To the Editor:

Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines. While much of the country has tunnel vision towards the presidential election in November, it is imperative to also look to local races for much of the tangible change we hope to see in our lives. One such race is the September 8th Democratic Primary, in which I’ll be proudly voting to re-elect Mark McKenney as State Senator for District 30.

It’s no secret that at the local level, party labels seem to mean less. Knowing this, refusing to vote due to party loyalty or ideological puritanism just doesn’t make sense. This is the time to examine the candidates and decide for yourself who is working for the community – who is taking a rational, thoughtful, and balanced approach to legislating.

Mark has a steady hand, and is a man of his word, something he has proven time and again during his first term. He keeps his campaign promises, knows that everyone in District 30 will not always agree on every issue, but remains committed to hearing from his constituents, doing his research, and making decisions based on what will move Warwick forward.

Too often, politicians are quick to paint issues with a broad brush in order to more easily align with national talking points that earn the most screen time. The reality is that doing the work on these issues in our communities is rarely flashy enough for headlines, and requires more nuance than will fit in a sound bite.

Let’s take the issue of guns – how often have you heard that Democrats want to take away your guns? This invokes an image of trucks circling neighborhoods and toting guns away to mysterious government locations. While this is happening to USPS mailboxes throughout the country, it’s unlikely to happen to your guns. Last year, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 69% of Americans (both Democrats and Republicans) want strong or moderate restrictions placed on firearms. There are plenty of common sense measures that can be taken to keep our communities safer. Mark strongly supported Senator Cindy Coyne’s ban on ghost guns, which was signed into law earlier this summer. At its most basic level, this bill minimizes the risk of work-arounds for people who might attempt to manufacture or procure a firearm without being subject to the same regulations as law-abiding gun owners. This is a simple but important step we’ve been able to take towards a safer state.

Similarly, we need to work towards the delicate balance of ensuring a fair criminal justice system, as well as ensuring the safety of our communities. Like Mark, I grew up in Buttonwoods, and a collectively traumatizing experience for our community was the murders committed by Craig Price in the 1980s. This is an issue that has brought about both emotional and legislative responses over the years. Mark is someone who is able to understand his neighbors’ memories and fears, as well as the inevitable nuances in criminal justice legislation in order to create a community that balances safety with fair treatment under the law. For example, Mark introduced legislation to close privately run prisons by 2028, and co-sponsored legislation to prohibit the questioning of a juvenile without a parent or guardian present, or an attorney if the guardian has waived their presence.

While I’ve known Mark and admired his integrity for many years, his quiet generosity during the pandemic has been an example of exactly what we need from our local elected officials. He has helped countless people navigate the process of applying for unemployment, and connected folks to local food, financial, and housing resources. Mark looks out for his constituents not only by introducing legislation on the Senate floor, but also by answering the call to help individuals in the moment.

Mark McKenney is a lifelong Warwick resident, and is committed to seeing our city progress with regard to our economy, our education, our health and safety, and our environment. I trust him to continue to bring his conversations with his neighbors to the State House, and vote in our best interests.

Bill Muto

Warwick