Nicholas Mattiello

LITTLE COMPTON — Both the Little Compton and Portsmouth Democratic Town Committees have come out against the appointment of Rep. Nicholas Mattiello as speaker of the Rhode Island House.

The Little Compton committee also urged Democratic state Rep. Dennis Canario (Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) to oppose Mr. Mattiello.

Asked about that, Rep. Canario said he is wholeheartedly in favor of having Rep. Mattiello serve as House speaker.

Below are the statements of the Little Compton and Portsmouth Democratic Town Committees and of Rep. Canario —from Thursday, Nov. 8:

Little Compton Democrats
“We join our neighbors, the Portsmouth Democratic Town Committee in opposition of Rep. Mattiello's speakership and call upon our House Representatives including our own Rep. Dennis Canario to oppose Rep. Mattiello as speaker.

Rep Nicholas Mattiello has consistently shown a leadership style and a value system that is out of step with the values of our party and our state. We need party leadership that is committed to transparency and inclusivity and that welcomes the input of our diverse community of Rhode Islanders. Speaker Mattiello has consistently avoided bringing issues to the floor when they do not align with his personal interests, This includes an unwillingness to bring to a vote initiatives like the Safe Schools Act and the Reproductive Health Care Act despite strong support from this community and many others across the state. 

“The recent incidence of Mattiello's mishandling of sexual harassment allegations demonstrates not only a disrespect of victims of harassment, but a lack of understanding and commitment to building a climate of safety, respect, and professionalism at the statehouse. We need leadership that will develop a proactive policy for addressing and preventing issues of sexual harassment and all other forms of discrimination. 

“We call upon our representatives to choose leadership that values the voices of Rhode Islanders and governs with fairness, transparency, and accountability to the voters of Rhode Island. Nicholas Mattiello has proven himself repeatedly not to be that voice, and the Little Compton Democratic Town Committee does not support him for House Speaker.”

Portsmouth Democrats
The Portsmouth Democratic Town Committee, at their monthly meeting on November 1, 2018, unanimously passed a resolution calling on all state representatives — including the four who represent Portsmouth — to oppose current House speaker Nicholas Mattiello's bid for re-election to the post of Speaker of the House.

“The Portsmouth Democratic Party takes very seriously the allegations of sexual harassment by a committee chair appointed by the Speaker," said Town Committee Chair Len Katzman, "And we are troubled by the lack of timely and effective action to resolve those complaints."

"We are particularly troubled by the scenario where an alleged target of harassment had to present their bill to a committee that was chaired by her alleged harasser," said Katzman. "The perception that legislation could not get a fair hearing, as well as the unjust burden on a lawmaker in that situation, raises serious questions about the Speaker's judgement and sense of fairness."

“The resolution notes that the current Speaker has consistently prevented legislation with broad public support from advancing to a floor vote. This includes bills explicitly supported by the Portsmouth Democratic Town Committee, such as the Reproductive Health Care Act and the Safe Schools Act.”
The resolution also questions the Speaker's tolerance for diversity within the RI Democratic Party.

"The Speaker has labelled the RI National Organization for Women and the RI Coalition Against Gun Violence 'extreme progressive groups,'" said Katzman. "We agree with RI Democratic Party Chair Joe McNamara who has said that 'it take two wings to fly,' and that the state party should reflect a diversity of perspectives. We find such characterizations divisive and counterproductive."

“We recognize that this resolution may put our local representatives in a difficult position," said Katzman, ”Although it shouldn't be that way if Rhode Island had a Speaker of the House who focused on fairly and openly doing the right thing for both their local constituents and the state."

Rep. Dennis Canario's response
"I fully support Nicholas Mattiello as our House Speaker and I will be voting for him during the House Democrats caucus. A few people have contacted me to abandon my support for Nick Mattiello and I would like to explain why I will not be doing so.

"First and foremost, Speaker Mattiello has served in his position for the past four years with balance and fairness. There are a lot of differing viewpoints in the House of Representatives and I have always seen the Speaker treat everyone fairly as he approaches all issues with an analytical mindset of what is the best compromise to lead our state forward.

"Speaker Mattiello has also begun the process of eliminating the car tax which I firmly believe in as well. He has led our state's economy back from disaster after the Great Recession and I know that he truly wants everyone in this state to have the ability to have a well-paying job that supports themselves and their families.

"He has also demonstrated tremendous support for our developmentally disabled community which is an issue that is especially close to my heart.  Our state's most vulnerable populations have been protected and well-served by Nick Mattiello and I am grateful for his leadership on this issue, especially during state budget negotiations.

"Nick Mattliello is an honorable representative and I believe in his leadership. This is why I will be supporting him to continue serving as House Speaker for the next two years. Let me state again — I will be supporting Speaker Mattiello."