Barrington Public Library
Monday, Sept 28, 2026
Reported by Arch Hive
Moderator: Scott Pickering
Candidates: Nicole Jellinek, Joseph SePasquale
On Monday, September 28th, a nearly full house at the Barrington Library witnessed House District 67 candidates Joseph DePasquale and Nicole Jellinek discuss various issues from gun control and health care to state budgets and the housing crisis. The forum, sponsored by The League of Women Voters and East Bay Media Group (EBMG), was moderated by EBMG Publisher Scott Pickering
Leading off the forum was the opening statements from both candidates. DePasquale went first pointing to his many years experience and the confidence he has gained over the years from both the voters of Warren and fellow council members. He also outlined his priorities saying, “education, police and fire, public safety, all of our departments and the number one reality is all of the money we spend falls on the shoulders of our taxpayers”.
Jellinek followed by acknowledging her lack of experience as a politician but asserting a readiness to serve. She then referenced her experience in the public sector as a “clinical social worker and as an activist” and as Vice-Chair of the Barrington Democrats and leader of the Rhode Island Coalition for Reproductive Freedom.
The first question of the evening was prefaced with a comment by moderator Pickering. He said, “Though I'm sure both of you have been there many times and have insights into how things work up on Smith Hill, neither of you has ever served in the general assembly. Why are you the best choice to represent this district?”
DePasquale once again leaned on his experience as a public servant stating, “I've done this. I've thought outside the box of Warren. We get rave reviews. Warren is up and coming. I believe Warren has had a very solid form of government for the past 20-25 years and I've been a part of that.”
Jellinek’s response: “I have spent time on the floor of the House and of the Senate talking with legislators, advocating for good policy. I have led a coalition of, at last count, 27 organizations statewide that works to advance legislative policy on reproductive rights and freedom …I know how to work with folks in both chambers. And I think that's not something you have to sort of question about whether I can do it. I've been doing it.”
Question two asked about a Legislator’s dichotomous role of fighting for one’s district versus fighting against Washington DC and if one could effectively do both. Jellinek cited responsibilities of both roles being important because they simultaneously affect residents in District 67. Issues like the state’s bridges and roads, education, rising costs of energy, and healthcare. “I think the representative from District 67 needs to be responsive to the constituents of District 67…So I think there's plenty of things to represent the local constituents, but that also will relate to federal issues.”
Like many of the questions presented to the candidates, there was a high level of agreement on the issues. DePasuale’s answer to question two used Jellinek’s answer as a jumping off point saying, “it's a dual role and you have to be understanding of the federal issues that come down because they greatly affect our budget. There's a lot of pass through money that isn't covered by tax revenue …. You have to balance both because both impact the budget.” He then went on to opine about next year’s budget cycle that “could potentially have a $250 million deficit right off the bat.”
The Budget
Both candidates agree that there will need to be some creativity involved in figuring out the budget and it will take a great amount of work. Continuing on the issue of the state's finances, question three referenced that RI’s budget surpassed $15.2 billion in the current fiscal year, nearly double of what it was a decade ago. Pickering asked if RI could maintain that level of spending year after year. DePasquale continued his statements from the previous question bringing up the funds municipalities received as part of ARPA and other federally funded initiatives in response to the pandemic, “I think Rhode Island received a billion dollars and that money was put to good use. Again, the problem is that was a one-time stop gap measure. So, a lot of the programs that have been picked up at the state level are needed, but there's no way of funding them.”
DePasquale ended his answer by referencing a need to seek advice from Rhode Island Education Center (RIEC) on the Millionaire's Tax which Jellinek found as a useful starting point for her answer. “The estimates for the amount of revenue that the millionaire's tax will bring in are $142 million a year once it is fully phased in,” opined Jellinek. “That's a good amount of money.”
And here we got our first real give and take between the two candidates. As Jellinek finished her answer on the state’s budget, DePasquale used one of his wild cards to chime in. “Well, we do have an expected $250 million deficit coming right out of the gate.” His warning when it comes to relying on the Millionaire’s Tax revenue is that people will find loopholes and ways to circumvent the tax therefore minimizing the actual tax revenue. To which Jellinek responded, “So there are two different things. There's a millionaire's tax and then there's a tax that is on people who have a secondary residence that is worth more than a million dollars. Those are two separate taxes. The millionaire's tax will bring in this $142 million…These are really the only two new taxes we've had in a very long time.”
Gun Control
Pickering asked, “are Rhode Island's gun laws strong enough or would you like to see any changes?” To which DePasuale stated that he believes the gun laws in RI to be "strong enough” but that they aren’t enforced or “used efficiently.” He then stated, “I feel there isn't much more you can do. And I'm not saying that in a defeatist position, but if somebody is going to commit a crime, they become a criminal the second they do it. I think the gun laws are working.”
To this Jellinek offered an opposing position stating that she believes “there's more work to be done on guns...the priorities that I think makes sense are legislation to revamp our blue card process… so that we make sure that people who are able to buy guns can use them safely.”
