Kim Ahern

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As Attorney General, Kim will fight for Rhode Islanders and their rights to determine if, when, and how to have children, and to nurture the children they have in safe and sustainable communities.

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Establish a Reproductive Justice Unit within the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office.

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One of the most important jobs the Attorney General has is to keep Rhode Islanders safe from violent criminals, and that has been the focus of my entire career. As a prosecutor for nearly a decade under three Attorneys General, I served in the Special Victims Unit and I led Grand Jury investigations into some of the most serious crimes in our state. I prosecuted more than 1,000 cases involving violent crime, including murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, and animal abuse, and I helped bring justice to hundreds of survivors. I have seen firsthand the damage caused by violent offenders and the responsibility the Attorney General has to hold them fully accountable. As Attorney General, I will put the criminal prosecution unit front-and-center, aggressively prosecute violent offenders, stand up for victims, and fight to keep our communities safe.

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Public safety also means recognizing when treatment and support are more effective than incarceration. As Attorney General, I will work to expand diversion opportunities that connect people struggling with mental illness and addiction to the care they need, while still holding individuals accountable and keeping communities safe. That means strengthening partnerships with courts, law enforcement, treatment providers, and community organizations to ensure timely access to mental health services, substance use treatment, and recovery supports – a continuation of the work I did on criminal justice reform in the Raimondo administration. By investing in evidence-based diversion programs and treatment options, we can break cycles of addiction and crisis, reduce repeat offenses, and help people stabilize their lives.

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Every Rhode Islander deserves to feel safe, respected, and protected under the law. Hate crimes are more than attacks on individual people – they are attacks on entire communities – and the Attorney General has a critical role to prevent these crimes from happening and prosecute them when they do. During my time in the Attorney General’s Office, I led training sessions with municipal police departments across the state on LGBTQ+ issues, antisemitism, and other best practices for identifying, investigating, and preventing bias and discrimination. As Attorney General, I will vigorously enforce our civil rights laws, strengthen hate crime prevention and prosecution, and ensure law enforcement has the tools and training needed to respond effectively.

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When the Trump administration attacks Rhode Islanders and threatens our fundamental rights, the Attorney General is the first line of defense. I will stand up to unlawful federal actions that harm our communities, whether on immigration, health care access, reproductive freedom, voting rights, or environmental protections. That includes making sure Rhode Islanders understand their rights when approached by ICE or other federal law enforcement so no one is intimidated, targeted, or stripped of protections guaranteed under the law. As Attorney General, I will not hesitate to take the Trump administration to court when it oversteps its authority or puts our residents at risk. Rhode Island deserves an Attorney General who will defend our values, protect our people, and use every legal tool available to hold the federal government accountable.

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Reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy are fundamental rights that must be protected. I was proud to serve on Governor Gina Raimondo’s team when Rhode Island enshrined the protections of Roe v. Wade into state law, ensuring that the right to choose is safeguarded here at home even as it comes under attack nationally. As Attorney General, I will be ready to defend that law and ensure every Rhode Islander has the right to choose whether, how, and when to start a family. At a time of continued and coordinated efforts to roll back reproductive rights across the country, Rhode Island needs an Attorney General who will stand firm, go to court when necessary, and use the full power of the office to protect access to reproductive health care, privacy, and dignity for all. Learn more about my Reproductive Justice Initiative here.

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Protecting our environment is protecting who we are as Rhode Islanders. Our coastline, bays, and natural resources are central to our identity as the Ocean State and to the health of our communities and economy. As Attorney General, I will defend Rhode Island’s right to build clean energy infrastructure that helps address climate change while protecting shoreline access for Rhode Islanders and preserving the environment we cherish. I will stand up to attempts by the Trump administration to block these projects, undermine state authority, and put thousands of union workers out of good paying jobs. Using the full power of the Attorney General’s office, I will enforce our environmental laws, protect our natural beauty, and ensure that Rhode Island’s resources are preserved for future generations.

