The League of Women Voters House District 68 Forum

Independent candidate John Hanley is challenging incumbent Democrat June Speakman for the House District 68 seat.

On Monday the League of Women Voters - Rhode Island [LWV-RI] held two forums featuring candidates for the Rhode Island General Assembly at Roger Williams University. The forums were moderated by Scott Pickering of East Bay Newspaper Group.

This forum features Independent candidate John Hanley [who currently serves as the President of the Warren Town Council], who is challenging incumbent Democrat June Speakman for the House District 68 seat in Bristol and Warren. This forum took place before the forum between Independent candidate Sergei Sharenko, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Susan Donovan for the House District 69 seat in Bristol. [See: The League of Women Voters House District 69 Forum]

Here’s the video:

Here’s the transcript, edited for clarity. We start with opening statements:

John Hanley: I've been a lifelong resident of Bristol-Warren. I lived in Bristol for three years in my early twenties. I'm currently on the Warren Town Council. I've been there for 12 years. I'm currently the President of the Town Council. I raised my family in Warren from when I moved back from Bristol until now. I have six children. Luckily, they're all within driving distance. I don't have to fly a lot to see my grandkids, which is good, and is one of the reasons why I'm running because I would like to [stay in] Rhode Island. We have a place where my kids want to hang around so I don't have to fly worldwide. I'm currently the Building Official for the city of Pawtucket. I've been there for 18 years. Before that, I was a local contractor in Bristol-Warren. I did a lot of work in the East Bay area, so I'm very skilled at the zoning and planning issues that came up.

June Speakman: It's been my privilege to serve as the Representative from District 68 since 2019. I'm running for reelection this year in the hopes of continuing my work for the people of the district and the state in the House. I serve on four committees, Health and Human Services, Municipal Government and Housing, Environment and Natural Resources, and Oversight. I'm also honored to Chair the Commission on Housing Affordability. From those positions, I have worked with my colleagues on legislation regarding housing, nursing homes, solar energy, PFAS [which is a toxic chemical], and health insurance affordability. The goal of all this work is to foster a well-housed, healthy, clean, safe, and thriving Rhode Island.

As we do this work at the State House I remain firm in my commitment to be available and responsible to the residents of Bristol and Warren to make sure that your government hears your concerns and addresses them. From the sidewalks of Main Street in Warren to the impact of the new lead paint law on small landlords in Bristol - I was on the phone about that for a long time today - there is more of this work to do and I ask for your support for another term so I can continue that work.

Scott Pickering: If elected to serve in the General Assembly, what is the one bill you will work the most diligently to pass in the next session?

John Hanley: The bill that I would most probably [want] to pass would be to get rid of some of the bills that deal with the affordable housing issue. This whole affordable housing issue by just creating units. You're not helping Rhode Island residents. I know that firsthand because in Pawtucket, I've had mills come online with hundreds of units, and out of those hundreds of units, about 80 to 85% of them go to people from Boston in the suburbs because they're willing to pay an extra thousand dollars a month and add the commute to their time.

All these units we are making are helping the suburbs of Boston more than they're helping Rhode Island residents and one solution that I could propose would be - rather than link it to affordable housing, link it to these ADU units. We give you zoning relief so you can add an accessory dwelling unit. Put a link on there where the limit is you have to rent it to someone who has been a Rhode Island resident for a minimum of three or five years. That would bring down the cost of it because if you have to rent to a Rhode Island resident, they have to be able to afford it. A lot of the breaks we are giving people are only helping the developers and the landlords because they're getting the bigger rents from people out of state rather than making housing for Rhode Island residents

June Speakman: In the coming session, if elected, I would hope to work on the same thing that Mr. Hanley suggested, which is to make sure that the housing laws that we have passed over the last three years are doing as intended, which is to bring more units online and bring rents and housing costs down for Rhode Islanders. I see no evidence that these units are going to out-of-staters, although that's very difficult to track because one of our problems with housing is that we don't have the data we need. A bill that I'm particularly fond of is one that I tried to pass last session, H7699. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7699.pdf That bill would bring my concerns about the environment together with my concerns about housing supply. It's the Housing and Land Conservation Trust bill, which would allow for the state to purchase land and build housing on some of it and put the rest in conservation in perpetuity. It's a wonderful way to ensure that we're both adding units to our stock and providing conservation lands. It's a heavy lift because it brings two separate advocacy communities together, but I'd like to work hard to get that one over the finish line in the next session.

Scott Pickering: Should the General Assembly be doing more to address the critical shortage of primary care, mental health, and medical providers in the state? If so, what should be done? What do you think about building a medical school at the University of Rhode Island?

June Speakman: We should do more to address the shortage on the Health and Human Services Committee. We hear, over and over again, stories from doctors, patients, and even insurance companies about that critical shortage.

