Landes challenger Angela Lynn wants to talk

WHITE HALL—It's been a long while – 2009, in fact – since anyone challenged Delegate Steve Landes for the House District 25 seat representing voters in areas of Albemarle, Augusta, and Rockingham Counties.

Now Landes' Democratic opponent Angela Lynn hopes to even a lopsided playing field by asking him to engage in a public debate.

Lynn, a former educator, small business owner and Federal Emergency Management Agency employee, said Landes hasn't given her a definite answer.

While an airing of the issues could be good for voters, it could be even better for boosting the visibility of the first-time candidate, a consideration for the Landes campaign.

"As in past campaigns I am confident my opponent and I will have an opportunity to appear together to discuss issues regarding the future of Virginia and the 25th District, which may impact our citizens," Del. Landes told The News Leader by e-mail.

What would Lynn have to say in a debate? The candidate answered The News Leader's questions on the year's top issues.

ATLANTIC COAST PIPELINE

From an anti-pipeline position at the start of her campaign, Lynn has moved to a middle position more likely to appeal to the broad range of voters she needs to best a Republican opponent.

"I think it's not that simple," the candidate said. "Natural gas and the use of pipelines is something I would support. However, I am not in favor of the way the ACP has been handled at all. It hasn't been transparent enough."

Lynn agreed with the approach taken recently by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who has urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to address public concerns, while staying neutral on the pipeline itself.

She chided her opponent for what she called a 'Well, it's a utility company, what can we do' approach. "There was no push back from legislators. It put all the responsibility onto the people to try to get this to be the correct route," she said.

Lynn said she would like to see legislation that reduces some of the power the utility company has gained to exercise eminent domain.

"Is it completely necessary to have this project, and if so, are landowners well compensated? The eminent domain piece has to be reintroduced again, and make it very, very rare," she said.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

Lynn advocates sentencing reform to reduce the high rate of incarcerations for small crimes. "Incarceration is costly," she said. "It's also unfair when people are incarcerated for misdemeanors or mental health issues. It ruins their lives."

The candidate said she would like to see some of incarceration's costs redirected to programs that can make a permanent difference in drug addiction and mental illness.

HEALTH CARE

Lynn supports the opportunity to expand state Medicaid coverage by tapping federal funds. The funds would reduce the state's burden from the 50 percent it currently pays for the program, to 10 percent, creating more health care for low-income citizens.

"There are 27,000 people in my district who are uninsured because they fall into the income gap," Lynn said. "With the influx of Medicaid dollars, we could have 30,000 jobs and $6 billion in additional economic output over eight years."

Lynn said she would favor a compromise approach similar to one attempted by Sen. Emmett Hanger (R-Mount Solon) that closed loopholes for waste in the Medicaid program while proposing private health coverage options.

Lynn also said Virginia needs more women's perspectives in Richmond.

"There are only 12 females in the House of Delegates. When you have a panel of all males voting on something like health care, it's not representative," she said.

The candidate cited the 2012 bill requiring a pregnant woman to submit to an ultrasound before an abortion, as an example. An attempt to repeal it failed this year.

"It's ridiculous and intrusive," Lynn said.

ELECTION REFORM

Virginia has been slapped with two lawsuits over partisan gerrymandering; packing African American voters into some voting districts to soften their impact in others.

Legislators redraw the voting districts every 10 years to account for changing demographics.

"Mr. Landes is on the committee that handles that," Lynn said, referring to the House Privileges and Elections Subcommittee, which this year struck down two bills attempting to reform the process.

Lynn said she wants to see redistricting handled by a nonpartisan or bipartisan election commission.

EDUCATION

How would Lynn compete on education against the Chairman of the House Education Committee?

The candidate said she was on Albemarle County's Department of Social Service Advisory Board when the legislature cut state funding for the Virginia Preschool Initiative earlier this year. The program is targeted to at-risk four-year-olds, who could benefit most from pre-K support.

"We were scrambling to make sure pre-K would still be a program," Lynn said.

If elected, she said she will work to strengthen pre-K education.

For more information about this District 25 candidate, visit lynnforvirginia.com.