Issues
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I believe that healthcare is a human right and that no Rhode Islander should have to take on crushing medical debt to access lifesaving care. As a result of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” there will be brutal cuts to federal funding for our already struggling healthcare system—and most of the cuts won’t go into effect until next year, because Republicans in Congress know their agenda is unpopular and don’t want to face the consequences of their actions in the midterms. The General Assembly will have a choice to make: fold to the national Republicans and let the cuts cause the pain they’re designed to inflict, or fight back and make up the difference to avoid reductions in care and preventable deaths. I believe the choice is obvious.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:Invest in Medicaid and reverse past cuts.
Defend reproductive freedom.
Overhaul our assisted living system.
Protect patients from predatory health insurance practices.
Stabilize hospital finances.
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I fundamentally believe that our tax structure should be equitable and that those who have the most should pay their fair share to support the social safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP that are lifelines for our most vulnerable neighbors. For far too long, our state government has catered to special interests instead of putting ordinary Rhode Islanders first. Proponents of these tax cuts claim that they stimulate economic growth, but we find ourselves trailing our neighbors despite the fact that Rhode Island has the lowest corporate tax rate in New England and the second-lowest income tax rate (above only New Hampshire, which doesn’t have one). We need to invest in robust public services to make Rhode Island a place where everyone wants to live and in strong safety net programs so that everyone who wants to live here can afford to do so.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:Repeal the 2006 tax cuts for top earners.
Oppose special tax breaks for large corporate interests like banks and luxury developers.
Block regressive changes, such as last year’s property tax increase, to the city tax code.
Crack down on tax evasion by wealthy people and corporations.
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Our city and state wouldn’t be the same without our vibrant immigrant communities. We must reject the demonization of immigrants and ensure that everyone, regardless of their immigration status, can live their life without fearing for their physical safety or financial stability. In response to the Trump administration’s lawless, violent deployment of ICE—as well as their cruel move to deny refugees and asylum seekers, the most vulnerable immigrants of all, access to basic food assistance—it is imperative that we use every tool at our disposal to protect our immigrant neighbors.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:Block all local and state law enforcement from collaborating with ICE unless explicitly required by federal law or a judicial warrant.
Require all courts to offer virtual hearings whenever it practical to protect people at risk of detention and deportation.
Create a state food assistance support program for immigrants who lost SNAP because of the Trump administration.
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Our city and state are experiencing a housing crisis, and we need to take bold action by equitably increasing the housing supply without sacrificing our commitments to the environment and historic preservation. As a renter on a nonprofit salary, I’m well aware of the challenges of the Providence housing market. I believe that housing is a human right and that homelessness is a policy failure that we must act urgently to end, not a crime for which our neighbors who have fallen on hard times and been failed by an inadequate social safety net should be punished.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:
Prioritize investments in affordable and low-income housing over subsidies for luxury developers.
Strengthen tenant protections.
Reduce costs for homeowners.
Maintain our commitment to historic preservation.
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I believe that every child deserves a joyous, enriching and safe public education. All students, regardless of their school or district, should receive a strong foundation in core academic subjects (including foreign language instruction for native English speakers and ESL instruction for non-native speakers) and have ample opportunities to explore the arts, athletics, and other pursuits that allow them to engage with the world and their place in it. Every Rhode Island high school graduate should be well-equipped to pursue either higher education or enter the workforce, depending on what is best for them, and have the support needed to pursue their chosen path here in our state. Public schools are more than simply education centers, and we must protect and expand the services—especially free, nutritious meals and mental healthcare—they provide to children in need.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:Create a more equitable education funding formula that better serves Providence.
Oppose any further extension of RIDE’s takeover of the Providence Public Schools.
Dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.
Reform the public school placement process.
Resist Trump’s war on higher education.
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The environment has never been an abstract issue for me. My father and stepmother own and operate an organic farm in Middletown, and I work for a state affiliate of the League of Conservation Voters, whose mission is to build political power for climate action from the grassroots to the halls of power. Climate change is an existential threat, and we need to take bold steps in order to minimize its impacts.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:Create a Climate Superfund to hold fossil fuel companies financially responsible for the environmental damage they’ve caused.
