Illinois gubernatorial candidates discussed issues including higher education funding, corruption and a statewide smoking ban at the first multi-party debate held at the Champaign City Council Chambers on Sunday.

Five candidates appeared, four Republican and one Constitutionalist, and all took aim at the current executive administration under Gov. Rod Blagojevich and agreed corruption has become a problem.

“During my time we’ve had four former governor’s either serve time or be indicted,” said Sugar Grove businessman Jim Oberweis (R).

State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) said he agreed “pay-to-play politics” should stop, but legislative matters were needed as a solution to eliminate the incentives for corruption, such as limiting individual donations and stopping corporate contributions.

“It’s nothing new to see we have a corruption problem,” said Ron Gidwitz (R). “We need a change of administration and change of thought.”

Constitution Party candidate Randall Stufflebeam, who served in the Marine Corps for 22 years, said that the only way to combat the corruption in Illinois was to follow the example of what he learned from the Marines: holding people accountable and responsible.

“I began fighting corruption as a young law student and people laughed at me,” Andy Martin (R) said about his legal career in Illinois, adding he had the tools and experience to stop corruption.

Concerning the issues of stem cell research funding and access to contraception such as the morning after pill, the candidates were more diverse in their responses.

“I believe we have an obligation to protect life,” Brady said concerning Blagojevich’s decision to require pharmacists to fill morning after pill prescriptions.

Oberweis also held a similar stance, saying the state should not require someone to do something they feel would be unethical. Gidwitz said he supported embryonic stem cell research but stressed the need for an open debate on the issue. Martin said that the issue was a result of the Governor having a failed relationship with the legislature.

On the issue of a statewide smoking ban, Gidwitz said he supported it in limited implementation. Brady said he voted against allowing cities to ban smoking because it was an issue of property rights and Stufflebeam said he supported it for health reasons, even though he was once a smoker. Martin said a reason to institute a smoke ban would be to help cut the cost of Medicaid.

Oberweis, Brady and Gidwitz spoke out against the current state of health care, and Martin said that Illinois ranks 50th in veteran’s health care support.

“My goal is to get people off of reliance on the government and give them self-reliance,” Sen. Brady said.

Oberweis cited the former Soviet Union as an example of why universal government services would not work in Illinois.

“The government cannot provide all these services and cannot fund them,” he said.

Gidwitz said that the governor was using the taxpayer’s money to gain support for the election with his health care plans. Martin said that it was unseemly that wealthy business people wanted to reduce health care.

“You can’t turn people away and lock the hospital doors,” Martin said.

Republican candidate State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka and Democratic candidates Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Edwin Eisendrath were not in attendance.