Olsommer, Skibber debate the issues

the League of Women Voters of Pike County held a candidate debate for PA’s 139th Assembly District at the Wallenpaupack Middle School on Sept. 19. Moderated by Amy Widestrom, both candidates were given one and a half minutes to answer each question, with a 30-second rebuttal. Incumbent State Representative Jeff Olsommer (R) and challenger Robin Schooley Skibber (D) began with opening statements regarding their experience.

Olsommer has worked for 35 years in the private sector as a small business owner and insurance agent, who served 10 years with Sterling Township in Wayne County. He said helped get grants and worked on the Sterling Business Tech Park. Skibber, who grew up in Blooming Grove working at her parent’s store, the Mt. Merchant, has spent 23 years working with Pike County’s aging population, most recently as the executive director of Pike Area Agency on Aging, including expanding transportation for seniors as well as mental health and emergency services.

Legislative priorities

On priorities, Skibber was adamant that, as a gun owner, she would focus on common sense gun laws while Olsommer said he would focus on helping small businesses.

Both candidates were asked what changes they would bring during the 2025-26 legislative years. Noting his experience with working across party lines, Olsommer stated that there were a lot of good ideas that weren’t getting through because of a lack of bipartisanship. Skibber agreed that there was too much partisanship and would seek out members from both sides of the aisle to support bills.

Voting

With nearly 1.3 million independent voters in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania who are unable to vote in the primaries due to them being closed, Skibber suggested opening up the primaries. Many independent voters who can’t vote due to the closed primary rule are unaware that they can vote in special elections such as the one that took place for the 139th District seat this spring. Olsommer countered by suggesting voters change affiliations and then vote as they would in the primary.

Spongy moths

Regarding the spongy moth epidemic that swept through the county this past year, Olsommer stated that he is working with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Governor Josh Shapiro to get funding to help with the situation. Skibber agreed, stating she believes it should be a joint effort between state funding and community outreach.

Individual rights

With cultural issues at the forefront of many citizens’ minds, including book bans, marriage equality, and women’s healthcare, the candidates were asked how involved the government should be in such situations. Skibber said there should be no government involvement in the personal lives of its citizens. Olsommer said he disagreed with book bans and that transgender women shouldn’t be allowed to participate in women’s sports. Skibber countered, stating that there was more legislation about trans kids than trans students in sports and Olsommer then said he would follow the will of the people.

Housing

Affordable housing has been a growing issue for Pennsylvanians. Olsommer listed several concerns surrounding the issue, including sewage, infrastructure, material costs, and interest rates. Olsommer suggested having pre-tax savings accounts for first-time home buyers, as well as lowering interest rates for multi-unit builders.

Skibber said she wanted to help keep elderly folks in their homes. She also suggested a shared housing program to help alleviate some of the weight of home ownership, and a way to retrofit seasonal homes in the area for year-round occupation.

Gun safety

Turning to the issue of gun regulations, Skibber expressed support for universal background checks. Olsommer said red flag laws, by which guns would be seized from people believed to be a danger to the public, were too broad and was worried people might use them to take guns away from law-abiding gun owners. He also stated his support for the Second Amendment. Regarding red flag laws, Skibber added that she believes the red flag process would involve an investigation and believes the police would be forthright in the processing of such situations.

Fracking

Olsommer said he believes that, if fracking is done in a safe, conservative way, he supports citizens earning money off their own land. Skibber stated that it was a nonstarter, citing water safety concerns. She was hesitant to support fracking without extensive environmental research and noted that Olsommer did not support the solar and clean energy bills.

Abortion

With state bans on abortion happening across the country, Skibber said she was firmly pro-choice, noting again that there should be no legislation or regulation of a woman’s body by the government, and could not recall any such laws currently in place regulating men’s bodies. Olsommer stated that abortion has been legal and protected in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1992 and that there were no current bills in front of the House regarding abortion restrictions.

Education

Olsommer said he voted “no” on Governor Shapiro’s education bill, claiming that the majority of funds went to schools that have tested at a seventh-grade level and thus didn’t support giving money to schools that allegedly failed kids. Skibber argued that the last four years of testing haven’t been regular circumstances and supports the state’s budget for education. She added that the bill also included funds for supporting mental health among students. Olsommer said that none of the schools in Pike County received funding, because they are ranked in the top 20th percentile. Both believed that cyber schools should be regulated more closely and didn’t think they should be paid for by the budget allotted to education.

Marriage equality

Regarding House Bill 2269, the Marriage Equality Act, Skibber supported it, stating that spousal rights should be for all, and no one should be marginalized. Olsommer said a 2015 Supreme Court ruling protected marriage rights for all. Skibber then noted that the Supreme Court ruling wasn’t mentioned in the state bill.

Closing

In their closing arguments, Skibber stated that she believes the government should be a partner. She said she would be dedicated to using resources for education, public services, agriculture, and working together. Olsommer said he would like to work on reducing taxes, ensuring first responders get support, and improving education.