Black Lives Matter RI PAC President Harrison Tuttle on police accountability, Washington Bridge, and equity in cannabis

Political Roundtable

Conservative activists and academics in some states are attacking efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Here in Rhode Island, the Providence City Council and General Assembly reflect the makeup of the state much more so than they did 15 years ago. And the two largest police departments here, Providence police and the State Police, are led by men of color. So how is Rhode Island doing when it comes to issues of race and justice? Is the state immune from the backlash seen in some other places? And how is the outlook for progress? I’m Ian Donnis and this week I’m going in depth with president of the Black Lives Matter Rhode Island Political Action Committee Harrison Tuttle.

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The Public’s Radio · BLM RI PAC’s Harrison Tuttle

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Ian Donnis: Welcome to The Public’s radio.

Harrison Tuttle: Thanks for having me.

Donnis: We’re going to talk about police accountability and other issues of interest to Black Lives Matter Rhode Island PAC. But I want to start with the issue dominating attention in Rhode Island, the saga involving the Washington bridge. I wonder as a Rhode Islander, do you have confidence right now in the ability of governor Dan McKee and RIDOT director Peter Alviti to manage the situation?

Tuttle: Well, we’ve got to make sure that all the details continue to come out. It’s obviously ever evolving. What’s going on is obviously concerning, not only for the logistical practices of people getting to work for local businesses throughout Rhode Island, but also the recent report when it came to the DOJ coming out and, and wanting to investigate.So, look, I think none of this looks good upon our state. I believe that everyone throughout this process is operating in a manner in which they want to get the bridge fixed as quickly as possible. How we get to that point, why the bridge failed, I think we’re going to leave up to the legislative oversight to see, you know, what actually went on.

Donnis: Let’s switch gears and talk about the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, which for years critics have said inhibits and blocks effective discipline of police who engage in misconduct. A Senate version of the bill sailed through that chamber on a 35 to 0 vote. Are you satisfied with that version of the bill?

Tuttle: So our stance has always been that we believe that Rhode Island should be with the majority of the country. When it comes to allowing police chiefs to have autonomy over their own police departments, ensuring that, following an internal investigation that police chiefs, because of the manner in which we’ve seen police over the last couple of years, especially around George Floyd, that really sparked this conversation. You know, we want a system in which police chiefs are able to fire officers when they feel like they’ve committed misconduct to the degree in which obviously the public is concerned. And local municipalities should be concerned. You know, unfortunately, LEOBOR has created this process of unnecessary barriers to accountability and most importantly, transparency, to the public.

When we look at Officer Dolan, when we look at Jeann Lugo, and we see the long, drawn out waiting periods, this isn’t exclusive to Rhode Island. This is exclusive to other states. One of 14 states throughout the country, that when police officers do something wrong, We have this process of, of LEOBOR. And so we’re looking to make sure that the best possible changes are made within the two chambers. We think that the House is going to produce recommendations that are more in line with us when it comes to ensuring that the process is quicker.

Donnis: Let me stop you there. What specific differences do you expect in the House bill that would be different from the Senate bill that you think would make a better difference?

Tuttle: Well, so there are two different reforms. And of course, there’s a repeal bill by Representative Jennifer Stewart. We’ve gone on record in the past going back to last year saying that out of the two reforms in the House chamber, of course, by Representative Jose Batista and Representative Ray Hull that we would favor Representative Jose Batista’s reform bill, and the reason for that is because, Representative Batista’s reforms allows police chiefs to have more autonomy and more transparency throughout the process, allowing police to fire officers, and then allowing the officer to appeal, without a paid suspension.

Donnis: Beyond LEOBOR, what are other top priorities for the Black Lives Rhode Island PAC?

Tuttle: Sure, well, we were extremely involved in different coalitions relating to paid sick leave, ensuring that we have increased funding towards transportation. It’s incredibly important to lower income communities that are predominantly black and brown. When we look at our urban cities and towns, and so putting an emphasis on making sure that RIPTA is fully funded is something that we’re prioritizing this year, as well as making sure that we have other legislation such as ending solitary confinement. Which is considered to be torture throughout the world, considered by the, you know, United Nations. As well as making sure that, we finally address bail on 32, which really restricts a lot of individuals from, making the process easier when it comes to recidivism.

Donnis: We know that there was a heightened focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, particularly in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. Now though, there’s been a backlash sparked by conservative activists and academics. I wonder, How you see that and what you think should be done to counter that backlash?

Tuttle: Well, I think we see conservatives all throughout the country not only attacking rights of of black and brown individuals, but women, LGBTQIA plus Individuals and so this is a really scary time that we’re in especially when we look at global affairs that are going on and the increased really contentious split that our country has when it comes to different issues pertaining to DEI.

