Two candidates for a Western Massachusetts state Senate seat disagree sharply over a pair of questions voters will face in November. Incumbent Don Humason, a Republican, squared off against his opponent, Democrat J.D. Parker-O’Grady, during a debate on WGBY public television.
Humason and Parker-O’Grady are running for the Second Hampden and Hampshire state Senate seat, which covers eleven communities between Easthampton and the Connecticut state line.
The first difference of opinion arose over Ballot Question 4, which would legalize recreational marijuana and tax it. Parker-O’Grady is in favor and pointed to Colorado.
“They’ve had over $100 million in new taxes from the sale of legal marijuana,” he said. “We can put that towards fighting the opiate crisis, put that towards treatment programs or put it towards education.”
Humason opposes Question 4, in part, he said, because the state already has enough problems with drugs.
“I think it sends a very mixed message on the part of government to say opiates are bad, you can’t do drugs, but it’s okay to smoke pot,” he said. “I think it sends an especially bad message to our children.”
The candidates also differed on charter schools. Ballot Question 2 would increase the cap on the number of such schools in Massachusetts. Parker-O’Grady opposes it.
“I think that as a state we should focus more on funding our current public schools than siphoning that money away to charters schools and the private entities that run them,” Parker-O’Grady said.
For his part, Humason said the state does need to do a better job of funding traditional public schools. But, as a legislator, he’s also supported charters.
“I see them as providing an alternative to parents and students who have looked at their school futures and their school opportunities as pretty dismal, ” Humason said.
One subject that didn’t come up at the debate was a recent controversy involving both candidates. Over the summer, Parker-O’Grady’s fiancee, a state employee, said she was told her career would be adversely affected by the campaign against Humason. And she alleged she was transferred to a different office as retribution.
After an investigation, Governor Charlie Baker announced last week that one state employee would be fired and another had resigned. According to Baker, Senator Humason was surprised and disappointed by the allegations.