After graduating from Lebanon Senior High School in 1974, he attended Grace College (in Indiana) where he majored in History and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978.

[3] In 1986, Folmer was elected to Lebanon City Council as a Democrat and served a single two-year term.

Brightbill, along with Senate President pro tempore Robert Jubelirer took much of the criticism for the pay raise and were among the primary targets of activists seeking to vote out legislators who supported it.

[9] He co-sponsored Senate Bill 3, to legalize medical marijuana in the state, which was signed into law in April 2016.

[13] On September 17, 2019, Folmer was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, and criminal use of a communication facility.

[18] A week later, Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman scheduled a special election for January 14, 2020, to determine Folmer's successor,[19] which was won by Republican Lebanon County District Attorney Dave Arnold.

[3] Parole was approved in June 2021 and Folmer was released from prison in July 2021 to serve his probation and remain registered as a sex offender for 15 years.