In this week's Leominster Champion:

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) joined Natalie Higgins, Democratic candidate for state representative in the 4th Worcester District (Leominster), and nearly 100 of her supporters at her campaign headquarters on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Warren was there to endorse Higgins’ candidacy for state representative and cheer on her supporters as they started their get-out-the-vote efforts in advance of early voting starting Monday, Oct. 24.

Talking about her visit with Higgins’ and her supporters, Warren said, “I want to be here because this is how we build a future within a political system. This is how we get newcomers who already have an established record for the part you care about most — for speaking out on important issues. For speaking out for women who are subject to domestic violence. For speaking out for college students who need an advocate to bring down the cost of an education. This is a woman who is what I like best about women, a tough woman.”

State Sen. Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster) also offered her strong endorsement of Higgins, saying, “Natalie is committed to the City of Leominster. It is so great to see someone young, and someone vibrant, and someone who truly cares about the people of Leominster. Natalie knows this city and knows what’s important to the people of Leominster. As state representative, she’s going to be a strong advocate and a great partner for me on Beacon Hill.”

Higgins is running for the Leominster House seat that incumbent Rep. Dennis Rosa has announced he will not seek this fall. She is an attorney and executive director of the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM), a nonprofit that advocates for better funding, more affordability and accessibility for students, and better support for our faculty and staff in public higher education. Higgins’ endorsements include the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, MassEquality, the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus PAC, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 4, Massachusetts Voters for Animals, the Massachusetts National Organization of Women PAC, the Sierra Club, 1199SEIU, the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists, and Mass Care.
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The general election takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, with early voting from Oct. 24 through Nov. 4.

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For Immediate Release
October 27, 2016
Contact: Natalie Higgins, 978-602-3772

Massachusetts Teachers Association Endorses Natalie Higgins for State Representative of the 4th Worcester District

LEOMINSTER: The Massachusetts Teachers Association endorsed Natalie Higgins (D) in her campaign for State Representative of the 4th Worcester District (Leominster).

“Natalie Higgins will be a compelling advocate in the Legislature for students and public education,” said MTA President Barbara Madeloni. “When meeting with educators, Natalie clearly articulated her firm commitment to our public schools, colleges and universities. We can count on her to be a strong voice for working families and communities throughout Massachusetts.”

Higgins is running for the Leominster House seat that incumbent Rep. Dennis Rosa has announced he will not seek this fall. She is an attorney and executive director of the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM), a nonprofit that advocates for more affordable, accessible, and well-staffed public higher education institutions.

A lifelong Leominster resident and 2006 graduate of Leominster High School, Higgins obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UMass Amherst, earned her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2014.

She has worked for the last ten years as a community advocate, first as a Rape Crisis Center Teen Counselor/Community Educator throughout Central Massachusetts. As a law student she worked in Governor Patrick’s Office, the Worcester Juvenile Court, Community Legal Aid’s Elder Law Unit, Northeastern’s Domestic Violence Clinic, and with the Reproductive Justice Unit of the Human Rights Law Network in New Delhi, India.

Higgins has pledged to defend public education, increase access to mental health services and create economic development opportunities as State Representative. “As a proud graduate of the Leominster public school system and UMass Amherst, and a first-generation college student, I believe we need to increase access to affordable public education from early education through college.”

Since launching her campaign in February, Higgins has received more than twenty endorsements, including the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, Massachusetts Nurses Association, Massachusetts Voters for Animals, Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund, 1199SEIU, Mass-Care, National Association of Social Workers - MA PACE, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 4, Mass Women’s Political Caucus, MassEquality, Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists (MOSES), MassNOW, SEIU Local 509, Sierra Club, and Central MA AFL-CIO.

The General Election will be held on November 8th with early voting at City Hall until November 4th. You can learn more about Natalie Higgins and early voting at www.electnataliehiggins.com.

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From this week's Leominster Champion:

The two candidates for Leominster’s state representative seat met Monday night for their third, and final, debate in the race to succeed Dennis Rosa in the 4th Worcester District.

Republican Thomas “Frank” Ardinger, a member of the Leominster Board of Health and a Republican state committeeman, and Democrat Natalie Higgins, executive director of the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts, took part. The debate in the meeting room of the Leominster Public Library, sponsored by the Leominster Champion, allowed community members to hear out the candidates’ stances and pose questions.

