Democratic Business Owner Looks To Unseat Incumbent Republican Lawmaker

Over the past several months, incumbent Republican State Rep. Frank Farry and political newcomer Democrat Lauren Lareau have knocked on lots of doors in the 142nd Legislative District.

Farry said he has knocked more than 12,000 doors and Lareau more than 4,000 over the course of the election. Their views on several issues differ but both feel they will best represent the residents of the district.

The decision on whether to retain Farry, a resident of Langhorne Borough, or elect Lareau, the owner of a tutoring business and resident of Middletown’s Langhorne section, will rest in the hands of residents on Tuesday.

Over the past few months, Farry has focused his efforts on talking with voters about issues and showing them his record of getting bills passed in his nearly 10 years in Harrisburg. Farry said 23 bills he has either authored or co-authored ranging from helping emergency responders with cancer to expanding a state prescription drug program to reforming animal welfare laws.

The lawmaker, attorney, and volunteer fire company chief said he will continue to work with Democrats and Republicans to get legislation passed. He noted with a chuckle that he has had more bills passed by a Democratic governor than a Republican one. With more than two decades of serving the community under his belt, Farry said he is ready to keep serving community.

For Lareau, she said she brings her experience as a small business owner and educator to the table.

The topic of funding for public schools have been a major issue in Harrisburg.

Farry said he hopes the legislature can look at school funding formulas and correct disponportiante funding that can often hurt local school districts. He also wants to look at the use of charter schools and trade schools, which can lead to training a skilled workforce. While in Harrisburg, Farry said, he has supported increased spending on education and is for robust programs to help reduce higher education costs.

Lareau said kids in the state deserve the best education, which is one of the reasons she moved with her son from Florida to Middletown in 2011. However, she has concerns that the state could fall behind if funding isn’t kept up. As an example, she said a tax increase for “passive income,” excluding seniors, could go toward funding higher education costs.

On the topic of eliminating local school taxes, both candidates said they are against the idea.

“Frankly, the math doesn’t add up,” Farry said of the proposal.

Farry and Lareau also both said they were interested in looking at proposals to cap or freeze property tax rates for seniors.

The two candidates agreed that Pennsylvania should implement a severance tax on natural gas.

Farry explained that he feels income from natural gas tax funds should be directed to fund pension system through a program that would allow school districts to put more severance tax revenues toward pensions without having to take from their funds that are intended for educating students.

Paying down the state’s pension obligations would also improve Pennsylvania’s credit ratings, Farry added.

Lareau said income from a severance tax could go toward reducing tolls and toward education while funding some green energy programs.

“Pennsylvania should benefit,” she said.

The topic of gun law reform has come up during the election and both candidates have ideas they believe will help protect Pennsylvanians from gun violence.

Farry said lawmakers have to “balance the rights of gun owners and the public.” He explained that he has supported a recent bill signed in to law by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf to take weapons away from domestic abusers and supported expanding the mental health system. He also supports background checks on all guns that are purchased.

“I think we need a culture change, like the terrorism line ‘see something say something,’” he said, adding he has supported the creation of a statewide school threat tip line that will be run by the state attorney general’s office. “It is not an end-all solution, but it a step in the right direction.”

Lareau chided Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg for letting bills on gun law reform die before they have a chance. She said she is for banning bump stocks, closing the gun show loophole, wants to implement no fly-no buy, and expand background checks.

Before voters step in the booth on Tuesday, Langhorne native Farry asked constituents to look at his record, adding he has run a clean campaign.

“We focused on what I’ve done in Harrisburg and what I stand for, and that’s what the focus has been on,” he said.

Lareau, who was raised in Pennsylvania, made the case that she is the change that is needed in Harrisburg. In a governing body with plenty of men, she said she would add an additional female perspective.