The Democratic and Republican candidates for attorney general, in their first televised debate, clashed on how they would handle some of more the pressing issues that are likely to come before the office − from artificial intelligence to policies issued by President Donald Trump to continued litigation over Enbridge’s Line 5.

The debate-style question and answer with WDIV-TV (Channel 4) televised Sunday, April 27, between Republican Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd and Democratic Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit comes as the candidates fight to fill the office left open by Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is term-limited.

Both candidates touted their experience as county prosecutors as qualifications for the position during the roughly 30-minute debate.

Savit said he would pursue corporate polluters, predatory corporations and stand up for Michigan residents against harmful Trump administration policies. Lloyd argued most people he’s heard from aren’t concerned about who he will sue but, instead, about who he will prosecute to ensure public safety.

Flashpoint host Jason Colthorp asked Lloyd if that meant he would not sue the Trump administration, but the Eaton County prosecutor denied that was the case.

“If the federal government is doing something that harms the citizens of Michigan, then the attorney general better go after the federal government,” Lloyd said.

Both candidates, when asked about Nessel’s investigation into Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Michigan Economic Development Corporation, said they would investigate agencies under either a Democratic or Republican governor if warranted.

Lloyd maintained, like Savit, that he would push back on industries, including utilities, seeking to price gouge Michigan residents, whether it’s “big energy, big pharma, big tech.”

Savit argued he has put “my money where my mouth is” when it comes to the energy companies by vowing not to take any contributions from the utilities or their political action committees. He said he would work to ensure residential rate payers don’t receive the bill for data center energy usage and, within his first 100 days in office, issue a set of rules to regulate AI under the Consumer Protection Act.

He noted those rules could address issues such as surveillance pricing or deceptive marketing.

“I think that AI is a generational challenge and one that we need to be very heavily involved in combatting,” Savit said.

Lloyd credited Nessel for pursuing litigation related to Meta’s lack of safety features to protect minors and argued one of the office’s roles will be to protect youth against manipulative AI interactions.

“That’s what your attorney general needs to do, is actually make sure that they are going out and doing the things that say to Big Tech, ‘You have responsibilities. You must take care of our kids,'” Lloyd said.

When asked whether they would continue litigation related to Line 5, which Nessel first filed in 2019, the candidates split on the way forward.

Savit said he would continue those lawsuits. He specifically pointed to a federal district court decision ruling that federal regulatory authority over pipelines preempted state concerns about their safety.

“I believe it is an absolutely disastrous decision,” Savit said. “… I’m going to fight to get that decision off the books.”

Lloyd said he would not continue the litigation and argued the candidates’ split positions on the issue reflected the difference between “political activists and people who actually get out in the world.” He said there is great concern about what a Line 5 shutdown would do to oil prices as well as propane availability for those relying on the natural gas liquids transported through the line.

“We need to have oil there,” Lloyd said. “The people in the Upper Peninsula need to know that they’re going to be able to heat their homes. They worry about this everyday.”

Savit defended his county office’s policies on no cash bail, the decriminalization of psychedelic drugs and ignoring certain low level offenses. He argued it has not resulted in an increase in crime in Washtenaw County and has instead allowed the office to pursue more serious offenses.

“We put bad guys behind bars,” Savit said. “We prosecute serious crimes. And we do provide rehabilitative options.”

Lloyd, when asked about Detroit Metro Times reporting on his office’s handling of several cases involving plea deals in domestic violence and sex crime cases, noted he had handled thousands of cases in his 30 years as a prosecutor.

“These cases here, what a prosecutor is bound to do, is seek justice,” Lloyd said. That calls for the prosecutor, he said, to “look at all the facts and evidence and make the determination that goes from that.”

eleblanc@detroitnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: AG hopefuls Savit, Lloyd spar over Line 5, AI regulation in first debate

Reporting by Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News / The Detroit News

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