A diverse group of over 20 legislators came together
Wednesday to announce their Working Families Agenda, a list of top
priorities for the 2025 legislative session. The group, which included
representatives from across Rhode Island, presented a list of policies that
will address the major issues affecting working people and that lawmakers agree
should be prioritized to protect Rhode Islanders from the chaos and cruelty of
the White House.
"It’s well-known—no matter your party or politics—that
this State is staring down a crisis: President Trump looks hell-bent on cutting
hundreds of million dollars or more to Rhode Island in particular,” said
Representative David Morales, who spoke at the press conference.
“So our Working Families agenda is about protecting families. But it’s also a
call to action: For every Democrat in the Rhode Island State House, fighting
Trump and Musk’s agenda starts in this building."
The Working Families Agenda includes proposals to raise
wages, ensure Rhode Islanders don’t lose their healthcare, protect against
Medicaid and federal funding cuts, eliminate barriers to life-saving emergency
medication, expand access to quality affordable childcare, protect tenants from
eviction and rising rents, and generate more revenue through fair taxation to
be re-invested into working people’s priorities.
During the press conference, lawmakers emphasized the
importance of a State government that stands firmly on the side of working
people, calling attention to the State House’s role in fighting for ‘local
solutions to national crises.’
“Let’s be clear—this is a time for bold leadership from every Democrat in Rhode Island and across the country,” said Representative Brandon Potter, who introduced the press conference. “We’re seeing the cost of living skyrocket while wages remain stagnant. We’re watching the Trump administration dismantle critical protections like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which protects people from banks ripping them off. We know what happens when the government prioritizes the wealthy and well-connected over everyday people—we’ve seen it before. We’re seeing it now.
“We deserve a Democratic Party that can be counted on to
fill the breach in these moments—and we can choose to be that Party. We will
see what Washington can do at its worst these next few years. That’s why we
need Rhode Island to be at its best.”
You can read more about how the Trump administration will impact Rhode Islanders here. Below are statements from some members of the group, along with information on the bills presented:
Representative Teresa Tanzi on blocking Medicaid
cuts and reducing barriers for people who need life-saving emergency care:
“Working people earned their healthcare, and State lawmakers
should lock arms and say: We refuse to take healthcare away from Rhode
Islanders. That means blocking the inevitable Medicaid cuts from
Washington and stopping any attempts to cut critical healthcare funding from
the State budget. It also means coming together to improve our healthcare
system for people who need it most—and that’s what the Working Families Agenda
is about.”
The Trump administration’s move to gut healthcare funding
would drastically affect Rhode Islanders, including putting 81,300 people at
risk of losing health coverage, forcing 68,000 Rhode Island seniors to pay more
for medicine, reducing preventative care, and increasing ER wait times. The
Working Families Agenda proposes to fight these federal cuts by blocking
Medicaid cuts at the State level and remaining clear that State lawmakers
refuse to take healthcare away from Rhode Islanders.
The agenda includes bills that make it easier for Rhode
Islanders to get the emergency, life-saving care they need and make it more
difficult for insurance companies to deny or delay care.
Health insurance prior authorization for mental health and
substance abuse: sponsored by Senator Linda Ujifusa, S-0054 and Representative Teresa
Tanzi (bill forthcoming)
Health insurance prior authorization for primary care
providers: sponsored by Senator Linda Ujifusa, S-0053 and Representative Brandon
Potter, H-5120
Regulating pharmacy benefit managers sponsored by
Senator Linda Ujifusa, S-0117 and Representative Jennifer
Stewart (bill forthcoming)
Representative Karen Alzate on fair taxation and
generating more revenue for Rhode Islanders:
“Let’s be clear—there is enough money to fund Rhode Island
families’ needs. The question isn’t whether we have the resources; it’s whether
we dare to demand fairness. Because when the wealthiest claim they can’t afford
to contribute more while working families are struggling to afford necessities,
we know something isn’t right.”