Affordable Housing
When the discussion about the housing crisis and the shortage of affordable housing was raised, both candidates had a lot to say:
NJ: That's a whole debate right there. I think the general assembly has done a lot in the past few years on the housing crisis. I think nearly 60 bills have been passed and housing is being built throughout the state. I think there's also been, as we've seen in both of these communities, some tension around concern about loss of local control in the face of a mandate to build more affordable housing. I mean, listen, the truth is I want my children…to be able to buy a house and stay in Rhode Island. That's hard to do in this market. I want seniors to be able to stay in Rhode Island. So, I think we do need to really not lose sight of the goal, which is to build affordable housing. But I think it's time to study what's been done. I think it's time to look at the comprehensive permit and see if that, which has been around for a long time and has gone through lots of amendments already, see if that is adequately doing its work and not introduce anything new from now while we continue to look at what has happened already
JD: Echoing off of Nicole, in the past 5 years we've spent $640 million on affordable housing. We've only built under 7,000 units. There's inefficiency and a unit costs around $580,000 with a state subsidy of $285,000. The format is ridiculously flawed. Not only are you putting pressure on the local communities with a penalty, the 10% rule instead of an incentive, and by allowing the 25% for the development to have a 75% high market rate, it's just pushing that 10% mandate further down the road for the whole state. It's flawed. It's not working. And the redundancies are not supporting the ultimate goal. If our goal is to build housing, especially for our seniors or middle to low income, we have to change what we're doing. We're wasting money. Millions of dollars…has been wasted. And there's another, I think what, $50 million that's going to be on the ballot. I don't see any of these units being built. I think 200 rental units have been added in the state. I mean, how is this even coming close to where the efficiency towards the dollars are being spent? It's just out of control and it's definitely a high priority.
Healthcare
The next question asked if the candidates believed the General Assembly is working in the right direction to address the many healthcare challenges facing Rhode Islanders, including a shortage of primary care physicians?
DePasquale opined that law makers are working hard on this topic, but more needs to be done. In particular, he pointed to the low reimbursement rates for providers by health care companies. He also warned about losing medical professions to nearby states who offer higher pay and faster insurance payouts.
This topic also struck a nerve with Jellinek who referenced her decades of work in the healthcare system as a clinical social and currently running a small healthcare center. She echoed DePasquale’s sentiments about reimbursement being too low but also added that there are issues with people accessing specialist and primary care doctors. All leading to the fact that practitioners “can go one or five miles over the line to Massachusetts and make 25% more.” Jellinek’s ideas for improving the system include finding “learning opportunities for other professionals, particularly in the mental health care system” and “reimburse folks who are doing medical care out of medical training out of state and entice them to come to Rhode Island and serve here.”
Closing Statements
JD: Well, as you can see, we're, as I started off saying, I think we're both good people. We are. And we're two different people. We’re people who sat on two different sides of, literally, the room. There are those who advocate for issues that are important and then there are those who have to make the tough decisions, the elected official. That's where the rubber hits the road. It's that person who understands the taxpayers' right, who understands how limited their amount of free time when they get home, how frustrated they are. I've dealt with that for half my life. And during that time, I've been able to make great relationships with Mr. Knight, with three or four governors, with our federal delegation, half of which always stays the same, Jack Reed, solid there, and Sheldon. So, these are the kind of bonds that I've built. I know that I have earned the trust of people because you don't get elected for 22 years on the Warren Town Council if you're doing a bad job. And I look forward to continuing my capabilities at the State House for the residents of District 67. I think it'll be a natural progression. It'll be hard. There's a learning curve, but following in the lead of the Representatives that have been there before me, I understand the process. I interned at the State House. I even interned in Washington DC with Senator Pell many years ago. I look back at my life and the amount of public service is like overwhelming because I didn't start off ever thinking I was going to be 59 and sitting here seriously trying to do a job that when I first started to run I was pushed aside by the people who were 59…I broke through and I look forward to the challenge. Thank you.
NJ: Okay. Again, I want to thank everybody for coming and Scott for hosting and East Bay Media and the library. And (to DePasquale) thank you for your 22 plus years of municipal service. I spent my entire career listening to people, solving problems, and advocating for change. And I'm ready to bring that experience and those values and that commitment to District 67. I will listen. I will work hard. And I will fight for a Rhode Island that is more affordable, more equitable, and more accessible for everyone. We have a lot going for us here in Rhode Island. We really do. But we also have lots we can work on, and you know the stories as well as I do. Too many people are struggling to find a doctor or a mental health provider. Folks are waiting too long to get an appointment with a dentist or a specialist. Health insurance costs go up exponentially every year. Reimbursement rates do not. People are being priced out of their communities. Shorelines are flooding. There's too much rain. Our roads and bridges are often in disrepair. And it's not clear how and when they're going to get fixed. Housing prices are soaring. And we worry about folks being able to continue living in our communities. I believe that the government should work for people and remove the barriers that keep people and families from thriving. We do this by protecting public safety, ensuring strong education, caring for our infrastructure, and providing a strong social safety net that affirms each and every one of us. And I will fight for those priorities. I've walked the floor of the House and the Senate. I've talked with Senators and Representatives about the issues that matter a lot to me and I've worked with them to turn good ideas into good laws. I know how that process works and I know I'll be an effective legislator for Barrington and Warren. I thank you all for coming tonight and I very humbly ask for your support and your vote.