McKee, Kalus Clash On Electric Rates, Abortion, In RI Governor Debate

RHODE ISLAND — With early voting underway in Rhode Island, the major candidates for governor took to the booth for a radio debate Monday night on WPRO.

The debate saw incumbent Gov. Dan McKee and Republican challenger Ashley Kalus clash on a number of issues including, the nature of attack ads, infrastructure, electric rates and abortion rights.

The debate started out with the broadcasting of negative ads each campaign has levied against the other. Both candidates were asked to defend themselves against the attacks. Kalus was asked to defend herself against an advertisement painting the businesswoman as someone who doesn't really know Rhode Island, because she just moved here and has been registered to vote in the Ocean State for less than a year.

"I chose to come back to Rhode Island and raise my three boys," Kalus said. If we work together, we can make Rhode Island the most affordable state to work in and raise a family."

Kalus also said the campaign ads attacking her for not being from Rhode Island send the wrong message to children, calling the attacks "nativist."

McKee had to defend himself against an advertisement accusing the incumbent governor of being under FBI investigation. Kalus' attack ad focused on the FBI's investigation into the $5.2 state contract his administration gave the ILO Group to help open schools. The consulting firm reportedly had ties to one of McKee's closest advisors.

McKee called the accusations "dishonest, shameful and wrong."

"I've been honest about the fact I haven't been talked to by anyone," McKee said. "The point of the matter is the attorney general is actually supporting my campaign."

The next major point of contention in the debate came with how infrastructure policy is implemented. McKee lauded that his administration has committed $400 million to infrastructure over the last 20 months. Projects he mentioned included the soccer stadium in Pawtucket, Superman building upgrades, a new seaport in East Providence and more.

"This doesn't happen by accident," McKee said. "It takes leadership to understand what actually needs to be done."

But Kalus said just spending money isn't a plan and accused the governor of putting taxpayer money into private infrastructure projects, instead of public projects. She also said Rhode Island's infrastructure ranks second worst in the U.S., and leadership changes are needed to improve that.

"We need to make investments in infrastructure and not make the mistakes of the past," Kalus said.

"You should not use public funds for private projects," Kalus added. "We learned that from 38 Studios. When government picks winners and losers, it doesn't work out very well."

Electric Rates

With electricity rates rising amid inflation and Russia's war in Ukraine, Kalus said McKee should order a rollback on electricity rate hikes.

"I'm happy to give him credit if he does it to provide relief," Kalus said. "But he could right now roll back the electricity rate hike."

McKee said he doesn't have the ability to halt rake hikes and said Kalus' suggestion is one of her "half-baked ideas."

"There's no rate relief in Ms. Kalus' plan, it’s all deferred,"McKee said. "It's going to open taxpayers up to millions of dollars of legal lawsuits."

Abortion rights

McKee said the state can and is doing more to protect abortion rights in Rhode Island, following the U.S. Supreme Court's repealing Roe v. Wade. McKee said he believes there will be votes next legislative session to pass the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act. The act would provide abortion-related coverage to state employees and Medicaid recipients.

Kalus said she would take no action following the Supreme Court's ruling.

"I can have a personal view, which is I am personally pro-life," Kalus said. "I had difficult pregnancies, I went through IBF. I respect that the law is the law. And to insinuate that I, when being asked about my opinion as a woman, as describing my story, that I can’t separate that from what I believe is the settled law in Rhode Island is fundamentally untrue. Not only that, it's insulting."