MONTICELLO, NY — Sullivan County got a better look at the candidates up for election this November at an October 11 debate hosted by the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce. The debate was moderated by Bold Gold Media Group, represented by Mike Sakel, and by the Sullivan County Democrat, represented by Joseph Abraham.

The candidates

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D), formerly a registered nurse with Catskill Regional, was first elected to the assembly in 2003 following her husband’s death, and currently represents most of Sullivan County in the 100th district. She is being challenged by Lisa LaBue (R), a former small business owner with a current career in banking, and is an ambassador with the Orange County Chamber of Commerce.

The full debate in podcast form is hosted at radiobold.com/radioboldnewspod. See next week’s issue for the River Reporter’s coverage of the Senate debate between Sen. Peter Oberacker and candidate Eric Ball.

Gas taxes

Candidates were asked if they would consider extending the current state moratorium on gas taxes beyond December 31. Both LaBue and Gunther expressed support for the idea. LaBue referenced a proposal to extend it for the next two years, and Gunther referenced her previous support for the gas tax and other economic relief proposals.

Abortion

As many as a third of the audience questions submitted referenced Roe v. Wade, according to moderators. The candidates were asked for their positions on abortion, and how it should be addressed on a state level.

LaBue said it was already addressed at the state level, claiming it was codified in New York State law and in the constitution. [An amendment to codify abortion in the New York State constitution was advanced in the legislature, but needs to be advanced one more time and brought to a statewide referendum to be added to the constitution.]

“When Roe v. Wade was overturned, what they did was, they didn’t take your choice away, they actually gave you a louder voice,” said LaBue; the decision gave people the option to petition their local representatives about the issues.

Gunther spoke from her experiences as a registered nurse, and how she saw victims of rape come through the hospital system. She said that she supported the right to choose. “I abolutely positively think that abortion is part of healthcare, and I think that all women should have a choice.”

Education

Candidates were asked about their position on a recent board of regents proposal to regulate private schools.

“I think private schools should be regulated,” said Gunther. The state gives money to all schools, and there need to be checks and balances with that money, she said; all children deserve a good education.

LaBue disagreed with the proposal. Private schools and religious schools exceed public schools in educational level, she said, and she opposed bureaucrats in Albany telling local teachers what they need to teach.

Opioids

Candidates were asked how they would address the opioid crisis while in office.

“We need better resources for this,” said LaBue. It is important to catch children in schools, but programs like DARE haven’t worked, she said; what is needed is a positive way to address the issue with rehabilitation and education. LaBue as well supported stronger enforcement on drug-related crimes.

“Drug addiction is a healthcare issue,” said Gunther. Catskill Regional used to have a 30-bed rehabilitation unit, giving those in addiction the time to recover; insurance companies aren’t providing those services anymore, she said. “The only way to solve it is to put more money toward it and to make sure the rehabilitation services are available.”

Bail reform

The candidates were asked as well about their positions on bail reform.

“So I guess we can all agree that bail reform is failing,” said LaBue; she opposes bail reform, and believes it should be repealed. LaBue said she understood why bail reform was put in place, but said the state needs to be tougher on crime, and it needs to support law enforcement and protect communities.

Gunther had voted against bail reform, and continued to work to reform it now that it was law, she said. “It was a bad idea. I think there should be judicial discretion… I’m a Democrat, but I stand up for the right thing.”

The environment

Each candidate was asked their position on the Environmental Bond Act, a proposal that will be on the ballot in November authorizing $4.2 billion dollars in bonds to support the environment.

LaBue said she wasn’t familiar with the act, but that she supported increasing investment in the environment, aside from mandates—like the state’s electric car mandate—that rely on infrastructure that isn’t there yet. Gunther supported it wholeheartedly; asthma rates across the country spoke to the importance of clean air, she said. “If we don’t have a good environment, to leave it to our children, and their children… we can’t breathe clean air.”

Gun regulations

The final question asked candidates their position on New York State’s recent gun control regulations, and the legal discussions around them.

We need checks and balances, but protections are important, said Gunther; a lot of people she knows, and a lot of people in her family, carry guns. Safety with guns is also important, she said; the guns in her home are in a safe, and her husband taught her son the importance of safety while carrying a gun.

LaBue opposed the legislation that had come after the summer’s Supreme Court ruling. “The second amendment was never meant to be a privilege that the government gives us; it’s a right that is written in our constitution, and it was there not for hunting and not for just our protection, but it is also to protect all our other rights.”

Closing statements

LaBue spoke out of turn a number of times during the debate, at one point leading the moderators to cut her microphone. She referenced that in her closing speech, calling it her passion taking over; “I will be bringing that same passion up to Albany.” LaBue had been looking for someone to advocate for the people, not for special interests, she said; she had chosen to run for her children, and for a change in the state’s governance. “If you think you’re better off now, then fine. But if you think that we have a way to go, and we need to breathe new life in this state, I ask you to support me.”

Gunther said in her closing that she had gotten better with time spent as a nurse, and that the same was true as an assemblyperson. She touted over 100 pieces of legislation passed during her tenure, and the amount of money she had brought back to local towns and fire departments. It was her responsibility to take care of the community: “I took care of you and my entire community; I brought back money, capital money, I brought [money] with Sandra Gerry [with Sullivan Renaissance] to make our home a better place to live, work and raise a family, and I think I’ve had a hell of a lot of success.”