Megan L Cotter

I strongly supported creating a new legislative commission to take a comprehensive look at Rhode Island’s education funding formula. I had concerns about simply adopting the recommendations of the previous Blue Ribbon Commission because South County and regional school districts were not adequately represented in that process. Our communities face challenges that are very different from those of more densely populated districts, and they deserve a seat at the table.

My priorities are straightforward. First, the state needs to take greater responsibility for extraordinary special education costs. When one student requires extremely expensive services, a local school district and ultimately local property taxpayers should not be financially destabilized as a result. Rhode Island currently provides categorical funding for these

extraordinary costs, but reimbursements can be prorated when appropriations are insufficient.

Second, we need to address transportation. This is particularly important for large rural and regional districts, where buses travel significantly greater distances. Transportation is necessary to educate our children; it should be funded accordingly.

Finally, I believe Rhode Island should provide meaningful financial incentives for districts that voluntarily regionalize or share services. I have already introduced legislation aimed at strengthening those incentives. Regionalization will not work everywhere, but with declining enrollment and rising costs, communities willing to collaborate should have a reliable state partner.

I respect the Second Amendment and the constitutional rights of law-abiding Rhode Islanders. I also respect that people have deeply held concerns about gun violence and want government to take meaningful steps to keep their families and communities safe.

I voted against Rhode Island’s 2025 prohibited-firearms legislation. My concern was not a lack of concern for public safety. I questioned whether this particular approach would ultimately withstand constitutional scrutiny and whether Rhode Island taxpayers could be left paying the cost of prolonged litigation.

That concern is not hypothetical. Courts across the country continue to consider challenges involving restrictions on semiautomatic firearms, and the constitutional boundaries of these laws remain the subject of significant litigation. At the same time, courts have upheld some firearm restrictions, so I do not think it would be responsible to claim that Rhode Island’s law will definitely be overturned.

I believe we can protect constitutional rights while taking gun violence seriously. I will continue evaluating firearm legislation individually, based on whether it is constitutional, enforceable and likely to make Rhode Islanders safer.

My responsibility is to listen to those perspectives, examine the legislation carefully and cast the vote I believe best serves the people I represent.

Access to affordable health care is especially challenging in rural communities, and this has been one of my priorities since entering the General Assembly.

Early in my first term, I worked with Wood River Health and RIPTA to identify funding that enabled Wood River Health to secure a van to transport patients to medical appointments. Today, Wood River Health provides free van transportation to patients for medical and dental appointments. That work earned me the Rhode Island Health Center Association’s John H. Chafee Healthcare Leadership Award, but more importantly, it helped remove a very real barrier to care for our neighbors.

Transportation, however, is only one piece of the problem. Rhode Island also needs to ensure that reimbursement rates are competitive enough to attract and retain physicians, nurses, behavioral health professionals and other providers. We cannot expect providers to remain here if neighboring states consistently offer substantially better reimbursement and compensation.

In the near term, we should prioritize reimbursement increases in areas experiencing the greatest provider shortages and continue protecting community health centers and programs such as 340B that keep care accessible locally. I have worked across party lines on legislation aimed at protecting that program.

Long term, Rhode Island needs a sustainable reimbursement strategy that keeps providers here. Having insurance means very little if you cannot find a doctor who can see you.

I support Secretary of State Gregg Amore’s decision to protect Rhode Islanders’ private voter information, and the federal court’s ruling affirmed that position.

I believe Rhode Island should maintain accurate voter rolls, conduct secure elections and comply fully with legitimate federal and state election laws. Secretary Amore’s office has an established voter-list maintenance process designed to keep Rhode Island’s rolls accurate.

Rhode Island unquestionably needs more housing. But we also need to build responsibly. State housing policy cannot ignore the very real infrastructure limitations of rural communities.

That is particularly important in communities that depend on private wells, septic systems and groundwater rather than municipal water and sewer infrastructure. Increasing density without understanding an area’s water capacity can have long-term consequences for existing residents, future homeowners and the environment.

That is why I introduced legislation addressing groundwater protection and why I will chair the newly created legislative commission studying water-supply planning for new housing developments in Rhode Island’s rural communities. The commission was enacted in June 2026 specifically to examine how housing development can be balanced with safe and sustainable drinking-water supplies.

This should not be framed as a choice between protecting our environment and creating housing. We need to accomplish both.

I support increasing Rhode Island’s housing supply, but development needs to reflect the infrastructure of the community in which it is being built. Before requiring significantly greater density,

we should understand whether the water supply, wastewater systems, roads and other infrastructure can safely accommodate it.

Good housing policy is not simply about the number of units we build. It is about building homes in places and in ways that will remain sustainable for generations.

What differentiates me is a record of delivering tangible results for the communities I represent while working across party lines to get them done.

Early in my first term, I helped Wood River Health secure transportation funding through RIPTA for a patient transportation van, work that earned me the Rhode Island Health Center Association’s John H. Chafee Healthcare Leadership Award. I have also worked across party lines to protect the 340B program that community health centers depend upon.

I have made rural Rhode Island a priority at the State House. I chaired the Forest Management and Fire Prevention Commission, helped make the Green Bond greener by securing significant investments in forest management, and fought for $50,000 to replace forestry hose that had not been replaced since the 1980s. I also introduced legislation to protect groundwater from overdevelopment and will chair a commission examining water capacity and housing development in rural communities.

I have pushed for sustainable school funding and stronger incentives for regionalization and shared services.

My top priority remains making Rhode Island more affordable while protecting our quality of life. That means accessible health care, strong schools, responsible housing, lower utility costs, healthy forests, and reducing pressure on property taxpayers.

Yes