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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Education

  • MBA, Anna Maria College, 1987
  • BA, History/General Social Studies, Providence College, 1983

Professional Experience

  • MBA, Anna Maria College, 1987
  • BA, History/General Social Studies, Providence College, 1983
  • Real Estate Broker/Appraiser, Kennedy Realty and Appraisal, 1986-present

Political Experience

  • MBA, Anna Maria College, 1987
  • BA, History/General Social Studies, Providence College, 1983
  • Real Estate Broker/Appraiser, Kennedy Realty and Appraisal, 1986-present
  • Speaker Pro Tempore, Rhode Island State House of Representatives, 2017-present
  • Representative, Rhode Island State House of Representatives, District 38, 1989-present
  • Candidate, Rhode Island State House of Representatives, District 38, 2018

Former Committees/Caucuses

Member, Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee

Former Co-Chair, Housing Act Oversight Commission, Rhode Island State House of Representatives

Member, Joint Defense Economy Planning Commission, Rhode Island State Legislature

Former Member, Permanent Joint Committee on Economic Development, Rhode Island State House of Representatives

Former Co-Chair, Permanent Joint Committee on Healthcare Oversight, Rhode Island State House of Representatives

Chair, Tomaquac Indian Rock Shelters Committee

Chair, House Commission to Study the Department of Environmental Management, 1997-1998

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Corporations

Member, Environment and Natural Resources

Member, Oversight

Member, Rules

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • MBA, Anna Maria College, 1987
  • BA, History/General Social Studies, Providence College, 1983
  • Real Estate Broker/Appraiser, Kennedy Realty and Appraisal, 1986-present
  • Speaker Pro Tempore, Rhode Island State House of Representatives, 2017-present
  • Representative, Rhode Island State House of Representatives, District 38, 1989-present
  • Candidate, Rhode Island State House of Representatives, District 38, 2018
  • Chair, Executive Committee, National Conference of Insurance Legislators, 2003-present
  • Board Member, Cox Charitable Foundation, 2002-present
  • Chair, Health Committee, National Conference of Insurance Legislators, 2001-present
  • Member, Employer Support of Guard and Reserve, 1998-present
  • Member, Board of Incorporators, Westerly Hospital, 1996-present
  • Board Member, Rhode Island Academic Decathlon, 1996-present
  • Member, National Association of Realtors Appraisal Division, 1994-present
  • Member, Board of Directors, South County Tourism Council, 1992-present
  • Member, National Association of Realtors, 1990-present
  • Member, Rhode Island Association of Realtors, 1989-present
  • Member, Associate Lodge #38, Fraternal Order of Police, 1986-present
  • Member, American Council of Young Political Leaders
  • Member, Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick
  • Member, Insurance Legislator’s Foundation
Policy Positions

Rhode Island State Legislative Election 2004 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- X

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- X

6. Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- No Answer

7. Other or expanded principles
- X

Budget, Spending, and Tax

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels (#1-6) you will support for the following general categories. Select one level per category.

1. Education (higher)
- Slightly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

3. Environment
- Slightly Increase

4. Health care
- Slightly Increase

5. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Maintain Status

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels (#1-6) you will support. Select one level per tax.

1. Alcohol taxes
- No Answer

2. Capital gains taxes
- No Answer

3. Cigarette taxes
- Greatly Increase

4. Corporate taxes
- No Answer

5. Estate taxes
- No Answer

6. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Income taxes
- No Answer

8. Property taxes
- No Answer

9. Sales taxes
- Slightly Decrease

10. Vehicle taxes
- No Answer

11. Other or expanded categories
- Slightly Increase

12. Should Internet sales be taxed?
- Undecided

13. Do you support an expansion of casino gambling in Rhode Island?
- No

14. Other or expanded principles
- X

Bonding: Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding bonding.

1. Do you support bonding for a biotechnology and life sciences center at the University of Rhode Island?
- Yes

2. Do you support bonding for a marine life sciences park at Quonset Point?
- Yes

3. Do you support bonding for open space and recreation development?
- Yes

4. Do you support bonding for a statewide emergency water interconnect?
- Undecided

5. Do you support bonding for highway and transportation improvements?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

1. Do you support the current limit of two consecutive four-year terms for Rhode Island governors?
- Yes

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Rhode Island state senators and representatives?
- No

Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates?

1. Individual
- No

2. PAC
- No

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Parties
- No

5. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

6. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- No

7. Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying, and ensuring accuracy of votes?
- Yes

8. Do you support prohibiting the reporting of media exit polling results until all polling locations in Rhode Island are closed?
- Yes

9. Should Rhode Island bar legislators and their appointees from state boards and commissions?
- Yes

10. Should Rhode Island create an independent ethics commission, with subpoena powers, to investigate ethics violations?
- Undecided

11. Should Rhode Island recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- Yes

12. Should Rhode Island restrict marriage to a union only between a man and a woman?
- Undecided

13. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- No Answer

2. Implement the death penalty in Rhode Island.
- No Answer

3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

4. End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- X

5. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- X

6. Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- No Answer

7. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- X

8. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- X

9. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- No Answer

10. Increase funding for state and local emergency agencies to prevent and to respond to terrorist attacks.
- X

11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- X

2. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- No Answer

3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

4. Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- X

5. Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
- No Answer

6. Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay.
- No Answer

7. Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
- No Answer

8. Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- X

9. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- No Answer

10. Increase funding for Head Start programs.
- X

11. Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
- X

12. Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
- X

13. Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
- No Answer

14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Employment and Affirmative Action

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

1. Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X

3. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X

4. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

5. Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

6. Increase the state minimum wage.
- X

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity or gender be taken into account in state agencies' decisions on:

1. Public employment
- Yes

2. State college and university admissions
- No

3. State contracting
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment and Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
- X

2. Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
- No Answer

3. Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
- X

4. Support funding for open space preservation.
- X

5. Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
- No Answer

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

1. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

2. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

3. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

4. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

5. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- X

6. Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- No Answer

7. Require a license for gun possession.
- No Answer

8. Require people subject to long-term domestic-violence restraining orders to surrender their guns.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

1. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
- X

2. Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- X

3. Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer

4. Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
- No Answer

5. Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
- X

6. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer

7. Legalize physician assisted suicide in Rhode Island.
- No Answer

8. Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer

9. Require state employees to pay a share of their health-insurance premiums.
- No Answer

10. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

1. Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
- X

2. Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- X

3. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X

4. Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
- X

5. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- No Answer

6. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to extend health and child care subsidies to the working poor.
- No Answer

7. Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
- No Answer

8. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- (1) Examining the Blue Cross reforms and making changes to ensure the company operates in the best interests of r-te payers;(2) Overseeing the new affordable housing law to ensure that it creates more housing opportunities for the 40% of RI'ers who need affordable housing;(3) Consumer protection legislation that protects RI'ers.