“Raimondo and Leadership Have No Commitment to Minority Issues,” Says House Labor Chair Williams

“Raimondo and Leadership Have No Commitment to Minority Issues,” Says House Labor Chair Williams

In a 30-minute interview with House Labor Committee Chair Anastasia Williams, the senior legislator blasted Governor Gina Raimondo and the House leadership for “their lack of action on issues for people color.”

Williams is one of the legislature's longest-serving members and one of the few minorities who chairs a committee.

“I am hearing people talking about change, but nothing is happening. I see the placards but no action. Nothing has come of it. We are not moving - we are not going forward or backward,” said Williams.

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Williams is critical of Rhode Island’s top Democrats for their lack of action.

 

Questions Raimondo’s Record

On Raimondo, Williams said she was an early supporter of the Governor. “I was an early supporter and a cheerleader …and she forgot who helped her get there,” said Williams, who has served in the House since 1992.

“She has lost her credibility with people of color,” Williams said and pointed out that she has failed the minority community, citing examples from Raimondo's poor record of appointments to the judiciary to Raimondo’s endorsement of Michael Bloomberg for President.

Despite numerous female and minority candidates, Raimondo supported Bloomberg who oversaw a controversial “Stop and Frisk” law enforcement program in New York City that targeted overwhelmingly young men of color. Millions of stops were made and 90% of the stops targeted people of color.

 

Lost Ground Under Raimondo

Williams credits attorney Sally Dowling of the Judicial nominating committing for doing what she said has been an outstanding job of recruiting a “record number of applicants of color — highly qualified.”

Dowling is a Providence corporate attorney and the former Policy Director for Governor Edward DiPrete.

But Williams said under Raimondo, minorities have lost ground with the total number of judges. Williams said the present vacancy on the Supreme Court is a test for Raimondo’s legacy, but the Governor has been privately pushing State Senator Erin Lynch Prata, a close friend of Raimondo.

"She could have appointed 6 minorities to the court," said Williams.

“We lost four minority judges during Raimondo and appointed she appointed three — all highly qualified. Overall, we lost ground,” said Williams.

Williams said the vacancy on the Supreme Court is important as it's the first in a decade. Rhode Island has never had a minority on the highest court.

 

Williams' Successes

During the 2019 legislative session, Williams sponsored legislation that codifies in state law the privacy rights and reproductive freedoms guaranteed by the United States Supreme Court in the case Roe v. Wade.  The bill was signed into law by Raimondo.  The friction between Raimondo and Williams became public when Raimondo’s then-chief of staff Brett Smiley intentionally slighted Williams during the signing ceremony — Raimondo and her staff ultimately apologized.

Williams, a leader in the Democratic Party teamed with Republicans to sponsor and push through a new law, one which she has introduced for several years, which exempts natural hair braiders from the requirement to be licensed as hairdressers or cosmeticians.

 

House Leadership - Talk vs. Walk

Williams said every discussion with the House leadership about issues of race seems like it is the first discussion. “There is no commitment to making change,” said Williams.

“It is a failure of communication by the Speaker [Nick Mattiello], the leadership and the staff,” said Williams.

She said there is no commitment to issues that impact Rhode Island’s poorer residents and “a big focus on the 1%.”

“We are being told that only the budget will pass and not much else. The Speaker makes sure the IGT-Twin River deal is in the budget,” said Williams.

“The process in the House is disingenuous. I want to be part of the solution, but the powerful interests are taking advantage of this crisis,” said Williams