Helena Foulkes

Increase healthcare access and affordability by strengthening Medicaid, expanding the provider workforce, and bringing more preventive and community-based care to Rhode Islanders.

• Raise Medicaid reimbursement rates; create a state navigator program to preserve coverage; improve healthcare cost accountability; expand provider scope of practice and interstate licensing; increase loan forgiveness and healthcare training; create a healthcare-worker bill of rights; expand primary care, behavioral health, school-based services, dental access, caregiver support, and community screening.

Grow good-paying jobs by investing in Rhode Island's existing industries, ocean economy, workforce, and business-creation ecosystem.

• Proposes a $150 million Ocean Economy Investment Fund; port expansion; fishing cooperatives and seafood-processing infrastructure; an ocean-economy jobs-to-careers compact
• SmartBay investment; defense and marine-technology growth; and measures intended to make Rhode Island easier for new and existing businesses to grow.

Reduce barriers to employment by lowering childcare costs and improving transportation connections to jobs.

• Create a $20 million employer-matched childcare pilot fund; expand childcare tax credits; pursue universal pre-K by the end of a second term; invest in job-access transit routes; coordinate these measures with expanded housing supply.

Expand career and technical education and align training with Rhode Island's high-demand industries.

• Proposes a $100 million bond to build and modernize CTE facilities; prioritize skills for construction, healthcare, manufacturing, marine technology, and other growth sectors; connect employers with school curricula; expand adult CTE opportunities at CCRI and NEIT.

Lower utility costs while expanding renewable-energy production and strengthening oversight of Rhode Island Energy.

• Audit utility spending and rate increases; improve state oversight capacity; accelerate grid connections for renewable projects; create a $40 million solar-and-battery financing program for households and small businesses; install solar and batteries on 250 schools and municipal buildings; defend wind-energy development.

Increase Rhode Island's housing supply through a revolving public investment fund intended to support more than 20,000 new homes and apartments.

• Proposes a 3% additional marginal income-tax bracket above $1 million to capitalize a long-term revolving housing fund; use direct capital, bridge loans, public-private leverage, redevelopment of substandard public housing, and other tools to finance affordable, mixed-income, and market-rate construction.

Restructure transportation oversight after the Washington Bridge failure by increasing in-house expertise, contract oversight, investigation, and accountability.

• Conduct a full investigation of RIDOT practices; audit major infrastructure contracts; bring more engineering expertise inside RIDOT; review national best practices; create a new Office of Safety and Accountability; strengthen systems for checking contractors and bridge inspections.

Restrict lobbyist influence and increase real-time transparency around lobbying activity at the Rhode Island State House.

• Ban gifts and campaign donations from registered Rhode Island lobbyists to statewide elected officials, legislators, and candidates immediately before and during the legislative session; require frequent public disclosure of lobbying contacts; lower lobbyist gift-reporting thresholds to $1 year-round.