Election 2024: Republican candidate Q&A for Oregon House District 12 with Conrad, Harbick

This is part of a series of stories on the candidates running in the May 21 primary election, with question-and-answer articles scheduled to be published each day through the rest of April. Ballots must be mailed to voters by May 1.

The primary election for State Representative of District 12 is approaching, with voters expected to start receiving their ballots in the mail soon. Two candidates have registered to run for District 12 State Representative — incumbent Charlie Conrad and Darin Harbick.

Oregon’s District 12 represents most of eastern Lane County and a small part of southern Linn County. With two candidates on the ballot for the State Representative for District 12 position, the May 21 primary election outcome could decide who the next District 12 representative will be before the November general election.

Biographical information

Conrad is a Dexter-based public employee with 23 years of experience across Springfield and Lane County. He is the incumbent for District 12.

Harbick is a resident of McKenzie Bridge and owns multiple businesses including a logging company, Harbick Inc., Harbick's Country Inn and Ark77 Recovery Center. He has served on the McKenzie School District Board, the Travel Lane County Tourism Board and as a high school and college basketball coach.

Questions

The Register-Guard asked each of the candidates a series of questions and asked them for biographical information. Here are their answers, word for word.

Can you describe your stance on abortion access? Do you believe it should be regulated, restricted, or entirely prohibited?

Charlie Conrad: “This is a complex issue playing out across our nation. In Oregon, we have few restrictions on access to abortion, and that is not likely to change. Personal rights matter to me deeply. I believe a woman has the right to make healthcare decisions for herself. I also believe government has the duty to protect the rights and dignity of all humans. I agree with a majority of voters that some restrictions are needed. One option is the 24th week, generally considered the earliest a fetus can survive outside the womb. After that, abortions are only for medical complications.”

Darin Harbick: “I am pro-life and endorsed by Oregon Right to Life PAC. Polling has consistently shown that most Oregonians don't agree with the current law of the land where a child can be aborted up until the moment of birth for any reason at all–usually paid for by taxpayers. But HB 2002 was much more than abortion. My opponent has done damage with his aligned votes with the Democrats. I will work to undo his 'Yes' vote on HB 2002 taking away the right of parents to know their minor child has made life-altering decisions.”

What steps do you believe the state legislature should take to prevent wildfires and to protect communities from wildfire risks?

Harbick: “In District 12, our forestlands are surrounded by National Forestland and checkered with BLM land, both of which are regulated by the federal government. These federal lands are virtually unmanaged, causing fuels to build up and making federal lands much more likely to burn than privately managed forests. The federal government needs to allow us to responsibly manage these lands to prevent wildfires. Outside of this, the state government should adequately fund firefighting efforts and not compound the damage done by the federal government by doing everything we can to promote responsible management of our forests.”

Conrad: “Prevention efforts for human caused fires should continue focusing on education, outreach, and enforcing regulations, particularly during high fire risk times. The legislature should continue supporting using technology such as cameras and drones to identify wildfires sooner, funding agencies so they can respond quickly to minimize the fire’s growth, and work with high-risk communities to fire harden the surrounding area(s) through improved forest management practices. Additionally, continue working with and supporting the state fire marshal and local governments to help homeowners prepare a defensible space and promote using fire wise building materials and designs.”

How do you plan to support economic development and job growth in Oregon, particularly in rural and economically distressed areas?

Conrad: “The workforce shortage throughout all economic sectors is a significant challenge. I will continue supporting tax and financial incentives such as tuition or loan programs to attract workers to rural areas. Enhancing educational programs in rural high schools such as CTE and increasing capacity in community college certification programs will help prepare people earlier to enter the job market and at a higher level. Additionally, I will continue to focus on funding infrastructure projects in rural communities, so they are more attractive and able to support businesses and additional housing.”

Harbick: “For decades, policymakers have tried to tax and regulate rural Oregon into prosperity. It hasn't worked, and we can't afford to continue down this road. The Corporate Activities Tax is causing everything sold in Oregon to be more expensive, compounding the impact of inflation on working families. The new agriculture overtime law is going to worsen inflation and devastate our farmers and ranchers. We must reform this law to prevent ag workers from getting their hours capped and farmers from going out of business. We must allow small businesses to do what they do best: provide livelihoods for our communities.”

Do you support any specific policies or initiatives to incentivize the development of affordable housing or to assist low-income renters and homeowners?

Harbick: “The state has been heavily subsidizing housing development and rental assistance for nearly a decade without much success. We must reform the underlying structural cost drivers. Our land use system and permitting processes are broken. Regulations like rent control, relocation fees, restrictions on background checks, and difficulty with evicting tenants who don’t pay rent all discourage property owners to rent out their homes. We need to overhaul those regulations.”

Conrad: “I voted for HB 4134, SB 1530, SB 1537 which all address the housing crisis. Specifically, I support helping local communities fund infrastructure improvements which has been cited as one of the key barriers to housing production. This includes enabling builders to pay system development charges later in the process to reduce their initial funding burden. Additionally, I support local communities’ ability to reduce administrative barriers while ensuring new developments meet community needs and standards, which the newly created Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO) is tasked with. The legislature needs to monitor and support this new agency to ensure it is successful.”

What action do you believe the state legislature should take to improve access to and affordability of healthcare in Oregon?

Conrad: “I believe we should:

1. Find a solution to corporate mergers and acquisitions, which is decreasing patient healthcare access, causing the loss of providers, and the closure of clinics and pharmacies;

2. Address the vertical integration and practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) which has forced rural and independent pharmacies to close, reducing access to medications;

3. Enter into interstate compacts to recruit out-of-state certified practitioners and issue temporary licenses to reduce the time it takes to receive an Oregon license. Increasing reimbursement rates will improve workforce recruitment and retention, leading to improved viability of local clinics and providers.”

Harbick: “The Legislature has taken steps to institute government-controlled healthcare in Oregon, which will cost $22 billion in new taxes, according to their own estimations. That won't make healthcare more affordable or accessible to anyone. Additionally, we must find ways to expand drug treatment in Oregon. When a new rehab facility wants to open, they are first required to submit a certificate of need to local governments for approval before they can even begin operations. These processes are time consuming and costly and limit access to treatment services. The legislature should reform this requirement.”

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon election Q&A: House District 12 candidates Harbick, Conrad