Question: Should you be elected, what will be your top priority — one specific piece of legislation — that you will pursue at the RI Statehouse?

Joseph DePasquale — Independent:

RI Low-to-Moderate Income Housing Act has failed to lower housing costs since 1991. The 1998 25% affordable amendment lets developers bypass local zoning, hurting towns like Warren and Barrington while slashing tax revenues.

To fix this, I will introduce legislation eliminating the 25% affordable incentive for developers and 10% community mandate. The reformed law will only permit 100% affordable projects backed by state incentives for host communities, successfully restoring local zoning control for our residents.

Nicole Jellinek — Democrat: 

Rhode Island faces a provider shortage across nearly every area of healthcare. As a small state, we can benefit from providers licensed elsewhere who are seeking to practice here, but the reciprocal licensing process can take far too long. I support legislation establishing a clear deadline for the Department of Health to approve or deny license applications. By streamlining this process, we can more quickly expand our provider workforce and improve access to care for Rhode Islanders.