Rhode Island Governor-elect Helena Foulkes says state lawmakers should move ahead with considering the state Supreme Court nomination of Judge Luis Matos, after questions were raised over his views on abortion.
A woman who says she dated Judge Matos in 1994 recently wrote to state lawmakers. She said Matos urged her to have an abortion after she became pregnant, even though she said he opposed reproductive rights at the time.
Foulkes told reporters at a news conference Tuesday that she’s not getting involved in the issue.
“This was Gov. McKee’s choice,” she said. “I think the process should play out. I’ve heard very good things about Judge Matos. Obviously, I feel very strongly about a pro-choice judge, but he has said he is pro-choice.”
In a statement, Judge Matos said he supports reproductive rights and has done so for many years. He said he will respond to questions about his past during legislative hearings that start next Tuesday in the House Judiciary Committee.
During an event to unveil her transition leadership team, Foulkes was asked about other issues.
- She called it unacceptable that an estimated 3,000 Rhode Islanders sleep outside during the winter. She said opening more warming centers could be one way of addressing the issue.
- The governor-elect said she will meet with the contractor and the team responsible for building the new Washington Bridge to see whether any aspect can happen more quickly.
- Foulkes said she expects Rhode Island Energy to do more to address the energy costs Rhode Islanders face.
During an event Tuesday on Valley Street in Olneyville, the governor-elect named Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera and Bari Harlam, a former colleague at CVS, co-chairs of her transition leadership committee.
Members of the committee include state Rep. Nathan Biah (D-Providence); David Cicilline, CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation; Janet Coit of Farm Fresh RI; RI AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley; state Sen. Lou DiPalma (D-Middletown); Carrie Bridges Feliz, VP for community health and equity at Brown University; Paige Parks, executive director of RI KIDS Count; Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena; United Way of RI CEO Cortney Nicolato; and Dr. Pablo Rodriguez.
The governor-elect said she expects those around her “to push me and challenge me. I expect that we won’t always agree. We should have good, healthy tension as a team, because that’s how you get the best outcome.”
Foukles said her transition has received more than 700 suggestions to improve state government and that she will disclose some of them in the near future.
