Meet the candidates in House District 71
In advance of the 2022 General Election, The Newport Daily News reached out to candidates running in contested races via emails filed with the Board of Elections to learn more about their candidacy.
All candidates were asked the same questions with a 450-word limit per question and provided two weeks to respond. Responses can be seen below without editing to ensure voters are reading the candidates' own words.
Michelle McGaw
Position running for: State Representative District 71
Hometown: Portsmouth
Current office held (if any): State Representative District 71
Occupation: Pharmacist
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
It has been my honor to represent the people of District 71.
Living, working and volunteering in the communities I represent, over many years, gives me the perspective needed to understand the strengths and needs of the people of Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Little Compton.
My commitment to our community has been ongoing and ever present. Whether it was through my work with our local youth baseball organizations or through addressing the waste disposal needs of our community, I have been committed to stepping in where I can be of service to meet a need. As a Board member for the RI Democratic Women’s Caucus I created a space to bring women of our area together to talk about the role they have in influencing the decisions at every level, from local boards and commissions, to school committees, town council seats and more.
While Common Fence Point may be newly redistricted to District 71, I was spending time in the neighborhood over many years, ready to lend a helping hand through organizing a fundraiser for the community hall, joining a local beach cleanup, or helping to build a rain garden. My commitment to improving our community has always been based on a dedication to the betterment of the place we call home.
I originally ran for office because I wanted the people of District 71 to feel that their voices were heard and I wanted to bring their voices with me as important decisions about RI’s future were made. As part of that process, I welcome conversations with neighbors sharing their thoughts on what our future should look like.
Representing the district means having an understanding of a wide range of topics and a relationship with key community leaders to optimize opportunity for solutions.
I will continue to take every possible opportunity to learn more about developing issues to ensure that every decision is an informed and principled decision.
In my first term in office we have taken real steps forward including making voting more accessible and passing environmental legislation that puts Rhode Island on the path towards a more sustainable future.
Taking office during the pandemic presented many obstacles. My 30+ years of experience in healthcare has been a great asset as we navigate our way through public health challenges and advocate for policies we need to promote safety within our communities.
I am buoyed by the collaboration by RI House colleagues of the East Bay and our commitment to helping the people of our communities. Sharing similar communities, with similar needs and interests we are working together to bring solutions to the people of our communities.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing your district and how would you approach improving the situation?
I believe that one of the major issues our district faces is the upcoming instability related to our energy needs. Recent news items about inflation and rising costs include instability of everyday necessities such as energy to run our homes and businesses. The RI Public Utilities Commission recently approved a significant increase in the cost of electricity. The primary reason for the increased cost of electricity has been attributed to the rising cost of natural gas as the primary source for electricity generation.
Recognizing that a significant portion of our electricity is currently generated using natural gas it is important to point to the important impacts that our reliance upon fossil fuel generated power has had on our communities. (I look back at the major gas-outage of 2019 as a prime example.) With global supply issues and war in Ukraine impacting worldwide demand, we need to look towards reducing our local reliance on this limited-supply energy source that has been unstable for generations, demonstrating significant price fluctuations.
The response to increased energy costs should include both short term and long term solutions.
One opportunity to reduce demand in the short and long term is to maximize our energy efficiency opportunities. RI’s Office of Energy Resources in conjunction with RI Energy offers a home energy assessment and also offers rebates to help homeowners identify opportunities to increase energy efficiency. Available at no cost to the homeowner, there may be additional opportunities for those that are income-eligible, including assistance with efficiency upgrades and heating costs. These audits are a great step towards reducing our energy usage.
The long-term outlook for energy needs will depend on efficiency, but will also rely upon our ability to transition away from fossil-fuel based energy generation. Transition to renewable energy opportunities such as wind and solar power can help to provide more long-term stability to the availability and costs of electric generation.
Rhode Island is making investments in long-term energy solutions to help stabilize our local energy market. Passage of The Act on Climate, an enforceable framework for our state to reduce our carbon-emissions by 100% by the year 2050 and RI’s commitment to 100% renewable energy by 2033 are not only making a positive impact on the impacts that these renewable energy sources will have on our health and environment.
The transition away from fossil-fuel generated electricity which has repeatedly proven to be unstable, particularly in recent years, will help to provide unrestricted resources to provide the energy we need, without the worldwide instability of fossil-fuel pricing.
We can stabilize our energy sources and pricing, reduce the health and environmental impacts of fossil fuel generated electricity while creating good paying jobs within the energy market.
Kobe Taylor
Did not respond.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Meet the candidates in House District 71
