Lifelong East Providence resident, and current District 14 representative in the Rhode Island Senate, Valarie Lawson, was elected as the new Majority Leader of the Senate during a meeting of the Senate Democratic Caucus on Thursday, Nov. 7.

“I have immense respect and admiration for all of my colleagues in the Senate. They are insightful, sincere in their efforts to improve our state, and tireless in their work,” Lawson said in response to questions sent by The Post following the announcement. “To be elected from among them to serve as their leader is truly humbling, and I will work each day to live up to the responsibility.”

During the Caucus meeting, the body also chose to throw their support behind Dominick Ruggerio (D-North Providence) for another term as Senate President. Ruggerio has been in headlines recently as health complications have made some question whether he would be succeeded by another member.

“Dominick is an inclusive leader who always listens to each member of the Senate,” Lawson said when asked why she felt he was the right person to continue to lead the chamber. “He may not always agree with an individual, but he always takes every perspective into account, and I have seen him support moving bills to the floor despite his personal disagreement with the bill because they were important to a majority of his members, sometimes at great personal cost. He knows the intricacies of the building, he has built strong relationships that help break down barriers when they exist, and he leads with compassion.”

Priorities are big on education
In her acceptance of the nomination, Sen. Lawson outlined her priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Lawson, who spent 32 years as an educator in East Providence, has several educational priorities at the top of her list.

Among them includes achieving statewide, universal pre-K and finalizing legislation to provide universal free meals for schoolchildren. She also mentioned supporting a bill from Warwick Sen. Mark McKenney, which was passed in the Senate but not the House last year, which would protect libraries from attempts to ban, censor, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books and materials.

She also mentions enacting a bill to provide in-state tuition rates to every student who graduates from a Rhode Island high school, which has been put forth by Sen. Frank Ciccone (D-Providence/Johnston). Lastly, she said that the general assembly should bring a ballot measure to voters to incorporate a right to a quality education into the state constitution.

Lawson also said that the state had strides to make in regards to paid family leave and temporary disability/caregiver insurance (TCI), including increasing the wage replacement rate, expanding eligibility, and providing 12 weeks of leave.

Sen. Lawson also mentioned wanting to provide more resources for youth in crisis, particularly for girls, and continuing the efforts to address the state’s affordable housing crisis, and specifically mentioned the possibility of creating tax-free savings accounts for first-time homebuyers, while acknowledging there is “no one silver bullet” to solving the problem.

Asked which of those aspirations she thought most likely to be achieved during the next legislative session, Sen. Lawson was optimistic.

“My hope is that they will all be achieved. I know that my colleagues and I will be working long and hard to advance as many of them into law as possible,” she said, adding that she was hopeful specifically in regards to making progress on a TCI bill she sponsored in 2024. “Ultimately, our priorities will be driven by all of the members of the Senate, and I look forward to working with them to help them achieve their goals.”

Thoughts on state’s role following Trump victory
Asked if the Senate was discussing its priorities in light of the victory of Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential Election — an outcome that has some members of vulnerable groups and minorities fearful of a loss of rights or even persecution at the hands of the new administration — Lawson said the state could ensure protections for people locally.

“In these anxious times, I think the states can do a lot to help ensure protections of the rights of women, the LGBTQ community, minorities, and others,” she said. “In 2019, during the first Trump administration, we passed legislation codifying Roe v. Wade, for example, and last year we passed the Health Care Provider Shield Act to protect doctors providing services that are legal here, such as abortion, from prosecution by other states. We will continue working to strengthen Rhode Island laws to ensure that they best protect the rights and dignity of every Rhode Islander.”

Asked how she would respond to someone who has lost any faith in the state’s government, Lawson said she believed people involved in the general assembly were there because they wanted to make things better; even if it takes a “messy” process to do so.

“As a student and teacher of history, I would be the first to acknowledge that government is a work in progress. It can be messy and slow, but ultimately I do think it works well for the people, especially here on the state level,” she said. “I would encourage every Rhode Island to engage with their legislators. These are dedicated and sincere public servants who devote countless hours to the work of legislating. For most of us, it is in addition to a full-time day job. They do this because they care, and they are trying to enact bills that address some of the most complex challenges we face, to make our state an even greater place to live and work. Each year, when I look back at the bills we have enacted, I know that these are things that will make a real difference in the lives of Rhode Islanders. I firmly believe that.”