Lance Evans Harvell

Republican

Office Sought: Representative – District 113
Age: 53
Occupation: Papermill worker in retraining
Education: Two classes towards my BS
Family: Two children Joshua and Rachel; married to Bernadette for 30 years

Hometown: Farmington

Political experience

Six years Maine Legislature. I worked on many issues such as energy, tax reform, welfare and regulatory reform.

Why are you running for office?

I have lived here all my life and seen literally all the jobs my grandparents, parents and myself disappear. This trend has to be reversed. We need to encourage job creators. We need tax reform, welfare reform, to tackle the opiate problem we face. This requires leadership not partisan bickering. I believe a healthy society is one that creates opportunity and not dependency.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • Other

    Yes that direction but 0% is unrealistic. I was a member of the gang of 11 who favored a similar approach. But I do believe we need tax reform that recognizes are aging state and reduces property taxes.

• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • No

    I am voting No on question 3 because it is hardly about background checks on private sales. It is an unenforceable government overreach and yet another out of state assault on Maine’s traditions.

• Minimum Wage: In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  • No

    I am willing to raise it some as part of an energy deal but we must not go this high as it would make Maine an outlier in New England and significantly impact many businesses negatively.

• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • Yes

    I worked and co sponsored the medicinal marijuana program we have. I do believe the war on drugs in relation to marijuana has been over for sometime and those resources should be used to fight our current opiate crises. That said there are problems with question 1 as written.

• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • No. Over prescription of opiates in the decades past coupled with current reductions is part of the problem. We need to attack the issues from both a supply and demand side. i.e. drug enforcement and drug treatment. I favor using resources currently fighting marijuana prohibition to be redirected to the fight against opiates.