Weber R-Luverne, and Democratic-Farmer-Labor challenger Shawna Marshall both appeared during a Wednesday candidate forum at Southwest Minnesota State University.

A third candidate in Senate District 22, Brian Abrahamson of the Grassroots — Legalize Cannabis party, was unable to attend the forum.

As at earlier forums held for Marshall mayor and school board candidates, the topic of COVID-19 loomed over the debate. Both Weber and Marshall were asked what they thought Minnesota could have done differently to respond to the coronavirus.

“Going forward we do need to make a new plan,” to help protect the local and regional economy at the same time as public health, Marshall said. She said she would propose a tiered system with different criteria that could lead to mask mandates or other precautions.

“This can depend on the district, so we’re not making just blanket reactions or responses for the entire state. Because as we all know, what’s going on in the cities is very different than what’s going on in rural Minnesota,” she said.

Weber said there were a couple of things he thought should have been handled differently going on what we know now.

“I believe one of the things that should have happened, and should never be allowed to happen again, is COVID patients should never be put back into nursing homes when they’re still sick,” Weber said. “We haven’t had a really good answer as to who was responsible for making that decision, but it certainly was not the right decision to make.”

Weber said Minnesota should also have kept its economy and Main Street businesses open. He said he spoke with Gov. Tim Walz on that point as Worthington was dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak at the JBS pork plant.

“I said what you’re doing by forcing everyone to go into the big box stores, is you’re accomplishing the very thing you say you’re trying to avoid, by putting people in contact with one another,” he said.

Both candidates also spoke about what they would do to address the state’s projected budget deficit.

“As we look at what has happened to our businesses, as we look at people that have lost their jobs, I just don’t think raising taxes is an option that is open to us,” Weber said. Minnesota’s budget problems have not come from taxing people too much, but from overspending or letting the state budget grow too large, he said.

“One of the things we should be doing is, looking at what is the cost of government in administration up in St. Paul,” Weber said. Legislators needed to make sure cuts were not made “in the field,” in areas of Greater Minnesota where government services were most needed.

Marshall said she agreed with Weber on that point — the search for areas to trim expenses should start with administration in the Twin Cities.

“We cannot be making cuts to the services people need,” Marshall said. “I believe we have to sit down in a bipartisan way and look at every program. Where can we tighten the belt? Where can we not?”

A forum was also held Wednesday for State Senate District 16. The forum only had one participant, Sen. Gary Dahms. Dahms’ challengers, Joshua Prine of the Independence-Alliance party and Steve Preslicka of the Legal Marijuana Now party, did not attend Wednesday’s event.

Among other topics, Dahms also addressed possible solutions to the projected state budget deficit. The COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on Minnesota businesses, would be a big factor in how the state should respond, Dahms said.

“With probably 40% of our small businesses not surviving, and the rest that do survive struggling financially, this is not going to be a time to be raising taxes,” Dahms said. Businesses have tried to adapt to new conditions, and the state government would have to do the same.

“We’re going to need to make some cuts. We’re going to need to make some changes,” he said. It will be an opportune time to introduce reforms, Dahms said.