Prioritize clean, affordable energy.
Keep ratepayer costs as low as possible.
Set strict environmental standards for data centers.
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No one in our city and state should ever feel physically unsafe for any reason or face discrimination because of their race, gender, sexuality, religion, or immigration status, nor for any other reason.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:Strengthen our gun control laws to prevent future tragedies like the Brown shooting and oppose any attempts to roll back the restrictions we’ve already implemented.
Address the root causes of substance abuse and violence by increasing state investments in mental health treatment and crisis support instead of mass incarceration.
Increase police oversight and accountability.
Reverse changes to motorcycle laws that have made our streets noisier and less safe for everyone, including motorcyclists themselves.
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I am committed to ensuring that our elderly neighbors have the support needed to enjoy their lives with dignity, financial security, and good health.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:
Increase eligibility and funding for state aging-in-place programs.
Reverse cuts to senior healthcare coverage and push for transformative investments.
Restore the benefits eliminated by the 2011 pension cuts.
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Donald Trump’s assault on our democracy is deeply disturbing. I’ve been a voting rights and electoral reform advocate for years. I founded Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting and still serve on its board, and the environmental organization where I work now also advocates for voting rights, because we’re not going to solve any of the problems we face as a society if we don’t have a habitable planet or a political system that allows us to hold our leaders accountable.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:
Curb the influence of money in politics by using a state-level Citizens United workaround and expanding public financing of elections.
Increase voter turnout by repealing our hyper-restrictive voter ID law and implementing same-day registration.
Implement ranked choice voting in primary and general elections.
Protect all voters from discrimination by passing a Rhode Island Voting Rights Act.
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Transparency and accountability are fundamental democratic principles, and I am firmly committed to upholding them at every turn.
In 2013, with Rep. Ajello as chair, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to advance a constitutional amendment to restore the Ethics Commission’s power to discipline legislators for voting on issues on which they have conflicts of interest. The next day, under pressure from Speaker Gordon Fox (who would go to prison for accepting bribes and using campaign funds improperly two years later), Rep. Ajello cited a rule that didn’t exist and unilaterally overturned the vote. This anti-democratic behavior is especially disturbing in this moment in which American democracy is under threat.
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I’m proud to be bisexual, and I will always stand with the entire LGBTQ+ community. Right-wingers are working overtime to undermine our hard-fought progress, and trans people are at the center of the reactionary backlash for the “crime” of being themselves.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:
Protect every Rhode Islander’s right to access gender-affirming care.
Oppose rollbacks to our community’s hard-won victories and ensure that Rhode Island remains a safe state for queer people.
Ensure access to mental health support specifically tailored to the experiences and challenges LGBTQ+ people face.
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I use RIPTA to get around whenever I can, so I know firsthand that saving and upgrading our public transit system is imperative. Investing in transit has economic benefits, making it easier for people to work and shop at local businesses, as well as the obvious environmental advantages of reducing car dependence.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:Oppose RIPTA budget cuts that will reduce service and threaten drivers’ jobs—and reverse previous cuts.
Oppose moving the bus hub away from Kennedy Plaza.
Repeal the law that made Peter Alviti, the architect of the Washington Bridge crisis, the chair of the RIPTA Board.
Expand RIPTA service by reallocating existing state revenue streams and making additional one-time investments.
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One of the most disastrous policy failures of recent years is the drastic, reckless expansion of the gambling industry, a predatory business that exists only to profit from the economic anxieties of people in dire straits. This is, of course, one of the industries in which Donald Trump made his fortune and paved his route to celebrity and power. We will never be able to completely ban gambling, but we can take commonsense, pragmatic steps to limit its reach. Gambling addiction is a public health crisis and must be treated as such.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:
End casino debt.
Ban prediction markets.
Protect casino workers.