AAUW hosts candidate forums in Austin

(ABC 6 News) – Several state and local candidates took part in a forum in Austin Tuesday evening,

The forum hosted by the American Association of University Women held MN House and Senate candidates as well as city council candidates.

A variety of topics were discussed including local and statewide infrastructure as well as education.

 But it was the topic of abortion rights with Minnesota House district 27B candidates and Republican incumbent Patricia Mueller and Democratic challenger Tom Stiehm that received a lot of attention.

“I believe all life needs to be protected, period. With the exception of the life of the mother. That has always been an exception that I’ve had,” said Mueller.

“We hear a lot of Republicans say they want an abortion ban if they get in and I would fight against that one hundred percent,” Stiehm said.

RELATED: AAUW to hold two candidate forums

Another topic was if Minnesota should allow illegal immigrants to receive government-issued identifications.

“They should be able to get a public id, they should be able to get a driver’s license. Wouldn’t you rather have someone who knows the rules, follows the rules, and has insurance on the road that’s what we’re talking about,” Mueller said.

“They need to have a way to get around, they need to pass a driver’s license test, they need to be able to apply for insurance,” explained Stiehm.

On the Senate side, candidates Gene Dornink and Brandon Lawhead for Senate District 23 were scheduled to debate, but incumbent Senator Gene Dornink was not able to be here due to a prior commitment.

Other city council races also took place during Tuesday evenings forum.

The final candidate forum will take place on October 25 at 6:30 p.m. and will involve candidates for school board and county commissioner.