Originally published on Sept. 10, 2018
By Noah Ashe, Jen Campisi, Ben Crawley, and Angeli Tillett
BRISTOL, R.I. – With only two days to go before the Rhode Island primaries, candidates for both the Rhode Island chapters of the Democratic and Republican parties are making a last ditch effort to recruit support for their campaigns in hopes that they will be elected to the respective offices that they are running for. The race between presumptive Democratic nominee incumbent Gov. Gina Raimondo and presumptive Republican nominee, incumbent Mayor of Cranston, Allan Fung is beginning to heat up, with both candidates facing opposition from other members of their parties.
Although there have been various subjects discussed throughout the course of this campaign, nominees have focused on certain issues that seem to play a large role in shaping the political climate in these upcoming primaries.
One of these subjects under debate is the issue and status of gender equality in the state of Rhode Island. According to June Speakman, a professor of political science at Roger Williams University (RWU), she said that several issues need to be addressed to move the state closer toward true gender equality. Speakman stated that due to the makeup of the Supreme Court, it is increasingly likely that Roe v. Wade has the chance of being overturned and should that happen, abortion would become illegal in Rhode Island.
According to a 2014 Pew Research poll, 63% of adults in Rhode Island surveyed believed that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. This is a lower than the national average who believe it should be legal in all or most cases, which is 79%, according to a recent Gallup poll.
Speakman noted that increasing the wage for occupations that traditionally rely on tips as a main source of income and minimum wage would benefit women, who “tend to occupy those professions at a greater rate than men.”
When asked which candidates she believed would best represent the mission statement and values of RWU, Speakman said, “Democrats have a commitment to diversity and inclusion”. Speakman continued by stating that Gov. Raimondo has taken initiatives and made commitments to creating jobs for recent college graduates in Rhode Island, to encourage those graduates to reside in the state and in turn contribute to the state’s economy.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Rhode Island unemployment rate is at the lowest it has been in the last 10 years. The 2018 unemployment rate for the state is 4.5 percent.
Cheyenne Cazeault, the campaign coordinator for the reelection campaign of Lt. Governor Dan McKee, released a statement on Twitter responding to criticism that McKee was not a pro-choice candidate. “McKee does not believe in pitting women against one another or exploiting women’s rights for votes like his opponent. I find it highly offensive that Representative Regunberg is trying to create divisiveness within the party by using women’s issues to create an artificial distinction between two candidates, something that will only hinder the advancement of equal rights.”
According to a Gallup Poll from 2017, four percent of adult Rhode Islanders self identify as LGBTQ+. This is about average for the rest of the country, and Rhode Island has been seeing an increase in people self-identifying as LGBTQ. Support for same-sex marriage has grown as well, with 65% of adults polled in Rhode Island supporting it. Nationally, support for same-sex marriage is mildly higher at 68%, according to a Gallup poll released in May.
Rhode Island has been a long-standing crusader in the fight for marriage equality in the United States. Rep. David Cicilline (D) of the state’s first congressional district, prides himself on having introduced the Equality Act in the 115th Congress. If passed the Equality Act would provide non-discrimination protection for LGBTQ+ people across “key areas of life.”
At RWU there is a specific non-discrimination policy in effect that aligns with the provisions of the Equality Act.
Speakman noted that, “Considering that Rhode Island is a typically ‘blue’ state — meaning that the Rhode Island voters will typically choose Democratic candidates — it may not be a surprise that the Democratic incumbent candidates share the views outlined in the RWU mission statement and school policies.”
nashenews.com 