When asked about their top three priorities, the candidates shared the opinion that Leominster’s economy and job market need attention.

“People feel that we have to change Leominster a little bit,” said Ardinger. “We have to get some new jobs in here, some good paying jobs.”

Ardinger added that the city’s retail environment is good, but the economy would benefit from more manufacturing jobs. His other priorities include making sure that residents get the most out of their tax dollars and educating the public on the opioid crisis.

“It’s an illness that you can never cure,” he said of opiate addiction. “We have to provide them the support that they need to help fight that addiction.”

Higgins’ other two priorities as state representative would be educational opportunities and making sure that the community has adequate mental health services.

“I’m going to be looking for … opportunities to bring resources home to Leominster,” she said, “so that we have the important programs we need.”

Higgins added that Leominster needs to invest effort in issues such as the student debt crisis and mental health awareness.

Ardinger said the first bill he would file as state representative would be to repeal the inventory tax, which taxes manufacturing businesses throughout the state 2.6 percent the value of their equipment. He estimated that if the tax were eliminated, about 250 new manufacturing would be made available in Leominster.

Higgins’ first bill would be a “Borrower’s Bill of Rights,” aiming to protect student loan borrowers from unbearable debt burdens. She said the average graduates from a four-year university start their lives with $30,000 in student debt.

“That’s a huge drag on our economy,” said Higgins. “We really need to tackle this so that we have the same opportunities that our parents’ generation had.”

One of the candidates’ most notable disagreements was on the subject of the Fair Share Amendment, a proposed change to the state constitution that would implement an additional income tax of 4 cents on every dollar earned over $1 million.

Higgins favors the amendment, believing that the extra revenue would provide the state with resources to fund public education programs and make investments in infrastructure.

“I think the point that really needs to get brought across,” she said, “is that … we’re seeing the lack of investment in areas that need it the most [like] public education, colleges, universities, and our public transportation.”

Ardinger believes that the Fair Share Amendment would set a precedent for the state to continually amend tax laws and target lower brackets for increased income tax. Instead, he favors the idea of eliminating the sales tax in Massachusetts, which he proposed would give local businesses a better chance of competing with tax-free retail stores in New Hampshire. The difference, he said, could be made up by keeping the current level income tax, but possibly raising it.

“In my estimation, a fair share tax is one where everybody pays the same rate,” said Ardinger.

He added that Massachusetts, unlike New Hampshire, should not make up the difference in property tax, as it puts low income families and senior citizens at a disadvantage.

Stances on ballot questions:

When it came to the first ballot question on the Nov. 8 ballot, which asks whether a second slots parlor should be allowed in Massachusetts, both Higgins and Ardinger were opposed.

For Higgins, it’s a matter of Plainridge Park in Plainville, the state’s first casino, not yet showing promising results.

“We’ve seen that the Plainridge Casino hasn’t necessarily met its revenue projections,” she said. “And it doesn’t create the same kind of good, high quality jobs that more of the resort style casinos make. It’s a lot of temporary construction jobs.”

Ardinger agreed that the evidence shown by Plainridge does not merit a proposal for a second casino in Massachusetts, adding that Question 1 would only benefit the developer of a proposed casino near Suffolk Downs.

“Why should one individual have a law passed to benefit just that one individual?” he said.

Question 2 would allow up to 12 new charter schools in the state or expand enrollment at existing charter schools. Ardinger believes that charter schools offer successful opportunities for students from low income families to be educated in better school districts and favors expanding enrollment.

“We have a waiting list right now of 32,000 inner city youth waiting for a better opportunity,” he said. “Parents should be given the choice to get their students into a better school district if the school is available.”

Higgins opposed the question, saying that the system needs reform and calling charter schools “the new ‘separate but equal.’”

“We need to make sure that every single one of our kids has access to this,” she said, “because the schools themselves are self-selecting.”

Higgins added that some charter schools, which are run by private boards but funded by public money, reserve the right to deny transportation to and from certain areas, “keeping certain kids out of the door.”

“They’re sucking money out of our public education system and not even helping all of the students in our community,” she said. “I just do not think that that’s fair.”

Higgins believes instead in charter schools such as the Leominster Center for Excellence, which is a part of the public school district and is overseen by the superintendent of Leominster Public Schools and the School Committee elected by the community.

