Senate Majority Whip Valarie Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence) recently elaborated on becoming a member of the leadership team in the upper chamber, saying she was "anxious to get to work addressing the urgent challenges facing our state, particularly with regard to education, health care, and housing."

Lawson, an instructor at East Providence High School and president of the state teachers' union, listed the following as among her priorities:

Expansion of Temporary Caregiver Insurance, or TCI, from 6 to 12 weeks, which is the standard recommended time for bonding with a newborn. TCI is paid leave from work to bond with a new child or care for an ailing loved one. Rhode Island was a national leader on paid family leave when TCI was first enacted here a decade ago. Since that time, we have fallen behind, with many other states, including neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut, offering 12 weeks of leave.

Lawson said, "My bill, which the Senate passed last session and we hope to see enacted this year, would also expand the definition of who qualifies to include siblings, grandchildren, and care recipients."

Make permanent the 2022 state law she sponsored requiring insurance coverage of PANDAS/PANS. This is a pediatric neuropsychiatric syndrome that can manifest following strep throats. Symptoms are very serious, and it is a nightmare for children and families. This is a pediatric neuropsychiatric syndrome that can manifest following strep throats. Symptoms are very serious, and it is a nightmare for children and families. Treatment is effective but expensive, which is why insurance coverage is so important.

"It is a game changer for children suffering from this disease. As part of the legislative process in 2022, an expiration date was added to the law I sponsored. I will be working to repeal the sunset date and make this required coverage permanent," Lawson explained.

Reintroducing legislation to allow wineries to sell up to three five-ounce glasses and three 750-ml bottles per customer per day on their premises. Breweries and distilleries in Rhode Island are allowed to sell a limited amount of their product on site. That’s true even though many of their ingredients come from around the world. Wineries, however, are not allowed to sell their product on site unless the fruit was grown in Rhode Island. This is a local issue brought to her attention by winemakers James Davids and Marissa Stashenko, owners of Anchor and Hope, a winery in Rumford. They partner with family farms to produce small batches of artisan wine, and because some of the grapes they use are grown out of state, they cannot sell their product onsite. The bill would change that.

Lawson added, "As legislators, we should be doing everything we can to support small businesses. This is a small change, but for these businesses, and for our community, it will have a big impact. Customers should be able to come see the wine being made and share a glass with the winemakers."