State Sen. Dawn Euer of Newport has spent ten years in the Rhode Island General Assembly.
A native of Wisconsin, Euer attended law school at Roger Williams University and decided to stay in the Ocean State after graduating. She’s currently serving her fourth full term in the state legislature after winning a special election to replace M. Teresa Paiva-Weed in 2017.
Euer sat down with Ocean State Media political reporter Ian Donnis to discuss the U.S. war in Iran, the need to pursue renewable energy sources in Rhode Island, and the consequences of the gentrification of Newport.
Interview highlights
On whether the U.S. war in Iran is justified
Dawn Euer: Oh, absolutely not. I mean, I haven’t heard (the Trump administration’s) latest scam excuse, but the reality is people are dying and that is not something that I think most Americans want to see happen, especially another war in the Middle East.
Look, I’m still waiting to hear the reports of weapons of mass destruction. I was in college when 9/11 happened, and they came up with a lot of excuses for the aggressions that we did overseas after that national tragedy.
What do they say about history? “It doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes.” I think that’s what we’re seeing right now.
On the need to support the development of renewable energy in Rhode Island
Euer: Not only is it possible, it’s absolutely necessary that we are pivoting to not just offshore wind, but renewable sources, in order to diversify our energy portfolio [and] to create security.
By the way, of the seven countries that we have bombed since Trump has taken office, the majority of them have massive oil or other mineral reserves. So I can’t help but think renewable energy doesn’t require us to kidnap foreign leaders in order to execute on those plans, and it is more affordable. It creates diversity in the supply mix. Simple supply and demand helps to suppress those costs.
On being stripped of the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee after supporting a rival to eventual state Senate President Val Lawson
Euer: One of the most interesting things that I’ve witnessed in this is the number of lobbyists who are essentially obeying in advance in deciding to not want to come to me with their legislative proposals, to not want to have me sponsor bills. [There’s a] perception of people in Siberia, or whatever, if they go against leadership. It’s been interesting to me because I feel like I’ve had a number of successes in the legislature even after being on the losing side of the leadership fight. I suppose I might just define success a little bit differently.
I think one of the things that I’ve seen as an unfortunate trend is that concept of the retribution approach to politics. I know it’s been reported and it’s well known that two of the Senate leadership team members have recruited family members to run against hardworking incumbents.
There seems to be an attempt to return to some insider politics. Quite frankly, when I first ran, I ran against that type of politics. And so this really just does steel me to stay in to fight for Rhode Islanders to see the General Assembly head in a better direction.
On social stratification in Newport
Euer: Newport, in particular, has really seen a lot of, quite frankly, gentrification. We are very much a community of haves and have-nots. Everybody thinks of Bellevue Avenue, but we also have one of the highest percentages of affordable housing.
One of the things that I’ve been very excited to see in this newest Trump term is the coming together of people who are new to the community, who are generational Newporters, that people are coming together to try to find and build community and to support each other. I think that that has been a really, really beautiful thing to see.