Question 3, proposing a ban on the sale of eggs, veal, or pork that come from farm animals that are confined to overly restrictive cages, was ultimately supported by both candidates. Ardinger said he had already voted yes when casting his early voting ballot on Monday, but that he was ambivalent toward the issue, saying it may result in higher prices for grocery products.

Higgins said she favors the ban not only because she opposes the cages in which those animals are kept, but also because poor living conditions can result in diseases that spread throughout the livestock and hurt farmers’ income.

The two candidates were again divided on Question 4, which proposes the legalization of recreational marijuana use for those over the age of 21. Higgins, who said she has never used marijuana and does not condone it, nonetheless supports its legalization and regulation. She believes that since the decriminalization of possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana in 2008, the persistent problem has been that users are still going to drug dealers who have “marijuana in one pocket and opioids in another.”

“I’m really concerned and want to push to make sure that we regulate marijuana,” said Higgins, adding that the money that comes from regulation could be used for prevention education and to fund addiction treatment programs.

Ardinger’s stance was that legalization is being pushed by the highly profitable marijuana industries of Colorado and Washington.

“They don’t care about the residents of Leominster,” he said. “All they’re looking for is to expand their market.”

He argued that marijuana is a gateway drug that serves as a catalyst to the opioid crisis, and that products such as edibles and marijuana-infused soft drinks are being negligently marketed to kids. He also cited a study that found that legalization will not reduce illegal sale.
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More information on these two candidates can be found at Ardinger’s website, frank4rep.com, or Higgins’ website, electnataliehiggins.com.

In today's Sentinel & Enterprise:

As a lifelong Leominster resident, small-business owner, veteran, former Ward 1 city councilor and aide to two Leominster state representatives (the late Mary Jane Simmons and Dennis Rosa), I am proud to cast my ballot for Natalie Higgins for state representative.

For the last 10 years, Natalie has dedicated her life to community service, as a rape crisis counselor, attorney and nonrofit director, and she also has extensive state-level policy experience.

Natalie has spent the last eight months running a campaign focused on voter outreach and discussing their concerns, proving that she cares about the issues that matter the most to them.

In fact, I met Natalie when she came to my door and after talking to her, I knew she had the education, skills and passion for Leominster that would make her the strongest advocate for our community.

As a past president of the Leominster Historical Society, I was amazed at how knowledgeable Natalie was of Leominster's history. And as a veteran and past post-commander of the Disabled American Veterans in Leominster, I appreciate Natalie's commitment to understanding the complexities of veterans' issues in our community.

Please join me in voting for Natalie Higgins for Leominster's next state representative on Nov. 8!

TOM "TUCKER"HAZZARD,
​Leominster

In today's Sentinel & Enterprise:

LEOMINSTER -- With early voting underway in the city and the Nov. 8 election date approaching, the two candidates for the 4th Worcester District seat in the state House of Representatives made their final public pleas to voters at their second debate Monday.

Democrat Natalie Higgins and Republican Thomas "Frank" Ardinger highlighted their differing views on taxes while letting city residents know they will be accessible and fight for the city's needs if elected.

"I don't work for special interests," Ardinger said in his opening statement of the debate, sponsored by the Leominster Champion and held at Leominster Public Library. "I work for you."

"I am ready to be there on the other end of the phone when any of you need anything," Higgins said in her opening remarks.

They are running to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Dennis Rosa, who choose not to seek re-election after four terms.

If elected, their ways of going about helping the community will differ.

Ardinger emphasized that he will never vote to increase taxes.

Higgins , a local attorney and executive director of the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts, has been a staunch supporter of the "Fair Share" amendment proposal, also called the "millionaire's tax," which would levy a 4-cent tax on every dollar of earned personal income over $1 million, which she said will allow more resources to be put into the needs of the community. There are 12 Leominster residents who would be affected, she said.

"Those who are doing well are able to help carry the load," Higgins said about having a more progressive tax. "In terms of the Fair Share amendment, the point that really needs to be brought across is that you and I are paying 11 or 12 percent of income in taxes and have been. Yet if you earn more than $1 million, you only have to pay 6 percent of your income in taxes. That's just not fair."

Ardinger, who serves as the Republican State Committeman and a city Board of Health member, said there should be a 5 percent personal income-tax rate across the board, honoring the Massachusetts Income Tax Rate Reduction Initiative that was passed on the ballot in 2000. The Legislature has been incrementally decreasing the rate.

