Hopkins receives backing of police union

The city’s police union has endorsed Republican Citywide Councilman Ken Hopkins in the race to succeed Mayor Allan Fung.

“Ken Hopkins is a great supporter of public safety. He has always conducted himself as a professional and has made our community proud of his service,” Michael Caramante, president of IBPO Local 301, said in a Tuesday press release announcing the endorsement.

Hopkins, in the press release, pointed to his family ties to the local law enforcement community and pledged: “In a Hopkins administration there will be no defunding of the police department.”

“My priority and pledge to the citizens of Cranston is founded in insuring safe neighborhoods and the protection of their lives and property,” Hopkins said. “As mayor, I will stand firmly with the police leadership and the line officers of the department who risk their own personal safety every day.”

The backing of the city’s police union comes shortly after Hopkins received the support of Cranston’s firefighters union, IAFF Local 1363. Both the police and fire unions had endorsed Hopkins’s Republican opponent, City Council President Michael Farina, during the primary campaign.

Hopkins faces Democratic candidate Maria Bucci, a former Ward 4 member of the City Council, in the Nov. 3 general election.

Groups call for executive order on mail ballots

A coalition of various voting rights and community organizations, including the ACLU of Rhode Island and Common Cause Rhode Island, are calling on Gov. Gina Raimondo to take action extending the period in which mail ballots for the Nov. 3 election can be received and counted.

In a statement last week, the organizations specifically asked the governor to sign an executive order “allowing the state Board of Elections to count ballots that are postmarked by November 3rd and received by November 6th, and to count any ballots received by mail that arrive on November 4th.”

“In the recently concluded statewide primary more than 100 ballots that were postmarked by Election Day or received the following day without a postmark were not counted,” the statement reads. “The Board of Elections estimates that ten times the number of voters will use mail ballots in November.”

John Marion, executive director of Common Cause, said in the statement that without the governor’s action, “hundreds, if not thousands, of voters will be disenfranchised in Rhode Island.”

“Sixteen states have policies in place to count late arriving ballots that were mailed on or before Election Day and Rhode Island voters deserve the same accommodation,” Marion said.

ACLU of Rhode Island Executive Director Steven Brown added: “The problems the nation is experiencing with timely postal mail delivery are well-documented. Issuance of this executive order is a critical safeguard to ensure that ballots mailed on time are counted and the rights of voters exercising this option are secured.”

Jane W. Koster, president of the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island, added: “Our League supports voting reforms that best increase turnout and make our elections free, fair and accessible.”

Other signatories to the statement, known collectively as the Voting Access Coalition, include the Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education, CaneiWalk, Clean Water Action Rhode Island, the Formerly Incarcerated Union of Rhode Island, the Latino Policy Institute, the NAACP Providence Branch, the National Council of Jewish Women Rhode Island, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, the Rhode Island Democratic Women’s Caucus, the Rhode Island Latino PAC, the Rhode Island Working Families Party, Sunrise Providence, the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and The Womxn Project.

Voter registration deadline arrives

As the Nov. 3 general election rapidly approaches, the window in which to register to vote is nearly over.

The voter registration deadline for the election arrives Sunday, Oct. 4, followed by the Tuesday, Oct. 13, deadline to apply for a mail ballot. The secretary of state’s office has mailed applications to all Rhode Island voters.

As with the primary, voters will also have an expanded early-voting option for the general election. Early, or emergency, ballots can be cast in person at city and town halls starting Wednesday, Oct. 14.

More information can be found at the online Voter Information Center, www.vote.sos.ri.gov.

Mattiello proposed extension of take-out alcohol sales

As he seeks reelection to his District 15 seat, Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello has introduced legislation that would allow restaurants to continue selling alcohol with take-out orders through 2021. The practice has been allowed through an executive order of the governor since the spring.

“Alcohol to go has proven to be popular with consumers and very helpful to restaurants during the pandemic,” Mattiello said in a statement. “I look forward to extending this practice through the end of 2021, as it was set to expire at the end of this year. I believe this bill will continue to assist restaurants during these very difficult times.”

The legislation, which was held for study after an initial hearing last week, would specifically allow establishments with Class B liquor licenses to sell up to two bottles of wine, 144 ounces of beer and mixed drinks “in original factor-sealed containers” with take-out orders. The sale of growlers containing up to 144 ounces of draft beer or 72 ounces of mixed drinks would also be permitted.

Political Winds is a semi-regular feature focused on the 2020 election campaign. Candidates or those with political news may contact Daniel Kittredge, editor, at 732-3100, ext. 234, or dan@rhodybeat.com.