Candidate name: Lyndon Yearick

Party: Republican

Age: 57

Hometown: Mill Hall, Pennsylvania

Political experience: Delaware General Assembly state representative for the 34th District, 2014-present.

Professional experience: Thirty-plus years of professional experience in the nonprofit, housing, health care and education industries.

What uniquely qualifies you for this office?

After four successful terms in office, I have proven my accountability to the people of the 34th District, while staying committed to my core convictions and principles. I remain dedicated to improving the lives of all Delawareans and working together to implement solutions to the challenges we face. I am running to continue my work to support the district to support safe and secure neighborhoods and job creation, team with our education system and install fiscal responsibility.

What are the top three issues for this office in your view?

Public safety: community and neighborhood safety. Fiscal responsibility: We need a comprehensive review of all of our state agencies and departments for inefficiencies and outdated programs. Economic development: I will continue my work with the Delaware Prosperity Partnership and our initiatives. I have served on it from the creation of it. I will continue my focus on our leading industries: agriculture, tourism and small businesses.

What would be your top priority if elected?

I will continue my work with law enforcement, our volunteer fire departments and communities to create the safest neighborhoods. Public safety should be the highest priority for any government.

If you could change one state policy or law, what would it be?

We need to review the state’s annual operating, capital and grant-in-aid budgets. We should institute baseline budgeting and encourage departments/employees to find cost savings and efficiencies.

What can Delaware do about its workforce issues?

We are in a worldwide competition for talent. We need to encourage work for all individuals. I have participated with workforce development initiatives to encourage individuals to reskill or upskill to meet the demand with skilled labor opportunities and tech positions. We need to continue to review our licensing standards and provide second-chance opportunities for individuals. With health care positions, we need to encourage programs similar to what Bayhealth did with their Graduate Medical Education program. With our unemployment insurance compensation, we need to reinstitute our employment search requirements in order to receive their benefits.

What, if any, gun laws would you change?

I will continue to defend the Second Amendment. I will continue to fight the potential permit-to-purchase legislation. We need to administer the appropriate consequence/punishment to individuals who use legal or illegally acquired firearms when they commit a crime. We should review why the criminal justice system is dropping or greatly reducing current firearm charges. I sponsored legislation that would increase the penalty from three to five years for individuals that commit a felony with a firearm and from five to 10 years for their second offense.

How would you protect or change abortion rights in the state?

I value life. This is a very serious issue when we debate it and requires serious thought on it. Delaware is one of the most pro-abortion states. I would like to add more restrictions to abortion in our state. I would like to improve the communication about the options with the mother and father when they are considering an abortion. This is a very serious decision, and everyone should understand the short-term and long-term impact of it. I do not support the ability of teenagers under the age of 16 to have an abortion without their parents’ or guardians’ consent. I would ban abortions in the third trimester. I do not support the use of Medicaid funds to perform an abortion. I do not support a state constitutional amendment to protect access to abortion care. I would like to add an ultrasound requirement to the consultation with the father and mother. We are not going to stop abortions from happening. I would like to reduce the number of them.

Do you support the State Employee Benefits Committee’s move to a Medicare Advantage plan for state retirees? Why?

With the creation of the Medicare Advantage plan, the state could have communicated the process differently, involve retirees in the selection of the plan’s features, etc. Unfortunately, we cannot change what happened or what is about to happen. I attended the Statewide Benefits Office’s Kent County meeting at the Modern Maturity Center. From what I have learned, beginning Jan. 1, 2023, the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware’s Freedom Blue PPO Medicare Advantage Plan (with Part D prescription through SilverScript) is going to take effect. It is going to happen. I do not believe the General Assembly has the authority to stop the new plan. There have been some changes to it, for example, the four-month delay in preauthorizations; however, the plan is going to happen. The General Assembly will hold a special session to vote on legislation that would create a subcommittee of the State Employee Benefits Committee and an ombudsperson position within the Department of Human Resources. With the changes, the plan can meet the needs of our retirees without sacrificing benefits. We need to continue the communication about the plan to ensure our retirees understand how to maximize all of its features.