Ballotpedia, Fern Leard

Fern was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She has 2 sons. 

Fern is a Certified Nurse Aide and has experience working in the pediatrics and elderly care fields. She also worked in finance and the restaurant industry. 

Fern Leard ran for state representative in State Assembly District 120 in 2022 but did not win. 

Candidate website

Supports legalizing marijuana and investing the tax revenue into property taxes, public education, elderly care, and essential medical services for veterans.

Supports measures to reduce property taxes.

Supports measures to reduce property taxes to prevent families from being taxed out of their homes.

Believes tax breaks should support small local businesses and farms, not large out-of-state corporations.

Believes tax reductions should support small local businesses and farms, not large out-of-state corporations.

Believes combating price gouging and reducing costs should be a top priority for state leaders.

Believes combating "price gouging" and reducing costs should be a top priority for state leaders. 

- Supports legalizing marijuana and investing the tax revenue into property taxes, public education, elderly care, and essential medical services for veterans.
- Supports measures to reduce property taxes to prevent families from being taxed out of their homes.
- Believes tax reductions should support small local businesses and farms, not large out-of-state corporations.
- Believes combating "price gouging" and reducing costs should be a top priority for state leaders. 

Economy

Supports abortion access and plans to "enshrine reproductive freedoms into the PA constitution."

Supports abortion access and wants to establish "reproductive freedoms" in the state constitution.

Believes accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare is a "fundamental right."

Believes access to affordable and quality healthcare is a "fundamental right."

Believes marijuana has numerous health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, treating gastrointestinal disorders, preventing seizures, aiding cancer patients, and helping with anxiety disorders such as PTSD in veterans.

Believes marijuana use has numerous health benefits, including reducing blood pressure, reducing inflammation, treating gastrointestinal disorders, preventing seizures, aiding cancer patients, and helping with anxiety disorders such as PTSD in veterans.

- Supports abortion access and wants to establish "reproductive freedoms" in the state constitution.
- Believes access to affordable and quality healthcare is a "fundamental right."
- Believes marijuana use has numerous health benefits, including reducing blood pressure, reducing inflammation, treating gastrointestinal disorders, preventing seizures, aiding cancer patients, and helping with anxiety disorders such as PTSD in veterans.

Healthcare

Supports changing the student-to-teacher ratio and increasing support in classrooms.

Wants to change student-to-teacher ratios and increase classroom support. 

Opposes voucher programs and charter schools diverting funds from public education.

Opposes school voucher programs, which allow families to use public school funds to access schools beyond their local option, including private schools. 

- Wants to change student-to-teacher ratios and increase classroom support. 
- Opposes school voucher programs, which allow families to use public school funds to access schools beyond their local option, including private schools. 

Education

Supports transitioning away from fossil fuels to ensure a sustainable environment for future generations.

Supports transitioning away from using fossil fuels as energy to support environmental sustainability for future generations.

- Supports transitioning away from using fossil fuels as energy to support environmental sustainability for future generations.

Energy & the Environment

Supports strengthening communities by advocating for increased funding for firefighters and first responders.

Supports providing adequate resources for emergency responders and wants to increase funding to firefighters and first responders.

- Supports providing adequate resources for emergency responders and wants to increase funding to firefighters and first responders.

Public Safety

As of September 30, 2024, Fern Leard’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Voting & Elections

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Fern Leard

Fern is a Certified Nurse Aide and has worked in pediatrics and elderly care. She has also worked in finance and the restaurant industry. 

Fern Leard's campaign for State Representative is her first run for public office. 

Supports reducing property taxes to prevent families from being taxed out of their homes.

Plans to combat price gouging to reduce costs. 

- Supports legalizing marijuana and investing the tax revenue into property taxes, public education, elderly care, and essential medical services for veterans.
- Supports reducing property taxes to prevent families from being taxed out of their homes.
- Believes tax breaks should support small local businesses and farms, not large out-of-state corporations.
- Plans to combat price gouging to reduce costs. 

Believes in improving insurance coverage for rare diseases.

Believes accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare is a fundamental right. 

Supports access to abortion and opposes any efforts to restrict abortion.

Supports legalizing marijuana, saying it "will have a nearly immediate impact on all of us and give us the financial relief we’ve long needed..."

Supports abortion access and plans to enshrine reproductive freedoms into the PA constitution.

- Supports abortion access and plans to enshrine reproductive freedoms into the PA constitution.
- Believes accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare is a "fundamental right."
- Believes marijuana has numerous health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, treating gastrointestinal disorders, preventing seizures, aiding cancer patients, and helping with anxiety disorders such as PTSD in veterans.

Believes in increasing instruction time and individualized attention to improve education quality for all students.

Believes increasing instruction time and providing individualized attention will improve education quality for all students.

- Supports changing the student-to-teacher ratio and increasing support in classrooms.
- Believes increasing instruction time and providing individualized attention will improve education quality for all students.
- Opposes voucher programs and charter schools diverting funds from public education.

- Supports transitioning away from fossil fuels to ensure a sustainable environment for future generations.

Believes in community engagement and support for local leaders.

Believes in community safety and support, as demonstrated by his campaign manager's act of checking on a resident in need and ensuring her safety.

Believes in community support and intervention, as demonstrated by a personal commitment to assist individuals in need until professional help arrives.

Believes in being proactive and attentive to community needs, as demonstrated by a personal experience of offering help and finding it was needed.

Believes in ensuring public safety and responsiveness, highlighting a personal experience where he assisted someone who had been on the floor for over 30 minutes.

Believes in community engagement and gratitude towards those who assist in public safety efforts.

Supports strengthening communities by providing higher wages, resources, and increased funding to firefighters and first responders.

- Supports strengthening communities by providing higher wages, resources, and increased funding to firefighters and first responders.

Supports the Center for Freethought Equality PAC.

Believes in the importance of community engagement and support, as demonstrated by a campaign team member's experience of helping someone in need despite a glitch in the canvassing process.

Believes in strengthening communities through her legislative experience.

Believes in advocating for voting rights and fair election processes.

Believes in serving the public with her experience, and plans to uphold voting rights and ensure fair elections.

Believes politicians lack understanding of constituents' issues, saying, "It’s time to stop sending people to Harrisburg to provide solutions to problems they’ve never had."

As of October 3, 2024, Fern Leard’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Fern Leard entered the workforce after high school, working in various roles such as washing dishes, waiting tables, and tending bar before transitioning into finance. After her twins were born, she moved into healthcare, earning a Nurse Aide Certification and working in pediatrics and elderly care for nearly a decade.

Believes legalizing recreational marijuana will help lower property taxes for homeowners.

Believes leaders say they won't raise taxes but ultimately do.

Advocates for addressing food insecurity.

Supports strengthening local businesses over giving large corporations tax breaks.

Supports accessible, high-quality healthcare at reduced costs for working families.

Supports "common-sense solutions" for economic issues.

Believes in providing students with a strong foundation for higher education or the workforce and ensuring educators receive pay and resources that reflect their value in shaping future generations.

Believes in having the life experience and determination to achieve educational goals.

Supports education, believing it is important for future success.

Supports universal school meals and equitable funding for all schools to ensure equal opportunities for students.

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws, including introducing tax bills. 
- State representatives and their staff respond to constituent concerns and questions through emails, phone calls, and website announcements. 
- State representatives oversee the executive branch and can vote to overrule a veto by the Governor.  
- They are elected to two-year terms and have a salary of $106,000, with a 1-3% annual increase

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