Moira J. Walsh | State representative, D-Providence
1. You were an advocate for an increase in the tipped minimum wage before you were a state representative. How has that activism influenced your legislative priorities? Being an activist first enabled me to recognize what issues people were willing to fight for. Finding child care, marching on picket lines and testifying on legislation aren’t always easy tasks for everyday citizens. So, if we’re asking them to show up, it must be for an issue that truly matters.
2. Is there an imbalance in the comparative power of employees vs. employers in influencing legislation? A successful employer/employee relationship requires both sides to be able to bargain on equal footing. … It is in the best interest of our economy to ensure the dignity, rights and wages of employees because [otherwise] … we’re missing out on thousands of workers investing in our economy in meaningful ways.
3. You were elected in November 2016, defeating an incumbent in the primary. What was the highlight of your first session? Restoring the free-fare bus passes for elderly and disabled residents. It was a program that should never have been cut, and its reinstatement has made an immeasurably positive impact on my community.
4. What is your focus this year? My focus is to find workable and reasonable solutions to the problems that exist in my community. I’m hoping to pass legislation that reclassifies addiction as a reoccurring brain disease, in order to help the thousands of Rhode Islanders who have been affected by opioid addiction. This reclassification may enable insurance companies to cover more treatment options rather than arresting and imprisoning our friends and neighbors in their darkest hour.
5. What would encourage more women to run for public office in Rhode Island? The only thing that will encourage more women to run is more women running. It is very much a Catch-22, but I can’t tell you the number of women who reached out after I won, expressing their interest in running in the next cycle. Women need to see women try and succeed. They need to know that their hard work will yield results.
