She’s been credited with getting people to vote who had been estranged from politics. And after winning a close race for an open House seat in 2022, Cruz sponsored a bill this year to stop landlords from charging fees for rental applications. The measure became law. Other concerns for Cruz include reform of the criminal justice system and fostering equity in the state’s legalization of marijuana. So what does Cruz’s story mean for other people facing obstacles on the way to making a bigger impact in their own lives? And how much change can one person help to make? I’m Ian Donnis and this week I’m going in depth with Pawtucket state Rep Cherie Cruz.
Ian Donnis: Welcome to The Public’s Radio.
Cherie Cruz: Thank you for having me.
Ian Donnis: Let’s start with the recent primary in CD one you supported Aaron Regunberg, he was the perceived front runner but wound up finishing second to the more moderate Gabe Amo. What’s your explanation for why Amo won the Democratic primary?
Cherie Cruz: Oh, that’s a good question. Well, honestly, I think someone who had a large race for myself, I think hard work getting out there on the doors. And really being able to appeal to a more moderate group of voters, in my opinion, think it’s just a little of those things. Obviously, being from protected and having that homegrown story always helps. And I think those are some of the things based on my perspective,
Ian Donnis: There were some people who thought the Regunberg didn’t do as well, because he got an endorsement from AOC. In that, you know, his image was a little too far to the left. Do you agree or disagree?
Cherie Cruz: I disagree. I think, you know, I met a lot of people on the doors who actually said AOC endorsed Aaron, so I’m going with Aaron. So I did hear some positive feedback on the AOC endorsement. So based on what I heard, I’d have to disagree at this moment.
Ian Donnis: Well, let’s bring the focus back to you you completed your first legislative session earlier this year. I wonder how is the experience of being a state rep compared with what you thought it would be like?
Cherie Cruz: Yeah, well, I mean, it’s definitely a lot of hard work, especially for me, I want to be the best rep I can be. I want to be there for my constituents. So definitely hard work. I mean, it’s a part time legislature, which is really hard to understand, because to be there for your constituents, it is 24/7. So especially in my community, people are in need, people need to be heard, and we have a lot of problems to solve. So definitely a lot of hard work, but also two: it was very collegial, welcoming. And that was a surprise to me, from someone being an organizer on the outside. So definitely, that was a surprise. Everybody was really supportive, the other reps, so I think that was a positive thing that came out too.
Ian Donnis: You were the driving force in the House of Representatives behind the bill that became law to prohibit landlords from charging application fees to people seeking apartments. The argument was that that can add up to a lot of money if people are putting in multiple applications. And landlords are a powerful constituency. So I wonder how were you able to overcome obstacles while advocating for that measure?
Cherie Cruz: I think that this housing crisis definitely was part of the reason we were able to get it passed, and, and other representatives who were pushing other housing agendas, but I mean, with the rental application fees, I’ve seen it time and time again, in my community, it was a disincentive to actually fill housing. So it was really a part of the housing crisis. And then also, too, we were seeing people apply to multiple units, and only to be denied within five minutes. So you know, it really started to smell like a scam. And we knew it was, those of us on the ground who are renters. And then in my community, I gotta tell you, a lot of the landlords are out of state, or vacant landlords, so they’re not there. They’re not our voters. They’re not the people in our community. So I think that was very helpful, too. I mean, we’ve got to remember that, that we’ve got a lot of corporate landlords here in our state that don’t live here. So we shouldn’t be afraid to level the playing field for tenants.
Ian Donnis: There a few months before you and your fellow lawmakers returned to the General Assembly in January for a new session. I wonder what are your top priorities for the next session?
Cherie Cruz: Oh yeah. So let’s continue on housing. I mean, we passed some really good bills, making sure on the ground that we implement those, that we make them work for us, the rental registry, the rental application fee, the lead escrow bill, just really working on that, and then also right to counsel and mediation before eviction. And this is really important, because we see nationwide, tenants go to court, you know, up to 90% without representation, but landlords. I mean, landlords have representation up to 90% of the time, whereas tenants only have 10%. So that’s really troubling, because you think you’re going to something, you know, an eviction hearing, and you don’t know the rules. And one side has the playbook. And so really, again, it’s about making sure everyone has that right to counsel. And even some measures like mediation before you even make it to the courthouse, because then we’ll see people can stay in their homes, or people be able to have more time if they do have to move and we’ve seen it time and time again nationwide that it really levels the playing field. When it comes to to people and homelessness, right. And that’s, that’s what we want to get at. So that’s an important bill, as well as criminal legal reforms. So looking at Clean Slate legislation, and continuing on some of the great work we did with cannabis, right and looking at automatic expungement. But now doing this with records in general, criminal legal records, or not. Because we have a problem right now that whatever’s on your record, whether you were convicted or charged, it was dismissed, it’s there on your criminal background record. And then it creates barriers to housing, employment. So we really want to look at and expand our expungement laws, and also clean up our records in our databases, so people can have an opportunity and a chance to survive and thrive here in Rhode Island,
Ian Donnis: There was a great profile of you in the Providence Journal last year by Antonia Farzan. It described how you overcame a lot of challenges, including poverty to pursue your education, you wound up obtaining two degrees from Brown University, and now you’re a state representative. So how can Rhode Island as a state do more to help people who face challenges to to do more and overcome those challenges and lead better lives?