"We should go by the 5 percent rate, not incrementally," he said. "We should do it right now. A fair-share tax is one where everyone pays the same rate."

Ardinger said taxes are one of his three top priorities, along with jobs and the economy and fighting the opioid crisis in the region.

Higgins listed her three top priorities as jobs, schools and providing "adequate" mental health and substance-abuse resources to residents.

Those views were reflected when the candidates were asked what the first bill they would file on Beacon Hill would be.

Ardinger said he would file a bill to get rid of the inventory tax, which requires manufacturing companies in the state to pay a 2.6 percent tax on their equipment annually.

"That is one of those impediments I talk about that stops businesses from coming into Leominster," he said. "If we can repeal that law or modify that law to get rid of that tax, it is estimated that it would bring in 250 new jobs to Leominster. That is important."

Higgins said she plans to file a student-loan borrowers bill of rights to "make sure student-loan borrowers in Massachusetts know that they are protected."

"They need to know that we care about them," she said. "We have almost a million Massachusetts residents carrying a student-loan debt totaling $24 billion. That is a huge drag on our economy."

The candidates were also asked to say how they were going to vote on the four ballot questions. Both Ardinger and Higgins agreed they would vote "no" on Question 1, which would allow the Gaming Commission to issue an additional slots license, and "yes" on Question 3, which would prohibit certain methods of farm-animal containment.

Both pointed to the Plainridge Park Casino failing to meet revenue expectations to why they oppose Question 1.

"Let's let the casino plan play out before we start introducing more," Higgins said. 

For Question 2, which would authorize the approval of up to 12 new charter schools annually, Higgins said she will vote against, while Ardinger is in favor of the potential expansion of charter schools.

"We have a waiting list of 32,000 low-income, inner-city (residents) waiting for a better opportunity," Ardinger said. "Parents should be given the choice to get their students into a better school if it's available."

Higgins said she is in favor of the concept of charter schools, but she is opposed to the uncapping of their expansion, which, if passed, the ballot question would do.

She said Leominster Public Schools are losing $800,000 this year even after state reimbursement.

"We need that money in our community," Higgins said.

For the final ballot question, Higgins said she is in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana for people over 21. Ardinger said he is opposed, adding that marijuana use has contributed to the opioid crisis and that outside investors pushing for the question to pass don't have residents' best interests at heart.

"Not every person who smokes marijuana becomes addicted to opioids, but every person addicted to opioids say they started with marijuana," Ardinger said Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis told him at a recent opioid forum held by Ardinger.

Higgins dismissed Ardinger's claim that marijuana is a gateway drug, saying "that was debunked a real long time ago."

She said the decriminalization of marijuana has put the state in an "uncomfortable gray area."

"OK, you can have it, but you can't buy it legally," Higgins said. "We are sending you underground to a drug dealer who has marijuana in one pocket and opioids in another. This is not safe for our community."

Both agreed that opoids are ravaging North Central Massachusetts and more resources need to be put toward the prevention and help for those affected by addiction.

An audience member asked Ardinger during the question-and-answer section how he was going to do that without raising taxes. He said programs can be created, like Evangelidis' Face2Face prevention program, without raising taxes.

"It takes creative ideas like that," Ardinger said.

Higgins said the lack of resources put into the opioid crisis is why it has gone on this long, saying money pulled in from a tax like the "millionaire's tax" could mean more resources put into helping those affected by addiction.

"We haven't really had the resources in the community to take this head-on," she said.

Both candidates said they will do their best to take on all the issues the city faces.

Ardinger closed the debate with his campaign slogan: "I will be a voice on Beacon Hill, not an echo."

Higgins said her 10 years in public service make her the one for the seat.
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"I am really excited to be the best state rep you have ever seen," she said.

Featured in today's Sentinel & Enterprise:

LEOMINSTER -- U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren stood in state-representative candidate Natalie Higgins' campaign headquarters on Saturday and described the 28-year-old attorney as "smart, tough and strong."
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Higgins, who is running to represent the Fourth Worcester District, stood to the senator's side with a smile that spoke to the magnitude of the endorsement.

"It is just un-unreal," Higgins said after Warren formally endorsed Higgins Friday and spoke to her and her supporters on Saturday. "I admire her so much. She just has some many attributes that I want to have as a community leader in Leominster."