About building a medical school in Rhode Island, I think the jury is still out on that. There's a commission that is working on that right now, chaired by Senator Pamela Lauria, who also represents Bristol. They've just begun their work, so I'm not prepared to take a position on that right now. We also need to make sure that the reimbursement rates in Rhode Island for insurance and Medicaid are equivalent or at least competitive with Massachusetts and Connecticut so our doctors don't leave the state and go practice in those two states.

John Hanley: As for the medical school, I need to see a little bit more evidence of its need.

On the mental health issue, we need to do more for that. That's one of the roots of the problem of a lot of the issues. We have the homeless issue, there are a lot of mentally disabled people, there are a lot of addicted people, and there are a lot of people who just need some guidance on how to get back into the workforce. Spend money on that, rather than spending three and a half million dollars on 45 units of Pallet Shelters, which comes out to $77,000 per bed with shared bathrooms. I think that $77,000 would be better spent on mental health addiction counseling and job placement counseling.

June Speakman: On the question of the Pallet Shelters, that's an issue that bothers me as well. They've been sitting there and no one is living in them yet. But they are an essential element in addressing the problem of homelessness in the state. We can do both. We can both address the mental health crisis and address the fact that folks don't have a place to live.

John Hanley: There should be shelters for the homeless, though that's treating the symptoms of the problem, not the cause of the problem. The only way we're going to get a grasp on this problem is to get it where it starts, not to just enable and allow it to keep going. That money would be better spent on the front end than on the back end.

Scott Pickering: Last year, the General Assembly passed safe storage legislation but neglected to pass the assault weapons ban. Do you support that ban? If so, what would you do to get it passed in the coming year and is there any other gun related legislation that you would recommend?

John Hanley: I would not support a ban on assault weapons. I believe in firm background checks. I believe in red flag laws where if someone's flagged by the police or by a mental health provider then yes, we should be able to go in and take those weapons away. However, I'm a firm believer in the United States Constitution and the Second Amendment, not without any limits, but with reasonable limits - not just automatic bans, which just say this gun is guilty. More people get killed by pistols than they do by assault weapons, so I would not support that ban.

June Speakman: I'm a proud supporter of the assault weapons ban and a proud top 10 co-sponsor of that ban and I hope we get it done this this session. Assault weapons have no place in the hands of civilians. Police officers and military, yes, but not in the hands of civilians. Mass shootings are carried out with assault weapons. There's no place for them in the hands of civilians.

Scott Pickering: What role should the state government play in combating climate change or developing green sources of energy?

June Speakman: The state government already plays a significant role in combating climate change. The Act on Climate was passed in 2021, which sets out a plan to reduce emissions and move us towards a more resilient green future. We have to have all hands on deck and all tools in the toolbox to do this. Electrification of homes, addressing the burning of fossil fuels, and moving towards a renewable energy future - all states have to do that and the federal government as well. Local governments also have a role to play in combating climate change. It's all hands on deck.

John Hanley: I believe that the state government has a role. The issue I have is that I don't think they have a reasonable timeline. I think they're getting ahead of the technology. For instance, [mandating] landscapers to change out their gas-powered blowers and weed whackers for battery operated ones at this time. Number one, the cost is ridiculous. You're going to put people out of business, you're going to cost people a lot more money to have their yards maintained, and the technology just isn't there. They just can't function the way these other ones do. When the technology catches up, absolutely. But we can't make the law until we have the technology to support the law. It just doesn't make sense to put the cart before the horse. You're asking people to do things that they aren't capable of doing at this time.

June Speakman: I understand the leaf blower reference. That was one of the bills that I attempted to move to passage three or four years ago. I learned the lesson that you do have to make sure that the technology is there and that the landscapers have the desire, ability, and incentives from the state government to move into that new fossil fuel-free era of landscaping, and we aren't there yet. However, the state government needs to provide the incentives to move in that direction, not just wait for things to happen. We can't wait.

Scott Pickering: Turning to the state budget, do you agree with how Rhode Island is spending nearly $14 billion annually? Does the state have the right priorities and focus or would you work to shift how and where the state's resources are allocated?

John Hanley: I think it's $13.7 billion. Around 10 years ago it was just over nine billion. So in those 10 years, we've one and a half timesed our budget, which surpasses inflation. I think some of the money is being allocated in the wrong places. I'm not sure where a lot of it's going. I mean, all of this money that's been allocated for affordable housing, where did it go? It's all spent - who's got it? I don't see a ton of housing units. I don't see a ton of affordable units popping up. We've allocated millions and millions of dollars for this and we have nothing to show for it. Being on the outside, I don't know where it went. Hopefully, when I get in there, I'll be able to figure out where it went and maybe we can redirect it somewhere else or lower the state budget.

