League of Women Voters of Wilkes-Barre to hold Legislative Breakfast March 22

Mar. 9—WILKES-BARRE — Rep. Jim Haddock said this week he will attend the upcoming League of Women Voters of Wilkes-Barre Area Legislative Brunch, scheduled for Saturday, March 22, at Wilkes University.

“I have responded to the League I will attend,” said Haddock, D-Pittston Township. “I attended last year as well. I feel events like this give myself a chance to learn what is on the mind of our community. Conversations like this forum provides is invaluable to me as a legislator.”

Also planning to attend the forum is Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, who also attended the 2024 event with Rep. Haddock.

According to the League of Women Voters leadership, Haddock and Pashinski will be the only two state legislators at this year’s forum — for the second straight year.

“At this time, only the two Democrats — Rep. Haddock and Rep. Pashinski — have responded ‘yes’ to our invitation,” said Laine Little, a member of the League’s Board of Directors. “People want to know that their elected officials are listening to their concerns and taking them to Harrisburg or Washington, DC. People also want someone to explain to them in plain language what the state and federal government is doing to make their lives more affordable and even prosperous.”

The League of Women Voters of Wilkes-Barre will hold its annual legislative brunch from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 22, in the Jean and Paul Adams Commons (JPAC), Henry Student Center on the Wilkes University campus. The league has invited all local State Senators and State Representatives to attend.

Free parking is available directly behind the building, accessible from South Franklin and South River streets.

The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. The event is free to high school and college students if accompanied by a school adviser.

Advance registration is required by Monday, March 17. To register or for information, visit lwvwba.org or call 570-675-3429.

According to the League of Women Voters, there is still time for legislators to respond and accept the invitation to participate in the forum, which is expected to have college students and general public in attendance, in addition to League members.

However, only Rep. Haddock and Rep. Pashinski have accepted. The Times Leader reached out to legislators and asked if they intend to participate in the League’s forum and if not, why they declined.

Here are the responses the newspaper received:

—Rep. Alec Ryncavage, R-Hanover Township — declined due scheduling conflict.

—Rep. Brenda Pugh, R-Dallas Township — declined due to scheduling conflict.

—Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township — declined due to a commitment with her grandchildren.

The League of Women Voters provided the following on the other legislators:

—Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Scranton and Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Ross Township, did not respond.

—Sen. Linda Culver, R-Northumberland; Rep. Dane Watro, R-Hazleton; Sen. Dave Argall, R-Pottsville; all declined.

Jane Elmes Crahall, a member of the League and past moderator of the Legislative Brunch, said for many years all, or almost all, of the local legislators attended the annual brunch. Elmes Crahall also was a professor at Wilkes University.

“Last year’s very limited participation was disappointing,” Elmes Crahall said. “The League, which is nonpartisan, focuses on policy issues of immediate interest to the local citizens. We do not endorse any candidates, but we do make issues and their stand on issues the topic of our public discussion.”

Elmes Crahall said the League believes informed voters make the best citizens because they consider the facts and credibility of candidates before making their choice in voting.

“For many years I moderated these forums and always found the most relevant questions came from the audience,” she said. “There were times when audience members made their Representatives aware of major issues of concern. The chance to have a face-to-face discussion with our local representatives is rare and very important.”

So why, then, Elmes Crahall asked, have so many legislators declined the League’s invitation to participate?

“They need to explain their positions and should be welcome to learning the concerns of all voters in their districts,” Elmes Crahall said. “When I was moderating, I thought it might help to know that legislators often gained genuine insights into relevant issues via the conversations. I remember some heated discussions at the Brunch/brunch tables between voters and their Representatives. Also, some of the people who gained the most from these events were our students who were first-time voters.”

Laine Little said the League just started a series on its website called “Democracy 101” that explains the basic workings of government, such as “What are Presidential Executive Orders?”

“We would like to help people understand the hard work that our legislators do to benefit our region,” Little said. “And so, we offer a warm and friendly nonpartisan event in which friends and neighbors discover once again that we’re all just people who want a government that doesn’t interfere in our pursuit of freedom, health and happiness.”

Little said the League members are still working on the questions, but all the questions are vetted by LWV staff to make sure they are nonpartisan and conversational.

“We hope legislators will tell us what they’re working on currently,” she said. “I expect people will want to know what needs to happen before we see a decrease in our grocery bills. We hope legislators will be prepared to talk about cost and access to education for students, especially in light of the recent news about Keystone and the PSU system. This would include both students of traditional age and students already in the workforce that need continuing education to further or switch careers.”

Little added, “On the campaign trail, some of the candidates addressed different school and career options following high school graduation, so I hope they’ll be prepared to discuss attracting new industries and job opportunities to this area. And they may be asked about infrastructure development.”

About the League of Women Voters

Founded in 1944, the League of Women Voters of The Wilkes-Barre Area (LWVWBA) is a nonpartisan organization that presents citizens of the Wilkes-Barre area with educational tools about issues and candidates so they can make informed decisions on election day.

Activities include publishing a government directory and voter guides, voter registration drives, and hosting events where constituents can meet their elected officials.

Entirely run by local volunteers, League membership is open to all, regardless of political affiliation or gender.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.