REP. JOSEPH J. SOLOMON JR., D-Warwick, has received the Golden Paw Award from Animal Rescue Rhode Island in South Kingstown. The annual award is given to individuals who advocate for addressing homeless, abused and abandoned animals.
What was your reaction to being selected as a recipient of an ARRI Golden Paw Award? It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by such a prestigious organization. My hope is that this award brings more attention to the issue of animal testing in the medical field. How society treats animals is a reflection on how we treat one another. Since the victims of animal abuse cannot speak for themselves, it is up to lawmakers to keep animals in mind when crafting health and safety laws.
What laws are you working on to protect animals? I plan on continuing efforts to ban testing on animals in the medical field. I introduced a law that protects dogs from being outdoors in extreme temperatures, and I look forward to building upon that law. I have co-sponsored legislation that would prohibit those convicted of cruelty to animals from owning an animal. And I will continue to investigate any issues that animal rights advocates may bring to my attention in the future.
What are the biggest issues that you are addressing as a state legislator? I am very concerned about the impact on mental health that COVID-19 is having on our community. I plan on continuing my efforts to ensure that people struggling with mental health issues have the resources and help that they need. This is more important now than ever when people are faced with unimaginable stress due to the pandemic. I believe the mental health of children has been particularly affected, and I want to make sure the schools are properly equipped to deal with the emotional issues that students will face in the future. Over the last several months, my primary goal was ensuring that my constituents were taken care of. Whether it is helping them navigate unemployment insurance, directing local businesses to economic relief programs or just lending a sympathetic ear to someone who is struggling, my job is to be there for the people in my district. We are all having to adjust to the new way of living and communicating when we cannot see one another face to face, but the job itself has not changed.
What do you hope to accomplish for your district during your tenure? I grew up in a family that believes that we have a duty to leave the world in a better place than we found it. I ran for office because I want to have a positive impact on my community. My No. 1 focus is helping the state and its residents recover from the pandemic. I want to focus on helping small businesses that are struggling, but also focus on helping the many people who have lost their job due to the pandemic. We are just beginning to comprehend the ways in which this pandemic has had an impact on society, financially, medically, emotionally and in many other ways, so legislatively, we have our work cut out for us.
