Data centers dominated a debate between incumbent state Sen. Marty Flynn and Jeffrey Lake, his challenger on the Democratic ticket for the 22nd Senate District.
The debate was held at The University of Scranton’s Brennan Hall. Brian Snee, director of the university's Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service, was the moderator. Local journalists WVIA Politics Reporter Borys Krawczeniuk, Times Leader Executive Editor Jake Higgins and Donnie Collins, editorial writer for The Times-Tribune, asked the candidates questions.
Pennsylvania’s 22nd Senate District covers 21 municipalities in Lackawanna County, including Scranton; and 15 municipalities in Luzerne County, including Wilkes-Barre.
Flynn has served 13 years in the state legislature, first as a state representative. In 2021, he won a special election to serve the 22nd District, a seat he’s held ever since.
Lake founded the local community mental health nonprofit, The Lake Foundation.
Both candidates are Scranton natives.
The first half of the debate focused on data centers. Eventually, candidates answered questions from the journalists on energy, affordable housing, legalizing recreational marijuana and other topics.
Snee asked the audience not to interact with the candidates or clap. However, certain topics drew jeers and cheers and comments from the audience. Flynn and Lake frequently exchanged quips.
Sharon Soltis Sparano, who is running unopposed for the Republican nomination for the Senate seat, was in the audience. The primary election is May 19.
Data centers
Flynn won a coin toss to take the first question.
“Let's start with the obvious about data centers,” Collins said.
Flynn said that municipalities must maintain control over where data centers are located. The data centers must also be kept away from neighborhoods, he said.
Flynn pointed out bills in the state House that provide guidance for local ordinances regulating data centers and one that would require developers and end users to report energy and water usage to the state, among other requirements.
"But most importantly, is getting the bills run. That's the hardest part. We have a Republican-led Senate. I really don't see them running those bills,” he said.
Flynn said he introduced a companion bill to House Bill 1834, another proposal to regulate the data center industry.
Lake called for a three-year moratorium on data center development. He also brought up Flynn’s support for Senate Bill 939, which aimed to make Pennsylvania the premier destination for data center and Artificial Intelligence development.
Flynn, who withdrew his sponsorship of that bill, rebutted.
“When they release a co-sponsorship that doesn't tell you everything about the bill, it's a paragraph description of the bill,” he said.
Flynn suggested an amendment to the bill to ensure decisions on data centers are kept at the local level. He said that was later added to the legislation.
“That was my language. That's why I removed myself from the bill,” Flynn said.
Higgins then asked for their positions on a moratorium on the industry.
Lake reiterated his support for a three-year moratorium.
Flynn said he could “see” a moratorium for 180 days or a year.
”Every data center that's applied for and has an application in for now gets approved, a moratorium doesn't stop them,” he said.
During his answer, Lake questioned Flynn’s results as a member of the state legislature for the past 13 years.
“I'll stand on my results, I delivered $130 million in the past four years to my district,” Flynn said.
“So Marty wants to talk about $130 million brought back to the district. That's good. That's good. It's also the floor of what a state senator can be doing,” Lake rebutted.
Krawczeniuk asked if the candidates would stop data centers from locating in neighborhoods.
Flynn said he’s “1,000 percent” against data centers in neighborhoods.
Lake said residential areas are not the only spots where communities should be worried about having data centers near.
“Marty has been quoted on his Facebook as saying that he only cares about if they're within one mile, as long as they're one mile out … one mile is not okay with me,” Lake said. “One mile is not okay with most of the people that I've spoken to about data centers. All of them, nobody wants data centers within a mile of their home. Nobody wants data centers within a mile of schools or playgrounds.”
Lackawanna and Luzerne counties have more than a dozen proposed data center campuses. Most of the planned projects are in Archbald, which is not in the 22nd Senate District.
Increases to utility rates, natural gas exports
Flynn pointed out that he fought Pennsylvania American Water’s application to increase utility costs to build $100 million in infrastructure.
Half the crowd clapped. The other half groaned.
Flynn said he’ll continue to fight utility increases, including because of data centers.
“There's also protection clauses in the companion bill, Senate Bill 1323, to make sure that the rates don't go up and that there's front loading to these data center developers when they come in, that they have to pay up front for what they what they're going to cause and cost the taxpayers of Northeast PA,” he said.
Lake said the state needs to continue investing in programs that help residents with utility costs and promote renewable energy, like solar.
Higgins asked Flynn and Lake if natural gas from Pennsylvania should be taxed.
Flynn said he is for a severance tax.
Lake is also for taxing natural gas exports, but said, “the conversation really should be focused around moving away from fossil fuels as a whole.”
Affordable housing
Lake said the second half of his childhood was spent in public housing. He wants to expand funding for whole-home repair programs and eviction prevention funds.