June Speakman: Yes, 14.7 billion or $13.9 billion is a lot. One third of that is for Medicaid, to take care of the medical needs of hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders. Much of that money comes from the federal government as a match, so that is a large part of the spending and we certainly can't do without that. A lot of that goes to support folks who are in long-term care. We certainly can't do without that.

About affordable housing, that is about a half a billion dollars. That's a lot of money in the pipeline, but as Mr. Hanley knows, as a builder, it takes two to three years to get a unit from site acquisition to getting the financial package together to building it. So those are in the pipeline and we will start to see those soon within the next year.

About the rest of the budget, some things aren't in there that I would like to see. As one might imagine given my leanings, free and reduced-price lunches. That program should be expanded to free lunches for all students with no eligibility check. I have a wishlist. Most of us do. We need to move more money into climate resiliency to shore up our coastline. That's very expensive. If you're going to move people and homes away from the coastline, as in Belcher Cove in Warren or by Silver Creek in Bristol, that's a lot of money. Lots of that can come from the federal government. I would urge us all, as we try to enhance our spending on climate resiliency and [free] school lunches and breakfast, that we should leverage all the federal dollars we can. We have a fabulous federal delegation. Senator Jack Reed brings lots of big checks into Rhode Island and we need to continue to work on that relationship to make sure that we're maximizing the federal dollars that we bring into the districts.

John Hanley: Regarding the affordable housing money that's in the pipeline. Just recently a bill was passed - they passed all of these bills to supposedly make it easier for development to happen and some of the communities were a little reluctant to accept them. Well, they just passed a bill, that is going to make your local building official subservient to the State Building Commissioner. It has not been that way since the Building Code was created in 1978. Basically, they gave you the Kool-Aid and now they're going to have the power to make you drink it.

June Speakman: The building Commissioner Bill doesn't do what Mr. Hanley says it does. We have a statewide building code that is monitored and implemented by local building officials. The bill that was passed in the last session makes sure that that monitoring is uniform statewide. It does not tell building officials, it does not interfere or override. If there is some lack of consistency across towns the state building commissioner will come in and make sure that it is standard across towns. It also sets up a training program. There's a significant deficit of building commissioners in the state of Rhode Island. That is one of the reasons why housing starts and completions are delayed, and the training program that's included in the bill that Mr. Hanley refers to helps to deal with that deficit so that small communities that cannot afford to hire a building commissioner can get help from the state.

John Hanley: Sometimes it's not what a bill says, it's what it takes out. The ability for the state building commissioner to step in was always there if the city or town requested it. What the bill took out was the language [that] limited the state building commissioner's duties to state-owned or maintained properties. That was taken out of the wording. What that does is give the [State Building Commissioner] full supervision over the entire building code, which means he has the final say when it comes to anything related to the state building code local or statewide.

June Speakman: The State Building Commissioner is there to ensure that there is fair, equitable, and uniform application of the state building code. There are no local building codes. There are local building commissioners, but this bill makes sure that a developer in Bristol and a developer in Warren face the same rules and regulations and monitoring and oversight. That's all it does. It does not interfere with local control at all. It doesn't change the building code at all.

Scott Pickering: On the state ballot, Question One asks voters to approve or disapprove of a Constitutional Convention. Opponents fear, in addition to many other issues, that well-funded special interest groups could use the convention as a means to constitutionally restrict women's reproductive rights. Do you share this concern and do you believe that Rhode Island should hold a constitutional convention?

June Speakman: I share the concerns and I will vote against Question One. In my view, a Constitutional Convention has many problems. One is that it will be very expensive. Some estimates are that it will cost three to $4 million to hold this convention and the actions that follow from the convention. Another objection I have is that there's a process already in place for changing the Constitution. It's called the Amendment process. And in Rhode Island, that process is a lower bar than in the national convention. It requires simple majorities in the House and among voters. The folks who argue in support of this convention indeed have an agenda that is hostile to LGBTQ rights, a woman's right to choose, and even to religious freedom. I oppose it for all of those reasons,

John Hanley: I would be in favor of it. When the Constitution was set up, this was a good idea. Why is it a bad idea now? I don't know if a lot of people know this, but the final say is a ballot. It's a referendum. The people, the residents of the State of Rhode Island, would have to vote for any changes after this Convention. The [Convention] just proposes. [Proposed changes] would go on the ballot and the citizens would vote on whether or not to accept them. Sure, you're going to have special interests pushing one way and you're going to have special interests pushing the other way. But this state was designed for this. The state was designed for this process, and I have faith in the citizens of the State of Rhode Island that if these questions come up, they're going to do the right thing. I think that the people should have the final say. That's why I think I would support that.

