UPDATED: RI Latino PAC Calls for Ruggerio's Removal As Senate President

UPDATED: RI Latino PAC Calls for Ruggerio's Removal As Senate President

The leading Latino political organization in Rhode Island is calling for the ouster of Senate President Dominick Ruggerio.

The chairman of the RI Latino Political Action Committee -- Joseph Molina Flynn -- announced the group is supporting Senator Gayle Goldin (D-District 3) in her potential bid to be Senate President. 

"As part of RILPAC’s commitment to supporting more representative, leadership in the General Assembly, Senator Goldin’s work and leadership around pay equity and family protection have been pivotal to our state. We believe that her leadership as Senate President will bring about additional opportunities and access for others to be part of leadership positions that they deserve," Molina Flynn said in a statement. 

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"In 2021, our General Assembly is set to be the most racially and gender diverse it has ever been. Nevertheless, unless leadership in both chambers reflects that diversity then these achievements will be in vain. We strongly believe that opportunities to lead Committees and other leadership positions should be afforded to General Assembly members who are qualified and equitably represent the Rhode Island population. We further believe that our General Assembly suffers from unchanging leadership, and it is time for the State to start changing that," said Molina Flynn.

Greg Pare, spokesperson for Ruggerio said in response to RILPAC, "Improving the socio-economic status of all Rhode Islanders, particularly those impacted by systemic racism and injustice, has always been at the forefront of the Senate’s agenda. Senate President Ruggerio has been proud to work with the Black & Latino Caucus to address policies that assist communities they represent."

"Under his leadership, the Senate has fought to codify the Affordable Care Act; enact DACA protections to assist Dreamers; raise the minimum wage; prohibit housing discrimination; overhaul the state’s criminal justice system and reform the state’s discriminatory occupational licensing statutes; enhance worker protections such as barring non-compete agreements for low-wage workers and setting minimum safety standards at nursing homes; and, of course, we have passed a strong Equal Pay Act and Paid Family Leave. President Ruggerio is looking forward to fighting for a bold agenda with a united Senate in 2021," Pare said.

Goldin is an East Side Senator and considered liberal. Ruggerio, in contrast, comes out of the labor movement and has a long track record of being pragmatic and pro-development.