State Sen. Jennifer Flanagan introduced Higgins and Warren to dozens of supporters at Higgins' campaign headquarters Saturday.

"I well tell you because it is great to be standing next to these two women," Flanagan said. "When I began working in the Legislature in 1995, this district was heavily male represented. That tide has turned to the fact that we no have more women than men in our delegation."

Warren, who was outspoken Saturday with her dismay in presidential candidate Donald Trump, said the rise of female politicians in the delegation shows there is good in the world and change is happening.

"It is a reminder that the world, for all that is wrong in it, also has a lot of good in it," she said. "We are making real changes. Changes that are about opportunities -- not just for some of us, but opportunities for all of us.

"Warren said electing Higgins to represent the Fourth Worcester District is crucial because "it is powerfully important to have partners that can work together."

"We make each other stronger in these fights at the federal level and the state level when we are all trying to pull in the same direction," she said.

Warren said Higgins' views, especially her views on college and education, are rooted in the same values she has.

"Natalie has been outspoken in her advocacy for college students and the opportunity to get an education without being crushed by student loan debt," Warren said. "I am in that all the way. The ways we can work together and the state level increases the odds that we can give people here in Massachusetts a real break and an opportunity to build the future."
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Higgins said it was "amazing" to be introduced by Flanagan, whom she interned for a decade ago, and endorsed by Warren, one of the most prominent female politicians in the country.

"I just can't wait to represent this community and make sure they have everything that they need," Higgins said.

Higgins is running against Republican Thomas "Frank" Ardinger to replace state Rep. Dennis Rosa, D-Leominster, who has opted not to run for re-election.

State Rep. Stephan Hay, D-Fitchburg, state Rep. Mary Keefe, D-Worcester, and Leominster City Councilors Sue Chalifoux Zephir and David Cormier were among those attending Saturday's event to support Higgins.

In today's Sentinel & Enterprise: 

LEOMINSTER -- In their first debate leading up to the Nov. 8 election, 4th Worcester District state-rep candidates Natalie Higgins and Thomas "Frank" Ardinger squared off primarily on the issues of taxes and the pros and cons of being part of the House majority.
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The Sentinel & Enterprise-sponsored debate held at City Hall revealed the main difference between Democrat Higgins and Republican Ardinger is their approach to how government finances should be handled.

"As long as I hold this office, I will not vote to increase taxes or fees at any level of government," Ardinger said, explaining the state already has the funds it needs to make positive change. "We have room to cut and make adjustments."

Ardinger also said he opposes the state's "Fair Share" amendment proposal, also called the "millionaire's tax," which would levy a 4-cent tax on every dollar of earned income over $1 million.

Higgins favors the proposal.

"It takes the burden off us as middle- and lower-income families, because so many of us are struggling to make ends meet," she said, explaining the amendment proposal would impact a very small percentage of residents "not pitching in their fair share."

Higgins and Ardinger also differed on Question 2, which would lift the cap on the number of charter schools that could be created in the state.

Ardinger said he favors the ballot question, adding he doesn't understand why people think public schools will lose money when districts are receiving reimbursements.

Higgins disagreed, saying she's concerned with how a charter expansion would drain funding from established public schools.

"Question 2 isn't about charters, it's about lifting a cap that hasn't been met yet," she said, adding that charter schools select a district's best-performing students and not high-needs students who require more educational funding.

The two also showed a sharp contrast during their closing statements, when Higgins said she had the resources and connections to hit the ground running, while Ardinger said he was not trying to be career politician like his opponent.

"I would appreciate in the future not having words put in my mouth," Higgins said in response.
While Ardinger pointed out that his opponent would be another member of the House's Democratic majority, Higgins argued she was willing to work across the aisle and has the existing relationships within the Statehouse that a freshman legislator would need.

When answering a question about voting against Democratic Speaker Robert DeLeo, Ardinger said: "I don't have to vote with him any time at all. I can vote against him every day and still survive as a state legislator."
Both candidates said they would each put the needs of Leominster's residents before their own parties.

Candidates also disagreed over the ballot question to legalize recreational marijuana (Higgins supports and Ardinger opposes), as well as the possibility of accepting per-diem money if elected. Higgins pointed out that it was money already factored into a legislator's salary; Ardinger said he would refuse to accept per-diem money if elected.

