State of Rhode Island Archives: on Government Reform
Carl Sheeler:
Term limits for governor but not for legislature
Q: Do you support the current limit of two consecutive four-year terms for Rhode Island governors? A: Yes.
Q: Do you support limiting the number of terms for Rhode Island state senators and representatives?
A: No.
Source: 2004 R.I. Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Nov 7, 2004
Carl Sheeler:
Limit PAC, corporate, and individual campaign contributions
Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates? - Individual?
A: Yes. - PAC?
A: Yes. - Corporate?
A: Yes. - Political Parties?
A: Yes. -
Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes. - Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
A: Yes.
Source: 2004 R.I. Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Nov 7, 2004
Jack Reed:
Nuclear option: Allow confirmation of Obama's appointees
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said that "nothing in the Constitution gives the Senate minority the right to obstruct nominees. This pattern of obstruction had to stop."The rule change came on a largely party line after partisan rancor between
Democratic and Republican leaders had triggered gridlock in appointing federal judges and other top level federal officials.
Source: R.I. NPR 91.5 FM reporting on 2014 Rhode Island Senate race
Nov 21, 2013
Lincoln Chafee:
Vindicated for opposing Alito, by Alito's bad votes
Q: Your views on Samuel Alito?s Supreme Court nomination?LAFFEY: Alito served for 15 years at the federal bench and did a great job. After looking at his record and watching him testify, I certainly would have approved him. The difference between
Chafee and I on this issue is: 1) he has a litmus test for Supreme Court justices. I look at their character. I'll look at their independence. I'll look at their law school.. And 2) Chafee made himself completely irrelevant in the process. He was the
99th senator to make up his mind.
CHAFEE: I carefully followed the judiciary committee hearings to see how Alito answered some of these questions important to me and to the country, and then conferred with many experts of the interpretation of those
answers in that committee. I think I've been vindicated. In the last vote on executive powers, Alito was in the expansion of those powers and on the commerce clause as it relates to the Clean Water Act and a Michigan case heard by the Supreme Court.
Source: 2006 R.I. Republican Senate Primary debate (x-ref Laffey)
Aug 24, 2006
Lincoln Chafee:
Has concerns about Bush's expansion of executive power
Q: What is the proper oversight role of Congress and its judiciary? A: This is an important issue not just because Bush might be trying to expand these executive powers; it's who might come later. It's the precedent set for who might come later and over
those 200 plus years of democracy here, we've carefully guarded that balance of power between the legislative, judicial and executive branches. We're seeing the expansion of this executive power particular in wiretapping and Bush saying I'm commander in
chief, I can supersede the fourth amendment of the constitution. The fourth amendment says if you want to wiretap, search or seizure, get a warrant. It's easy. Bush is saying no, under Article Two, I don't have to get a warrant. The issue of
detainees being held without charges down in Guantanamo Bay is another expansion of executive powers. Thirdly, the President signs the laws that that the Congress passes. But Bush puts a signing statement on it, saying I don't have to adhere to that law.
Source: 2006 R.I. Republican Senate Primary debate on WPRI
Aug 24, 2006
Mark Zaccaria:
Keep contribution limits & campaign finance regulations
Q: Do you support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns?A: No.
Q: Should Congress regulate indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support removing all contribution limits on federal campaigns?
A: No.
Q: Should candidates for federal office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
A: Yes.
Source: R.I. Congressional 2010 PVS Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2010
Sheldon Whitehouse:
Overturn Citizens United; it undid 100 years of regulations
The moderator asked which Supreme Court ruling they would like to overturn. Hinckley said he was unhappy with the decision by Chief Justice John Roberts to not overturn the healthcare mandate included in President Obama's healthcare plan.
Whitehouse said he would like to overturn the Citizens United decision, which held that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations and unions. "That ruling overturned
100 years of regulation in the elections world and unleashed billionaires and foreign corporations to have influence on our elections," Whitehouse said. "It's a prescription for scandal and disaster.
When asked who their favorite justices were, Hinckley said Clarence Thomas, Whitehouse said Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Source: WPRI Eyewitness News on 2012 R.I. Senate debate
Oct 23, 2012
Stephen Laffey:
Supported Sam Alito nomination to Supreme Court
Q: Your views on Samuel Alito?s Supreme Court nomination?LAFFEY: Alito served for 15 years at the federal bench and did a great job. After looking at his record and watching him testify, I certainly would have approved him. The difference between
Chafee and I on this issue is: 1) he has a litmus test for Supreme Court justices. I look at their character. I'll look at their independence. I'll look at their law school.. And 2) Chafee made himself completely irrelevant in the process. He was the
99th senator to make up his mind.
CHAFEE: I carefully followed the judiciary committee hearings to see how Alito answered some of these questions important to me and to the country, and then conferred with many experts of the interpretation of those
answers in that committee. I think I've been vindicated. In the last vote on executive powers, Alito was in the expansion of those powers and on the commerce clause as it relates to the Clean Water Act and a Michigan case heard by the Supreme Court.
Source: 2006 R.I. Republican Senate Primary debate on WPRI
Aug 24, 2006
Helena Foulkes:
Ensure citizens can exercise their right to vote
Rhode Island makes it far too difficult for our people to vote, but the good news is that with the right policies, we can fix that. That's why leadership at the state level matters now more than ever. And we have a lot of work to do here at home.
Last year, we were the only state with Democratic leaders that failed to expand voting rights. Despite being a heavily Democratic state, Rhode Island has a lot of work to do to ensure that our citizens can exercise their constitutional right to vote.
Source: 2022 R.I. Gubernatorial campaign website HelenaFoulkes.com
Oct 3, 2022
Helena Foulkes:
Cut onerous red tape to help businesses of all sizes
No one who works full time should struggle to make ends meet in Rhode Island. From her own experience as a business leader, Helena knows how to recruit companies to create jobs here in Rhode Island. She also understands what our existing businesses of
all sizes - small, medium, and large - need to grow and thrive. As governor, she will work to cut onerous red tape, make it easier for Rhode Islanders to start their own business, and create jobs in high-growth industries.
Source: 2022 R.I. Gubernatorial campaign website HelenaFoulkes.com
Oct 3, 2022
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026