Revenue for Rhode Islanders will create a new tax bracket
only for the highest 1% annual income earners in Rhode Island, generating
revenue for the state by taxing the portion of an individual’s income above
$625,000 per year. This will generate approximately $190 million annually for
education, child care, transportation, and more. Research shows that fair
taxation benefits small businesses and boosts job creation, and 72% of Rhode
Islanders support asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share to invest in
the things that make the economy strong.
Revenue for Rhode Islanders: sponsored by Senator Melissa
Murray (bill forthcoming) and Representative Karen Alzate (bill
forthcoming)
Second Homes Tax: sponsored by Senator Meghan
Kallman (bill forthcoming) and Representative Edith Ajello (bill
forthcoming)
Representative Susan Donovan on expanding access to
affordable child care for every family:
“We can no longer leave the wellbeing of our children to the
slim chance that Washington will provide solutions to this crisis. It’s time we
stand firmly on the side of our children and families, use the power of our
office to lower costs, even the playing field, and make sure every single child
and family in Rhode Island gets what we all deserve: a good life, a good
education, and a state that works hard to make their lives a little easier.”
The Child Care For All bill will dramatically expand the
number of families who can get childcare. It lowers the price tag for Rhode
Island families, so no one would have to pay more than 7% of their household
income compared to the 23% the average family currently pays.
The Rhode Island Early Educator Workforce Act will
increase access to high-quality infant and toddler early care and education,
ensuring Rhode Island pays childcare specialists and early educators a decent
wage so they can stay in the field.
Early Educator Compensation Act: sponsored by Representative Susan Donovan, H-5200, and Senator Louis DiPalma (bill forthcoming); Child Care for All: sponsored by Representative Cherie Cruz, H-5321
Representative Cherie Cruz on protecting tenants’
rights:
“Some people work double shifts just to afford their monthly
rent. They never miss a payment, yet they have to worry about a retaliatory
eviction or an extreme rent increase simply for asking for repairs; instead of
fixing it, their landlord decides to throw them out of their home. We can’t let
that happen anymore. With close to 40% of Rhode Islanders who are tenants, we
need to stop the hemorrhaging of people at risk of experiencing homelessness.
As elected officials, we must show Rhode Islanders we are firmly on the side of
working people. We can’t let corporate landlords and real estate companies
continue to make our homelessness crisis worse. The Working Families Agenda
helps people stay in their homes. It stops unjust evictions for tenants in good
standing. And it stops letting landlords get away with these predatory, extreme
rent increases.”
The Just Cause Eviction Act will dramatically reduce the
number of people who are getting thrown out of their homes by landlords who
choose to exploit tenants. The Comprehensive Rent Stabilization Act will limit
rent increases to no more than 4% annually for private rental tenancies. During
the first year of a tenancy, landlords cannot increase rent and thereafter must
provide written notice specifying the rent increase amount and supporting
details.
Just Cause Eviction Act: sponsored by Senator Tiara
Mack, S-0212 and Representative Cherie
Cruz (bill forthcoming)
Comprehensive Rent Stabilization Act: sponsored by Representative Brandon Potter, H-5264 and Senator Tiara Mack (forthcoming)
Representative David Bennett on raising the minimum
wage:
“When our lower earners do well, our economy does better,
but we need to earn a living wage.”
This bill will increase the State’s minimum wage from $15
to $20 over five years. The legislation will keep Rhode Island’s minimum wage
rising in a predictable, stable way that allows businesses to comfortably plan
for the coming increases while maintaining our commitment to livable wages for
our constituents.
Raising the minimum wage: sponsored by Senator John Burke, S-0125 and Representative David Bennett, H-5029.
Representative Megan Cotter on reducing the cost of
utilities:
“RI consumers pay so much because they’re up against a
monopoly. It’s time to explore finally injecting some real competition into our
energy market via publicly owned utility alternatives. Families need relief and
long-term solutions that provide more options for meeting their energy needs.”
This bill will launch a year-long study commission into
possible public utility options—like those in Nebraska and Ann Arbor,
Michigan—that could increase competition in the energy market, provide Rhode
Islanders with more options, and lower costs for hard-working families.
Commission to study public ownership of certain public
utilities sponsored by Representative Megan Cotter. H-5161.
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