In some areas, the candidates didn't disagree quite as sharply, but still showed some differences of opinion.
Ardinger was adamantly opposed to Attorney General Maura Healey's crackdown on assault weapons, while Higgins offered more mild criticism by saying, "We should have brought people into the conversation a little earlier, so they knew what was happening."

Ardinger was also vocal about his support of term limits for the speaker of the House.

When discussing the issue, Higgins said, "I will defer to my peers on how they're handling the situation."

However, candidates did agree on several topics, including the subject of tax-free holidays, which Higgins and Ardinger both described as a "quick fix." They also agreed the area is in need of more addiction-support services to help residents coping with the opioid epidemic.

Tuesday night marked the first debate for Republican candidate Ardinger, who ran unopposed during the primary.

The two candidates are vying to fill the seat held by Rep. Dennis Rosa, who chose not to seek re-election after four terms.

This is the first state-representative race that either candidate has been a part of. Ardinger, who serves as a Republican State Committeeman and city Board of Health member, had previously led an unsuccessful write-in campaign for an at-large City Council seat last November.

Higgins, a local attorney and executive director of the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts, defeated fellow Democrat and Ward 5 City Councilor Richard Marchand by just 38 votes in the Sept. 8 primary election.

Higgins and Ardinger debate again at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at the Leominster Public Library. The event is sponsored by the Leominster Champion.

In today's Telegram & Gazette: 

LEOMINSTER - Views offered by candidates Natalie Higgins and Thomas "Frank" Ardinger were occasionally similar, but often at odds Tuesday night at a 4th Worcester District candidates forum in Leominster City Hall.

While both candidates for state representative pledged to represent the interests of the city first, they disagreed on such things as taxes, legalization of marijuana, charter schools and other issues at the forum.

Ms. Higgins, 28, the Democratic nominee, defeated veteran City Councilor Richard Marchand in the state primary in September. She is the executive director of the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts, a member of the board of directors of Pathways for Change in Worcester, and has interned with state Sen. Jennifer Flanagan, D-Leominster.

Mr. Ardinger, 72, a Republican, is a self-employed financial adviser, who also worked 17 years in the restaurant industry. He served eight years in the Navy submarine service in the 1960s. Last year he ran unsuccessfully for City Council as a write-in candidate. In September he was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

The two candidates are seeking election Nov. 8 to replace state Rep. Dennis Rosa, D-Leominster, who announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election.

The candidates are on opposite poles on the issue of taxes. Mr. Ardinger has said he will not vote for a tax increase while in office. He reiterated the stand at the forum.

"As long as I hold this office I will not vote to increase taxes," he said. "I believe we have enough money."

Mr. Ardinger said he believes the state does not have a money problem, but does have a spending problem. He said the only exception would be if an increase was matched by a tax cut somewhere else.

Ms. Higgins would not take the same pledge, saying she supports fairer taxes. She said she struggles to pay bills like many others in the state, but she said the state needs to bring in more money. She said although state revenue has been cut in recent years, the average person is paying a higher percentage of their income than the wealthier residents in the state. She said the highest earners need to shoulder more of the burden to help pay for needed improving roads, public transportation, schools and other needs.

"I'm going to look for solutions because we can't keep going the way we are going," she said.

Mr. Ardinger argued that they way to improve the state's finances is by bringing jobs to the state and said taxes do not bring in jobs. Ms. Higgins countered that she supports the Fair Share Constitutional Amendment that would assess an additional 4 cents on every dollar earned over $1 million. She said it would be a fair way to bring more money to the state.

The candidates also disagreed over marijuana legalization and removing the cap on the number of charter schools in the state. Mr. Ardinger opposes marijuana legalization and supports removing the charter school cap. He said if marijuana is legalized, children will find a way to get the drug, and he said allowing more charter schools will improve opportunities for students. Ms. Higgins says marijuana has not proven to be a gateway drug. Under the present system, she said, marijuana is decriminalized but people still have to buy it from drug dealers. She said charter schools get to pick and choose the students they take while bleeding money out of the local districts. She said public schools are left to educate the more needy or challenged students with reduced resources. She said she wants to make sure everyone has access to high quality education.

The candidates agree Leominster has an exceptional charter school with the Leominster Center for Excellence. They also shared similar views on dealing with the opioid crisis and agreed they are concerned about the impact that rising educational costs have on families.
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The forum was sponsored by the Sentinel and Enterprise.