Valarie Lawson has enjoyed a rapid rise in the Rhode Island Senate. Lawson was first elected in 2018 and she is now the third-ranking member in the chamber. The East Providence Democrat may climb even higher. Senate president Dominick Ruggerio is 75. If he wins re-election this year, Ruggerio is expected to pass the Senate presidency to someone else in the next two years. Lawson was a teacher for 32 years, and she cut her political teeth as the head of the teachers union in East Providence. She now serves as president of the National Education Association Rhode Island, one of the state’s most influential unions. So what did she say about the close ties between organized labor and the State Senate? Does she aspire to be Senate president, and how can the state make progress against the housing crisis when municipalities sometimes stand in the way?
This transcript has been edited for clarity
Ian Donnis: You were no stranger to politics before making your first run for the Senate in 2018 — you had been the president or the head of the local teachers union in East Providence. Why didn’t you run for public office up until that point?
Val Lawson: I was like, as you said, I’ve been a teacher in East Providence my entire life. I was an advocate for public education, for students and teachers. I think 2018 I decided to expand my advocacy and take the opportunity to run for the Senate 14 seat and expand my advocacy for the community that I’ve lived in in my entire life and love so and I’m grateful to the residents of East Providence for electing me, then into this point.
Donnis: Well, speaking of East Providence, the Washington Bridge has been a huge concern for people there, your constituents and you. We see how, despite efforts by DOT to massage traffic, traffic still backs up on 195 eastbound, and getting back to East Providence, where I also live, can be a real nightmare after leaving the Stateouse. It takes at least twice the before-shutdown time. So is it time for state DOT Director, Peter Alviti to go?
Lawson: So as you mentioned I’m somebody who travels that road every day, like all of these Providence residents and other Rhode Islanders. You know, we experienced a complete disruption. It was a disaster in our life, in the community, and traveling in the community and on 195 and throughout this process, I’ve worked extremely hard with other members of the delegation on the House side and in the Senate to, you know, improve access for East Providence residents …
Donnis: Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve got a lot of issues to cover in limited time. So the question really is whether state DOT Director Peter Alviti should go, given how there’s still a very heightened degree of traffic?
Lawson: I think we’re in the middle of this process right now. We’re at where the RFPs are out for demolition, the bridge design. So I think we need more answers, and the people of East Providence deserve that accountability and transparency that I’ve been fighting for. And I think we need to see all of that.
Donnis: Alviti previously worked for the Laborers International Union. Senate President Dominick Ruggerio is the retired administrator of the New England Laborers Labor Management Trust. Labor was a vital source of support for Governor Dan McKee when he ran in 2022 and you are the president of one the state’s most influential teachers union, the National Education Association Rhode Island. Do these kind of labor ties with the Senate help to explain why Alviti has kept his job?
Lawson: I think in regards to my ties to the labor community, as I had mentioned, I’m an educator. I taught for over 32 years. I’ve been an advocate for public education, and I’ve brought that when I decided to run and my advocacy is around the working people improving the lives of the residents of East Providence. So I mean, when I think of labor, that’s what I think of fighting for working class people, and that’s what I set out every day to do for all of the residents of East Providence.
Donnis: You don’t think there’s any connection between the labor, Labor’s influence in the Senate, and how Peter Alvitii has not seemingly faced any serious jeopardy in his job.
Lawson: I think where we are now, like I had mentioned to you previously, we’re still collecting information, and we need to do that. And I think we in the Senate and at the General Assembly care very deeply about creating a situation where the government works for the people and they’re accountable. It’s transparency and we improve, you know, the conditions in which we live for, and we’ll continue to fight for that. And that’s our — that’s my primary focus, and I believe the Senate president’s as well, and that’s what we put first, and I will always put that first.
Donnis: One issue that you’ve spoken out about is the needs of vulnerable children in Rhode Island. This is a complex issue. What kind of steps do you think the state should take to help address the issue?
Lawson: Are you speaking anything specifically about vulnerable children?
Donnis: Well, there’s been a lack of psychiatric care for young girls. We hear about a lot of near-fatalities Involving young kids, things like that.
Lawson: So I think I will say to you, the psychiatric facility has been a primary concern of the Senate, and numerous colleagues and myself have visited St Mary’s. Prior to that, we went with the former child advocate to a facility in Massachusetts. When we were funded, using federal funds, we put aside money to create a facility here. We absolutely need to do that here in Rhode Island, because we aren’t doing our kids justice, right. We need to make sure that the vulnerable populations in Rhode Island are supported, and that means every aspect, right. People have their basic needs, and like on the healthcare system, that’s another part of this process as well. You know, I’ve sat previously on the Health and Human Services Committee, and just this session, I had a healthcare bill on to file to create a rare disease council. So that is an area of concern of mine, in the Senate as a whole, and it is something we need to address. And I think that education is a part of that component as well.
