Two Pa House 108th candidates debate the issues at Albright Center
Apr. 20—SUNBURY — Two of the three candidates in the upcoming special election for the Pa. House 108th District seat — Democrat Trevor Finn and Libertarian Elijah Scretching — answered questions ranging from gun laws, to Encina, abortion, and parental educational rights in a lively 60 minute debate sponsored by The Daily Item at the Albright Center in Sunbury.
Republican candidate Mike Stender declined an invitation to participate.
Throughout the dcbate, Finn emphasized his 19-year background as a Montour County Commissioner and his ability to work across the aisle with Republicans on a variety of issues, despite being in the minority party.
Libertarian Elijah Scretching, a newcomer to elective politics, also vowed to work with both parties. "There are folks on the right and folks on the left, but aren't we all Americans," he said.
About school parental rights, Scretching and Finn both favored having parents play a role in curriculum, but Finn said one of the ways to do that was by voting in responsible school board members.
School safety and gun laws also came up. Scretching said that there should be security officers in every school in Pennsylvania. Finn also pointed out that, as a commissioner, he has a working relationship with SWAT teams and has been involved in school safety issues for some time.
On the kitchen table issue of abortion, Finn said that as a Roman Catholic, he has his personal opinions, but also recognizes that certain issues should be considered, and is willing to discuss with people on all sides of the issue. Scretching simply said, abortion is a personal issue and government should keep "hands off."
Both candidates said they were in favor of the controversial Encina project, citing job creation as a major factor. Finn, however, also cautioned that there needed to be more transparency about the environmental effects of having a plastics processing plant in Point Township, near the Susquehanna River.
About LGBTQ+ rights, Finn said, "We have to make sure that they are treated fairly. All people are created equal. We have to protect everybody. We need to advance the cause of all citizens."
Scretching said "In America, you can be what you want to be."
Toward the end of the meeting, Scretching said some of his priorities were decreasing the number of regulations, which he contends are bad for business.
Finn had a broader perspective and said that he has a record of working to bring new businesses into the area and improving the quality of life for residents.
The last questions asked was there thoughts about the Republican candidate not showing up. Finn said that "these kinds of events let people know where candidates stand and therefore it's important to be here and answer questions."
Scretching simply said, "It might be uncomfortable to debate. It's not for everyone. But it's important for candidates to participate."
The debate was streamed live on the Daily Item's Facebook page.