Scott Pickering: Do you approve of the job done by Governor Daniel McKee and Department of Transportation [DOT] Director Peter Alviti regarding the Washington Bridge failure?

John Hanley: From the information I have, I can see the hardships that they're going through. I don't want to blame them for the condition the bridge is in because it's been getting this way for a long time. Am I disappointed that we don't have a new bridge now? Absolutely. But being in construction, I know there are going to be issues. I think the handling of it from the time it was shut down to where it is now, is probably the best they could do. I would like to see it step up a little faster and maybe expedite the schedule to be fixed. But with the cards they were dealt, they're playing them right. They may have been dealt some bad cards, but for what they have to do, they're proceeding equitably.

June Speakman: I don't know if they are proceeding well because we don't have the information we need to make those judgments. It will come, I assume. I hope. Along with all of you, I feel the pressure of crossing that bridge when I go to the State House and when I go to appointments. It slows all of us and our families down. We all know the stories that emenate from our experience with that bridge.

East Bay legislators, the Senators and Representatives, have pressed at our weekly or monthly meetings with Director Alviti. He meets with us by phone. We just had one yesterday morning. We pressed him on the lessons that they learned from the failed RFP. [Request for Proposals] to find out why no one bid. We still don't know why no one bid. I want all of this information before we make any judgments about whether or not they did a good job. We still, as of yesterday, have no timeline. We press for it and we press for it, and we will continue to press on our weekly calls with Director Alviti to try to get the answers that all of us deserve.

Scott Pickering: What have we not talked about tonight that you would like to talk about?

June Speakman: We've talked about housing. We've talked about climate change. We've talked about women's reproductive choices. We've talked about guns. One of the things that is a challenge to me is local infrastructure. As many of you know, there are sidewalks where you can't walk a stroller or a wheelchair. In addition to the big infrastructure, like the Washington Bridge, there are small infrastructure programs. I would like to see another way to attend to the smaller, but more meaningful in our daily life, needs of local infrastructure. But that gets to the bridges that are flooded, so we need to up our game with local infrastructure as well.

John Hanley: My biggest complaint with the local representation is the lack of focus on Bristol and Warren constituents. It seems like the big focus is put on the great big picture with the state, which is important. But if I'm elected, my main focus will be on the residents of Bristol and Warren - what's going to be good for the residents of Bristol and Warren. We've got some roadwork projects, which are kind of been in the hopper forever, and they haven't been pushed forward. If the council reaches out to me and has questions or concerns about a bill that's proposed, I'm going to be reactive to it. I'm not going to just say, 'Hey, you know what? This is what the state wants. This is what the state's going to get.' My number one task would be to look out for what's in the best interest of the residents of Bristol and Warren first, and then second, what's in the best interest of the state.

Scott Pickering: We're going to move to closing statements.

John Hanley: I'd like to thank everyone, the League, Roger Williams, and Scott, for holding this forum. I want to thank the people in the audience the most. The more people that get involved in this process, the better it works. If more people got involved, it would make our jobs easier. In Warren, we have a lot of open boards and commissions [positions] and we can't get people to fill them. We need people to step up. The more people that work towards the solution, the better the solution comes out. If I get your vote and I am elected, I promise you that my number one goal is going to be to look forward and look out for the best interests of the people of Bristol and Warren.

I've lived here my entire life. I know the culture of these communities. I know the festivals. I know the parades. I know this. I know that. I know how the people of Bristol and Warren think, and I think like you. I was a small business owner in this area, so I know the hardships that small businesses go through. I know that the state has a lot of pressing issues, which I would gladly jump in and help out with. In the long run, the main concern for me as an elected official from Bristol and Warren is the residents of Bristol and Warren. The other issues, though important, would not take precedence over what I think is in the best interest of my constituents.

June Speakman: I'd like to revise and resubmit. I should have said education for that last answer. That of course is a central issue here, and I was not quick enough on that one as I was listing through the issues we hadn't covered.

In any event, thank you for this evening's conversation. It is my honor to represent Bristol and Warren in the House of Representatives. In fulfilling that role, I aspire to be attentive to the needs of the district and to work with my colleagues on statewide initiatives that address healthcare, climate change, senior services, education, housing, and the needs of small businesses. Should the voters of District 68 grant me the privilege of another term, I commit to ongoing communication with the residents and municipal leaders of Bristol and Warren and with our fabulous federal delegation who can help us with these bridges, small businesses, resiliency, and housing.

When we work together, everyone wins. Along with my big colleagues, we will continue to press DOT to get the bridge done and to address issues of trust, competence, and transparency, that have clouded that project. And we've got to get this housing thing. We need more units built, the right kinds of units in the right places to get these built. We need data, planning, collaboration, and funding from the federal government. I think we can do this if we work together. I ask for your support for another term so I can get to it.