RI Campaign Update - Wallin Fires Opening Salvo Against Kilmartin
Friday, September 17, 2010
Wallin says Kilmartin failed to protect children from sex offenders. GOP ramps up effort to take over General Assembly. Cicilline reaffirms stance on Bush tax cuts.... and more from the campaign trail.
Wallin Says Kilmartin Failed to Protect Children from Sex Offenders
Republican candidate for Attorney General Erik Wallin fired the opening salvo in his race against Democrat Peter Kilmartin, accusing the state rep of failing to protect Rhode Island children from sex offenders and child predators.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“This is just another example of how a 20-year member of the General Assembly has done nothing – and now suddenly because he is running for Attorney General has all these plans and ideas. Where were these plans and ideas over the last 20-years?” Wallin said.
He pointed to the failure to bring the state into compliance with the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, which has strict requirements for registration and classification of convicted sex offenders. States had until 2009 to pass the legislation and could get two one-year extensions, which Rhode Island did.
“Representative Kilmartin, as House Majority Whip – which is one of the highest leadership positions in the House – could not shepherd this important legislation through? If he didn’t get it passed in the last two sessions of the General Assembly as a House leader, what should we expect of him if he were the Attorney General?” Wallin asked.
Even worse, he said Kilmartin sponsored legislation in 2009 (House Bill 5321) that would allow sex offenders to live near schools. Under existing law, sex offenders cannot live within 300 feet of a school.
“So, Representative Kilmartin believed that allowing sex offenders to remain next to our children in school was a good idea – well, as both a father of two young boys and candidate for Attorney General, I certainly disagree and am shocked he introduced this bill. As Attorney General, my priority will be protecting our children – not sex offenders and child predators,” Wallin said.
Kilmartin Defends Record
“Talk is cheap. Hopefully Mr. Wallin, a political appointee by Patrick Lynch to the Office of Attorney General, doesn’t show this type of negligent ignorance toward policy making if he becomes Attorney General,” said Kilmartin spokesman Brett Broesder. “A former police captain and officer-in-charge of prosecution, Peter Kilmartin fought for passage of the Adam Walsh Act (H. 8152) and won – the bill passed the House of Representatives in 2010. Unfortunately, it stalled in the Senate and did not become law. As Attorney General, Kilmartin will continue to aggressively advocate for passage of the Adam Walsh Act.”
He said the other bill was introduced on behalf of a constituent—and was meant to protect his constitutional rights.
“He introduced the bill for a person living in his district who would have been kicked out of the house he and his wife owned due to implementation of the 2008 law,” Broesder said. “Since the offender was initially convicted, he had not had an infraction. With that said, coupled with constitutional issues surrounding the taking of his home, Kilmartin submitted the bill on behalf of the constituent. Unlike our opponent, Kilmartin knows and respects the law, and the constitutional boundaries he must work within.”
Broesder noted that Kilmartin helped pass laws making it a felony to entice children, illegal to have a gun on school grounds, and mandatory for sex offenders to register in cities and towns where they work if there is a college in the community.
Cicilline Reaffirms Stance on Tax Cuts, Slams ‘Trickle-Down Economics’
The Cicilline campaign reaffirmed its stance on the Bush tax cuts yesterday, after fellow Democrat Frank Caprio called for renewing them.
Campaign manager Eric Hyers didn’t specifically address Caprio’s comments, instead criticizing Republican Congressional candidate John Loughlin’s support for the extension.
“Someone making $3 million a year—John Loughlin wants to give that person a tax cut. We don’t. It’s that simple,” Hyers said. “It’s going to be a question of priorities. David ten times out of ten is going to stand up for the middle class.”
Loughlin has said the tax cuts will benefit businesses, helping create more jobs. Hyers dismissed that as trick-down economics. “We’ve seen trick-down economics … not work and David does not support trickle-down economics,” Hyers said. Instead Cicilline has said government should find other ways of helping small businesses, such as tax credits, loans, and grants.
GOP Ramps up Effort to Take Over General Assembly
Former Red Sox player Mike Stenhouse is stepping up to the plate to help Republican candidates for the General Assembly. Stenhouse will serve as the chairman of the RI Clean Slate campaign, the organization announced yesterday.
Stenhouse will be the public face of the campaign, serving as its spokesman. He will also be in charge of raising funds to support the cause. RI Clean Slate is a Republican coalition that includes Moderate and independent candidates for the General Assembly. It hopes to end one-party rule and introduce more conservative, business-friendly policies.
Stenhouse is no stranger to RI politics, having founded RefoundRI.org, a non-profit civics education organization that teaches citizens to become involved in their government.
“I am very honored to accept this challenge to help return government to the people,” Stenhouse said. “I love and believe in the state of Rhode Island.
"In order to help our state to once again reach its full potential, we need to commit to a new beginning for our government. That beginning starts now,” Stenhouse added.
Business Group Endorses Loughlin
The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) has endorsed John Loughlin, a Republican candidate for the First Congressional District.
NFIB Chairman Chris Carlozzi announced the endorsement at a news conference yesterday. “[Loughlin is] determined to join the effort to restore common sense to fiscal policy and help enact laws that will reduce the oppressive tax and paperwork burden on Main Street businesses,” said Lisa Goeas, NFIB's vice president for political operations.
Loughlin supports renewal of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, which will help ensure small business’ access to capital. Yesterday, he announced the launch of Small Business Owners for Loughlin, a group of small business owners that will meet to discuss the fate of small businesses in the changing economic environment.
Obama Sends Out Fundraising E-mail for Cicilline
The President Obama sent an email yesterday in support of David Cicilline for the First Congressional District.
“In just 20 months, this movement has accomplished a tremendous amount," Obama said in the e-mail, which was sent out from an e-mail account at barackobama.com, the Web site for Organizing for America, the successor organization to his presidential campaign.
“But we couldn't have done it without the Democrats in Congress who were willing to take a stand and fight for policies that would move America forward. And, with so much still left to be done, and too many families struggling to get by, we need to keep America moving forward -- which means I need you to support David Cicilline for Congress. Just like in 2008, you can make the difference this year,” Obama says in the e-mail.
“If Republicans win in November, their agenda is simple: take us backward to the failed policies of the last decade. They would seek to repeal all the work we’ve done, and try to stop us from doing more.”
Mike Stenhouse Photo Credit 630 WPRO, a GoLocalProv media partner.
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