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A strong democracy depends on open, honest, and accountable government. As Attorney General, I will uphold and enforce Rhode Island’s Access to Public Records Act (APRA) to ensure that state agencies follow the law and that the public has meaningful access to information about how decisions are made. Transparency builds trust, and no administration or agency should be above the rules that protect the public’s right to know.

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Fighting for workers is core to my commitment to public service and to the role of Attorney General. Every Rhode Islander deserves to be paid a living wage for their work and to be treated with dignity and respect on the job. I was proud to help advance Rhode Island’s felony wage theft law and to build regulatory frameworks that strengthen workers’ right to organize, including requiring Labor Peace Agreements in the cannabis industry. As Attorney General, I will be a strong partner to our unions by defending the right to organize, enforcing prevailing wage and wage theft laws, and holding bad faith actors accountable. I will work closely with the Department of Labor and Training (DLT) to ensure workers are paid what they earn, and I will not hesitate to take legal action when the law is broken. Raised in a family shaped by union work, I understand firsthand how collective bargaining creates opportunity, and I will use every tool of the office to stand up for Rhode Island’s hardworking tradesmen and women.

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Working families in Rhode Island are hurting as utility costs continue to rise. The Attorney General has an important statutory role to protect consumers by intervening in proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Department of Public Utilities (DPUC). When I served in the Attorney General’s Office, we had dedicated attorneys whose full time job was to be embedded at the PUC and DPUC offices, stay fully informed about pending decisions, and intervene when appropriate to protect Rhode Islanders from dramatic rate increases. As Attorney General, I will prioritize that consumer protection role and ensure the office is fully engaged in standing up for working families and holding utilities accountable.

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Protecting access to health care is essential to protecting Rhode Islanders’ health, safety, and economic security. Hospital mergers and consolidation across the medical system can raise prices and lower the quality of care. The Attorney General plays a critical role in reviewing health care mergers and acquisitions to ensure they benefit patients. As Attorney General, I will take that responsibility seriously by closely scrutinizing proposed transactions and blocking deals that prioritize profits over patients. I will fight to shore up Rhode Island’s health care system by protecting access to quality care, supporting a stable and sustainable hospital network, and ensuring that the hospitals and medical services Rhode Islanders rely on remain open and available when they are needed most. I will work to protect healthcare workers from workplace violence, and ensure that nursing homes, hospitals, child care providers, and public services have the staffing and resources they need to serve Rhode Islanders safely and effectively.

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Too often, these days, it feels like working families are on their own in the face of rising prices, declining quality and corporate scams. As Attorney General, I will proudly stand on the side of working families. I will make consumer protection a top priority, with a particular focus on safeguarding aging Rhode Islanders and other vulnerable populations from scams that can strip them of life savings, threaten their independence, and undermine their dignity. Utilizing the Consumer Protection Bureau, I will aggressively investigate and hold accountable bad actors who engage in deceptive, unfair, or abusive practices, including landlords who jack up rents through price fixing; grocery stores that price gouge shoppers; or businesses tagging junk fees on to our daily purchases. I will pursue civil and criminal actions to stop fraudulent schemes, secure restitution for victims, and impose penalties that deter future abuse. And I will expand public outreach and education, providing Rhode Islanders with the tools and knowledge they need to recognize and avoid scams.

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Social media algorithms and cyberbullying have been linked to a youth mental health crisis. It’s increasingly clear many social media companies understand these harms and fail to mitigate the risks. As Attorney General, I will prosecute platforms that violate data privacy laws, promote harmful algorithmic content, or fail to protect minors. As Artificial Intelligence tools become more ubiquitous and more powerful, I will ensure Rhode Island is leading the charge to protect children from AI-generated deepfakes and the potential super-charging of other digital harms.

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Kim will fight to protect access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in the State and to ensure that Rhode Island is a leader in the pursuit of reproductive justice and bodily autonomy for all.

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Follow Massachusetts & Connecticut to establish a legal helpline

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Litigate against intrusion into Rhode Islander’s bodily autonomy

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Publish know-your-rights pamphlets and webpages

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Collaborate with national and state-based organizations