“We should be talking with local developers and housing authorities to build more affordable housing, which is something that is easily done,” he said.
Flynn said the state legislature needs to set up a tax credit structure for investors to build public housing, low-income or middle-income housing.
Legalizing marijuana
Both candidates are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana.
“I think regulating and taxing it is the only way to go,” Flynn said, adding that funding should be increased for programs for those facing addiction.
Flynn believes the state is losing out on tax revenue because recreational marijuana is not yet legal.
“It's not fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Pennsylvania by not having it legalized and taxed," he said.
Lake added that the state should legalize the therapeutic use of psychedelic medicines.
“We know that there is research-based evidence … of psychedelics being significantly important for mental health, specifically trauma,” he said.
Increasing revenue in Pennsylvania
Lake said corporations need to be taxed more in Pennsylvania.
“We need medical marijuana to turn to recreational marijuana. We need to tax games of skill. That needs to happen,” Flynn said.
He disagreed with Lake about taxing corporations but said the “Delaware loophole” needs to be closed. Companies establish holding companies in Delaware to avoid Pennsylvania taxes.
Property taxes
Flynn said an increase in sales tax to offset property taxes just goes back to the consumer.
“What we need to do is tax nonprofits that aren't nonprofits,” he said.
Lake said a 0.2% or 0.3% sales tax could help relieve the burden of property taxes.
“The Delaware loophole that Senator Flynn is referencing is definitely a big problem, and corporations paying their fair share, and billionaires paying their fair share would also help have that money to be able to offset … the need for such high property taxes,” Lake said.
Pa.'s 2025 budget
Pennsylvania went 135 days without a budget in 2025.
Lake said the legislature needs to be collaborative and not give up to avoid budget impasses.
“And we need to call them out on who's stalling it. The voters need to know why and who is causing this issue,” he said.
As for the budget impasse, Flynn said the state legislators need to work all hours until it's done. It should be mandated.
“Everybody has to be forced into a room, because right now, the Senate Republican caucus holds the budget hostage … there's no pressure point to make them pass a budget. When you're stuck in a building, day in and day out for weeks. It gets done,” he said.
Lake said that Flynn touted the 2025 budget as historic.
“I don't think there's anything historic about a budget that shorts mental health funding. I don't think there's anything historic about a budget that leaves out workers,” he said.
Flynn snapped back.
“There was historic money put into mental health and human services. There was $900 million more dollars put back into classrooms. Scranton got a $12 million adjustment. Wilkes-Barre, $11 million. That's historic,” he said.
What about Luzerne County?
Both candidates are Scranton natives, and many of their debate responses focused on Lackawanna County.
Flynn said Luzerne is a mirror county to Lackawanna.
“They face the same infrastructure problems we do, the same housing problems we do,” he said.
Flynn said they’re also fighting data centers in Luzerne.
“Luzerne County absolutely has the same needs as Lackawanna County when it comes to affordability, housing, gas, groceries, utility bills, all of this is the same,” Lake said, adding he asked Flynn to debate in Luzerne County.
Campaign contributions and terms limits
Lake supports a limit on contributions to political campaigns, term limits for members of the general assembly and a total ban on gifts to state legislators.
Flynn supports limits on contributions and a ban on gifts, but not term limits.
“I don't believe in term limits, because all it does is empower the staff and the people that work in the building, then they become the legislator,” he said.
Krawczeniuk pushed Flynn on how much he would limit campaign contributions.
“I could see like a $1,000 limit,” he said.
Lake said that’s “laughable.”
“That's 100 times less [than] what he gave Thom Welby, and he was quoted as saying he'd give him a million dollars if he needed … he's tripling down right now, right? But he believes in contribution limits, come on, man,” Lake said.
Flynn donated $100,000 to longtime political ally and Lackawanna County Commissioner Welby’s campaign.
“It's the parameters of what it is. It's legal,” Flynn said.
Closing statements
Flynn said he’s about results.
“And delivering for my community year in and year out. I'm accessible … I'm accountable, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, and I work day in and day out, delivering for the people in my community, and I'll keep working day in and day out. All the noise in the world isn't going to bother me, and I'm just going to put my head down and keep fighting,” he said.
After the debate, Flynn said he stands on his record and what he’s done over the past 13 or so years in office.
“And the voters are going to get to decide they think I'm doing a good job,” he said.
Lake said it’s not a fight between him and Flynn.
“This is a fight for the voters of this district,” he said, then questioning Flynn’s record in the state legislature.
“But what the voters need to hear tonight, what the community needs to hear tonight, is who I am,” he said.
Lake said he grew up low-income and relied on social safety nets his entire life. He went back to school to become a nurse in his mid-20s, became a therapist and realized many of his patients' problems were systematic.
“That's what leads me here today, my personal experience, my professional experience, and how much I abhor the corruption that has been going on in this area for a very long time,” he said.
