Get Herald RSSIn an already historic election year, Rhode Island Democrats made another first yesterday, electing Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, as State Senate president, the first woman to hold the post.
Paiva Weed's ascension to the post came after the former Senate president, Democrat Joseph Montalbano, unexpectedly lost his seat last Tuesday, creating a spot for new Senate leadership. Paiva Weed was previously Senate majority leader.
Though disappointed with Montalbano's ousting, State Sen. Rhoda Perry P '91 said she is "elated" with last Tuesday's national and local election results. "I think we have a clarion call for change in the way in which our government functions," she said.
And while Rhode Island was no exception to the nationwide trend of Democratic gains this election cycle, Perry said that the large Democratic majorities in the state legislature do not tell the entire story. There are "many progressive Republicans" and "a good number of conservative Democrats" in Rhode Island's government, she said.
Despite Montalbano's loss, Perry said that this election represented a net gain for progressives in Rhode Island.
Senate Democrats did not anticipate Montalbano's ouster, said Perry, who represents the district including Brown's campus and most of the East Side.
After the election, it's clear that redrawn districts compromised Montalbano's chances for his 11th term in the Senate. The former Senate president agreed to redraw his district as part of a redistricting effort designed to increase minority representation in the state's legislature, Perry said.
Montalbano's district was redrawn to include parts of Lincoln, which leans further right than the rest of the district, said Perry, whose district was also redrawn slightly.
Specifically, Perry said she is "very excited" by the election of a woman as Senate president.
Paiva Weed "is and has been a stellar leader" who is "honest" and "full of integrity," Perry said. "She worked her fanny off trying to reshape the welfare system fairly," said Perry, who called Paiva Weed's management style inclusive and open-minded.
Paiva Weed's ascension to the Senate presidency without a "painful" leadership struggle is "emblematic of her style," Perry said.
Perry said in an interview with The Herald last month that she hoped the new legislature will override a veto by Gov. Donald Carcieri '65 that maintains Rhode Island's practice of putting parolees back in jail when they are charged with a crime, even if they are not convicted.
She called the veto "nonsensical" and said the governor applied his power "arbitrarily and capriciously" in blocking the bill.
"I'm going to let Sen. Paiva Weed have a week" before bringing up the possibility of an override, Perry said. But, "I'm definitely going to ask," she said.
Though Perry said she looks forward to the next term, she added, "We're going to have to make so many very, very difficult decisions."