Donnis: You’ve moved up quickly in the leadership of the state Senate since first running in 2018. Would you like to succeed Dominick Ruggerio as President of the Chamber?
Lawson: So right now my focus is, right after declaration day, is making my case to the residents of East Providence. I’m so grateful for them to have elected me over the past couple of years. I’d like to have that opportunity to again and represent them in the General Assembly and fight on their behalf. So that’s my primary concern. There’s the primary and then there’s the general election, and I fully support the Senate president in his bid this time around as well.
Donnis: Does the job of president hold any attraction for you?
Lawson: I haven’t really given that much thought. I’m focused on, like I said, my election in you know, working on behalf of my constituents, I haven’t given that much thought right now.
Donnis: The Providence Journal’s Katherine Gregg reported a while back on how the number two official in the Senate, Majority Leader Ryan Pearson, made a visit to President Ruggero earlier this year, trying to hasten his stepping down from president. The view on Smith Hill is that this has not helped Ryan Pearson’s political stock. Can you envision a situation that — when the Senate reorganizes its leadership next January — that Ryan Pearson is not the majority leader?
Lawson: I think what happens in the Senate depends on what happens over the next couple of months, right? Every session is a new session. Hopefully I’ll be back there and be part of that with the rest of the chamber, be part of that conversation, as will many other members and I support the Senate president, and that’s sort of a long way out, I think, and premature.
Donnis: You’re a lifelong East Providence resident. So let me ask you, what do you think it would take to catalyze the East Providence waterfront and make it more of an economic generator?
Lawson: So I think there’s been a lot of transformation in East Providence. And I think Mayor DaSilva has done a great job. I think East Providence, moving to a [strong] mayor form of government has been great for the advocacy of East Providence. So I think we continue to build upon what’s going on in regards to the waterfront. And I know I was just at a meeting the other day, and the mayor mentioned how the roadways down along the waterfront will begin to open, and I think that will spur on economic development, and we need to continue to support that.
Donnis: You are the president of the National Education Association Rhode Island, as we said earlier, Your union supported Dan McKee for governor in 2022. Do you think he deserves re-election, should he run for re-election — as he says he will?
Lawson: I think, you know, that’s a decision for the governor to make. And obviously we have a process, and we would go through that process with my organization. And obviously where, you know, I’m interested, as a Rhode Islander, as everyone else is, is to see what that feels and looks like in 2024. I’ll be interested to see if the governor runs. I don’t know. I haven’t spoken with him about that.
Donnis: Governor McKee this week vetoed a bill to legalize kratom, a herbal substance in Rhode Island. You had supported that measure — why did you support that? And do you think there will be an appetite in the Senate to override the governor’s veto?
Lawson: The reason for our support around kratom was the fact that it’s here already around us. Neighboring states allow that and it was an opportunity to regulate the substance. So I just heard recently that it was vetoed late [Wednesday night]. I haven’t had taken a look at the entire rationale for that, but we’ll see. I mean, I think that, you know, it’s early on, depending on the veto and whether the votes are there? So that’s, you know, that’s something still to be considered, and if there’s an appetite, I don’t know yet.
Donnis: East Providence has been generally accepting of more housing, but the city council there voted in April to kill a $40,000 a year tax reduction for a proposed 144-unit development. Do you think that was a mistake?
Lawson: I do. I do think that was a mistake. I was myself, and Representative Kazarian was part of a resolution the previous year to try [bring] in excess access funds for the center city development. I. think it’s quite obvious to everyone in Rhode Island. And when I knocked doors a couple of years ago, it was a primary concern, housing, affordable housing for people. And I think the center city development, led by One Neighborhood Builders, in conjunction with Foster Forward, Crossroads, Family Services RI, is the exact type of development we want to see, right? We have these partners coming together to provide affordable housing. And I think people would be surprised at what’s defined as affordable housing, providing services there that are on the bus line. This was an area of the community you know, that has been undeveloped for a very long time. This development will house people, in addition to that, will provide tax revenue for the community. So I think it’s a win-win all around and we can, we should continue to do that across the state, and I was very happy to see that they received Rhode Island Housing funding.
Donnis: I’ve saved the toughest question for last — what is your favorite restaurant in East Providence?
Lawson: I struggle with favorites or a first or best any all of the time. I think I’m a big fan of Avenue N and Honeybird. I also like, well, I like both of the Mexican places in town.
Donnis: We’ve got to leave it there. Thanks so much for joining us, the Democratic majority whip in the Rhode Island Senate. Val Lawson.
Lawson: Thank you.
