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Putting people first is Rep. Lou Barletta’s priority

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John J. Sweeney is Green Party candidate for state representative in 117th District

<p>The 2016 election will not be the first time the name of incumbent state Rep. Karen Boback has appeared on both the Republican and Democratic ballots.</p><p>&#8220;This is the second time out of five election cycles that it occurred,&#8221; Boback, R-Harveys Lake, wrote in an email. &#8220;For me, the greatest compliment a legislator can receive is to have their name appear on both major tickets.&#8221;</p><p>Boback is campaigning for a sixth, two-year term as state representative of the 117th District, comprised of Dallas and Harveys Lake boroughs, Dallas, Fairmount, Franklin, Hunlock, Lake, Lehman and Ross townships in Luzerne County; La Plume, West Abington and Benton townships and Dalton in Lackawanna County; and all of Wyoming County.</p><p>The Harveys Lake resident plans to continue her efforts to implement programs geared to benefit her constituents, including the elimination of school property taxes, aiding the region&#8217;s struggling dairy farmers, economic growth and online gaming regulation.</p><p>&#8220;When I determine an established need, I develop a concept of service and carry it through,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I govern the way I would want my representative to govern.&#8221;</p><p><strong>School taxes</strong></p><p>An example of Boback&#8217;s follow-through initiative is House Bill 76. She co-sponsored the legislation that will replace school property taxes with alternative tax revenue sources such as increasing sales tax to seven percent and expanding the tax range on items such as candy and gum, newspapers and magazines, laundry services and haircuts.</p><p>The bill would allow school districts in need of additional revenue to present a referendum to voters within their district to raise the earned income or personal income tax rates.</p><p>&#8220;This bill is a tax shift from school property tax to other venues,&#8221; Boback said. &#8220;It is particularly attractive in my district as the reassessments we experienced within the last decade have been egregious.</p><p>&#8220;People, particularly our seniors, are losing their homes to property tax. HB76 is a powerful alternative.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Job creation</strong></p><p>&#8220;I have opened my offices to monthly outreach programs for seniors, persons with disabilities, veterans, small business development and Congressional outreach,&#8221; Boback said.</p><p>She supported legislation known as House Bill 2130 that urges employers to hire qualified job candidates who have disabilities.</p><p>She also voted for &#8220;comprehensive tort reform that curbed lawsuit abuse and implemented common sense legislation to promote job growth.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Dairy farmers</strong></p><p>A 10-year member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and a member of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Boback is aware of the struggles faced by local dairy farmers who are financially stressed due to decreased prices they receive for raw milk and rising rates to process milk.</p><p>&#8220;Agriculture is Pennsylvania&#8217;s number one industry,&#8221; she said. &#8220;While the federal government controls the price of (raw) milk, as a state we can help all farmers by preventing over regulations and establishing programs and incentives that promote agriculture.</p><p>&#8220;For example, Act 85 of 2012 exempts from inheritance tax any real estate &#8216;devoted to the business of agriculture,&#8217; when transferred by the death of the owner to members of the same family.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Online gambling</strong></p><p>A lot of discussion about online gambling has taken place in the House of Representatives as legislators look at ways to regulate the industry to benefit school districts and taxpayers.</p><p>&#8220;I am not a proponent of online gaming pending the language of the legislation,&#8221; Boback wrote in an email. &#8220;I feel the industry must continue to be heavily regulated.&#8221;</p><p>She clarified by stating any regulation regarding i-gambling must have &#8220;checks and balances&#8221; in place.</p><p>Boback&#8217;s other priorities for the next session of the House of Representatives include supporting a fiscally responsible budget, protecting and defending natural resources and addressing the growing opioid addiction problem.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Bobackcampaign_toned-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Boback </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Bobackcampaign_toned-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Boback </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Faux-69-Anniversary-3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">PA State Rep. Karen Boback reads a citation from the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives honoring a couple on their 69th wedding anniversary. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Faux-69-Anniversary-3-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>PA State Rep. Karen Boback reads a citation from the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives honoring a couple on their 69th wedding anniversary. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL033016legislativemeeting1cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">State Rep. Karen Boback, R-117th Legislative District, listens to Michael Shucosky, Luzerne County court administrator, during a roundtable discussion with local legislatures at the Luzerne County Court House. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL033016legislativemeeting1cmyk.jpg</photo2><caption2>State Rep. Karen Boback, R-117th Legislative District, listens to Michael Shucosky, Luzerne County court administrator, during a roundtable discussion with local legislatures at the Luzerne County Court House. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Eileen Godin</p><p>egodin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>KAREN BOBACK</strong></p><p><strong>Political party: </strong>Republican</p><p><strong>Incumbent:</strong> Yes</p><p><strong>Age: </strong>65</p><p><strong>Hometown: </strong>Harveys Lake</p><p><strong>Family</strong>: husband, Bernard; children, Karen and Bernard</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Boback to appear on both Republican and Democratic ballots