Jennifer Stewart won election as a state representative from Pawtucket in 2022. She ran on the idea that lawmakers should do more to help everyday Rhode Islanders with key needs like healthcare and housing. But these are complex issues that defy easy solutions. Stewart is one of a number of progressive lawmakers who have joined the legislature over the last decade, moving the General Assembly a bit more to the left. But Rhode Island still faces familiar challenges in building a stronger economy and improving public schools. What will it take to make more progress? And do progressive lawmakers have the vision to make it happen? I’m Ian Donnis and this week I’m going in-depth with state Representative Jennifer Stewart.
RI General Assembly
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Commentary: Time For RI’s General Assembly To Raise Minimum Wage
The 2020 Rhode Island General Assembly session kicks off on Tuesday. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott Mackay says this would be a good year to make life better for working people.
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Scott MacKay Commentary: The RI Statehouse labor fight
The rhetoric is hot, but the dispute is not: Don’t expect any major changes to come with union-backed Rhode Island labor legislation.
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Election Debrief: Progressives Gain Seats, But Will They Gain Power?
Democrats scored some victories Tuesday in the U.S. house and in a few governor’s races, but the elections did not turn out the overwhelming “Blue Wave” many Democrats had hoped to see. In Rhode Island, progressive candidates did gain ground in the General Assembly. Reporter John Bender joined News Director Elisabeth Harrison to discuss the […]