Cherie Cruz: Yeah, there’s so many things we can do. And so many policies, and I think even in this last congressional race, we saw a wide array of candidates, right, and from different backgrounds and experiences. So we’re starting to see democracy open up. That’s how I like to talk about it. Both my parents died without ever having the right to vote, because of a criminal legal record. And even myself until 2006, when we passed it here in Rhode Island, and I was part of that advocacy. So I really believe in expanding again, back on clean slate and clearing records and giving people opportunities, but also safe and affordable houses to live. I mean, I myself was experiencing homelessness had Section Eight, lived in public housing, and it’s important that we have safe housing, and then opportunities to education. I mean, the schools in my community are falling apart. And it’s to say, it looks even worse than when I went there, you know, 40 years ago, and I’m like, wow, this is there’s something we need to do here. And those were some of the barriers for me when I was young and had to overcome as an adult. So I think we need to continue doing more. And we’re on that path.
Ian Donnis: We’re talking here with State Representative Cherie Cruz of Pawtucket. And as you said, you’ve had a lot of experiences that are not widely shared by your colleagues in the legislature. How do you think that? What difference does that make that you bring your life experience to the General Assembly?
Cherie Cruz: Well, I think that personal experience brings passion, detailed knowledge, that firsthand experience is so important. Because how would you know it otherwise you know theory in real life are two different things. And in you need them, you need both of them. And we have a lot of great people at the Statehouse who have theory and knowledge and educational background, but we really need to balance it out with that real life experience. Because we know the pros and cons when we see something 10 steps ahead. So it’s really important that we look at it and able to share our feedback to make it the best policy, the best legislation we can.
Ian Donnis: Talking about the difference between theory and real life. I did a story a year or two ago about the state’s legalization of marijuana and how there were concerns that all the talk about social equity and helping people who are hurt by the drug war might not really match the intention of the program. Time’s gone by, how would you say the social equity program is working out?
Cherie Cruz: Well, I think on the ground, originally as an organizer, people are hopeful. They’re organizing, they’re getting together, they’re getting up their business skills and learning because they want to take part in this social equity licensing. So I see that vibrant and hope happening on the ground. On the state level, we’re still working on it. Right? We just got the commission together. And I’m really hopeful. I know Kim Ahern is there, and I have a lot of faith in her and to make sure that we’re able to do it. I haven’t seen results yet. But I’m looking forward to it and want to continue advocating to make sure that it reaches its potential.
Ian Donnis: You talked a little bit earlier about the challenges that can exist for a person if they’ve been convicted of a crime, they got a prison, they might be trying to do the right thing, but a record can make it very difficult for them to get a job. Moving forward, how can the state better balanced that I mean, on one hand, you know, people would say there’s a right to know if someone’s been convicted of a serious crime how to balance that with giving someone the opportunity for a fresh start.
Cherie Cruz: Yeah, and I think it’s basically: someone’s did their time, right so here they are back in the communities so they should be able to work and live. I mean, if we don’t provide those opportunities were becoming more unsafe. So it’s like we need to think about again, like with expungement laws but also to asking on applications when you know, we fought and I was part of that advocacy to “ban the box.” And there’s, you know, laws on the books that aren’t being enforced. So we want to make sure that people have those rights that we are being the boss, that people have the right to explain some of their past. I mean, even with the cannabis, you know, legalization we talked about, if it’s not related or fair chance licensing, if it’s not related to that job, then it shouldn’t be a factor. And I think we need to do more, you know, just in educating people around that, and opening the doors because again, if people do care about safety, and they don’t want someone with past, right, well, you’re gonna it’s going to create more of an unsafe condition if people can’t work or, or have housing.
Ian Donnis: One of the big stories in Pawtucket is the ongoing effort to build a soccer arena that seems to be moving forward a little bit more now than in the past. I wonder what your thoughts are about that project? Is it a good thing for Pawtucket? Will that help the city in your view?
Cherie Cruz: Yeah, you know, I get a lot of calls from my constituents on this one. And, and me personally, like why I ran: to support people struggling the most and, you know, a soccer stadiums is wonderful. Do I think it’s the time for it? No. Do I hear that from constituents? Yes. They don’t think it’s the time for it. Because we do have housing and education, and crises making sure people just can survive every day. So I think overall, a soccer stadium is beautiful. Bring it in, we had McCoy stadium, and unfortunately, you know, dealing with that loss. But I think, you know, honestly, this isn’t the time for an investment in something that’s a recreational pastime, that may only benefit a private interest or not the public because it’s not a public stadium. It’s not somewhere where kids can go play. So I think that’s something that we need to think about, and it’s something great to go for, but we do have a lot of more pressing needs in front of us right now.
Ian Donnis: We’re out of time, so we need to leave it there. State Representative Cherie Cruz, Democrat of Pawtucket. Thank you so much for sitting down with us.
Cherie Cruz: Thank you so much for having me, Ian.
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The bonds between fellow Marines was one theme when GOP Congressman Jack Bergman of Michigan this week endorsed Gerry Leonard, the Republican running in CD1. But it’s another association for Bergman that might give some voters pause; he was among more than 140 House Republicans who voted against certifying the presidential vote in 2020. Leonard calls himself a moderate who doesn’t believe in election denialism. But the views of some national Republicans could shadow his challenge to CD1 Democrat Gabe Amo in their general election contest. You can read more about that in my weekly TGIF column, posting around 4 this afternoon on what used to be known as Twitter and at The Public’s Radio dot org.
That’s our show for this week. Our producer is James Baumgartner.
I’m Ian Donnis and I’ll see you on the radio.
