I had an old thread on this, but the board's Search function is still broken for me and googling within the forums won't help, so I'm starting a new thread.
For a little on what makes RI Politics unique:
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=260748.0https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=295104.0Which issues are most important to you in the upcoming Governor's election, and in Rhode Island Politics in general? I personally wish Raimondo took more advantage of our state being one of the few Democratic trifectas... it feels like Chafee got more progressive actions through in his 4 years. She did get Free Community College for 2 years for new high school graduates who are RI residents, and a few other things, but I feel this state could do a lot more, even with our conservative Democratic majority.
The key questions... I want to know where a candidate stands on:
1. Forcing cities to lower property taxes
2. Expanding Medicaid even further so more qualify, or Universal Medicare-for-All
3. Lowering the costs of tuition at URI and RIC
4. State assistance to cities hoping to Renovate Schools or build new schools, and for less-crowded schools and classrooms with more school workers to support the teachers and students
5. Strengthening our Civics Education in K-12 schools
6. Further infrastructure development with a plan so we no longer have any structurally deficient bridges, water/electric infrastructure
7. Setting a clear deadline to have 100% renewable energy
8. Creating a carbon tax
9. Creating a State Infrastructure/Investment Bank
10. Making childcare more affordable
11. Making housing more affordable
12. Further raising the minimum wage
13. Legalizing marijuana
14. Automatic voter registration/updating
15. Making election days into state holidays
16. No-excuse extended early voting statewide
17. Ending private prisons in RI
18. Low-level offenders having no mandatory minimum jail sentencing
19. Nonviolent offenders having treatment, jail not allowed
20. Statewide policy body cameras
21. Public database with every violent incident with a police presence, or injuries reported while in police custody, being documented
22. Ending implicit and explicit quotas for arrests/stops, and preventing state/local government from relying on fines/fees as steady income in balancing their projected budgets
23. Comprehensive evaluation of criminal justice law and if the consequences fit the crimes, and which felonies should be reclassified as misdemeanors, and end lengthy sentencing for juveniles
24. Protecting the rights of students to record teachers/principals/school staff/security within school grounds
25. Applying the Administrative Procedures Act to the RI State Board of Elections
26. Putting state Magistrates under the merit selection system
27. Term limits for state legislators: 12 years/6 terms or 20 years/10 terms seems fair to me
Fellow Rhode Islanders, RI scholars/followers, our neighbors/tourists, and the curious... what are the biggest issues you think are facing the state right now, and how would you solve them?