You know, Black Lives Matter was founded on the principle that every life should be valued, and when we have a society that has historically not valued Black lives, that is what really sparked the movement. And so, the work that we do, electing elected officials, ensuring that there is policy at the statehouse that is equitable and just, all is in align with DEI and we fully support any organization, especially here in Rhode Island, that continues to practice that.

Donnis: There was a lot of talk about social equity when Rhode Island legalized marijuana back in 2022. At the time, I reported on how there were concerns about whether the state would really live up to its rhetoric. And here we are, two years later, and the state has yet to issue the additional licenses, a portion of which would, were supposed to go to people who were hurt by the war on drugs. So, is the state failing to live up to its rhetoric on social equity in marijuana?

Tuttle: So, we’re certainly not moving as fast as I think we should. I think, particularly when we look at other states that have legalized marijuana, such as New York, and other places, they are far ahead of the curve when it comes to making sure that the effects that the war on drugs had, particularly when it came to black and brown communities, were addressed or tried to remedy with, with the legalization of marijuana.

But, you know, Rhode Island, unfortunately, is behind on many pieces of legislation that we see across the country when it deals with making sure that we undo the wrongs that have been previously done. And so our hope is that we continue to work with lawmakers as well as the General Assembly as a whole, to ensure that we are in a position to where we can get those licenses to folks that, you know, have been previously affected.

Donnis: The Black Lives Matter Rodan PAC organized itself in 2020. How much money has the PAC raised since then and how has the PAC spent the money?

Tuttle: Yeah, so it’s a really interesting concept Ian. I think a lot of folks think that I do this as a full time job. all the money that we have raised over the last four years have gone directly into candidates and events. We just recently announced that we’re holding a panel discussion on February 15th at Rochambeau Library at 6 o’clock dealing with BIPOC queerness. That money that we invest in that event that is raised that we get from donations goes directly into events like that. And so we’ve raised over $60,000 over the last four years and in a volunteer capacity, which is incredibly impressive.

Donnis: We’ve seen debate about the issue of state contracts that are awarded to women and so called “minority business enterprises.” Lisa Ranglin at the Black Business Association has been very critical of the state. She says the state is not doing enough. The McKee administration defends itself, says it is doing more and says it’s doing better than the Raimondo administration. What is your view on that?

Tuttle: So we came out and, and, and supported, obviously the Rhode Island Black Business Association, which is doing incredible work, just opened up their office. And, you know, I think the most important thing is that we have folks that are advocates in the community. That’s the most important part. Individuals like Lisa are doing a great job in the community, not only for black businesses, but all businesses. And we hope that, you know, the governor and the Rhode Island Black Business Association continue to work together and ensure the best outcomes possible.

Donnis: You’re a young guy. So I wonder what you think about the ambivalence that some young Democrats have about Joe Biden, particularly as he faces a somewhat cataclysmic confrontation seemingly with Donald Trump later this year.

Tuttle: Yeah, I mean it’s obviously a situation in which you know, young people understand the magnitude of where we are in this country, being that we are going to live in it and we’re going to deal with the consequences of the decisions that are being made now and prior to us. And, and so, you know, regarding the presidential election, I think a lot of people in 2020 weren’t exactly thrilled with voting for Joe Biden, but it was something that, you know, we understood the magnitude of ensuring that we didn’t have another four years of Donald Trump. And so, with this upcoming, you know, global conflict that’s going on, I mean, I can only speak for people that are young, like me, you know, they’re in a very difficult position right now. A lot of them feel discouraged. A lot of them feel like the calls for change haven’t been answered. It’s certainly not to the degree in which was promised during the 2020 election by President Biden. So, you know, as the election continues to go on, it’s incredibly important that people come out to vote, but it’s also important that people feel like their voices are being heard. Gen Z and millennials in particular don’t exactly feel like the issues that they care about are being addressed.

Donnis: Black voters really saved Joe Biden’s bacon, particularly in the South Carolina primary in 2020. What would your message be to Black voters as we’re looking at a potential confrontation between Biden and Trump?

Tuttle: Well, I would be remiss – It was Black women in particular who really delivered the presidency for Joe Biden and, and this is consistent throughout our history when it comes to Black women who consistently show up at the polls and deliver. Look, my message is we’ve got to make sure that we’re educated on the issues. If we don’t come out to vote, if we’re not civically engaged. I compare voting like working out. If you just work out once, you’re not going to see the change. If you work out multiple times and your diet’s still bad, you’re still not going to see the change. So, making sure that folks are involved at a local level, which they can have a much broader impact, and they can see more instant results is incredibly important and we’re going to be doing our best to make sure that voters are educated as well as registered to vote, in the upcoming primary that’s only a couple of months away.

Donnis: Black Lives Matter Rhode Island President Harrison Tuttle, thank you so much for joining us.

Tuttle: Thank you so much.

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The filing this week of fourth-quarter campaign finance reports from 2023 offers a reminder of how we’re inching closer to another gubernatorial election, in 2026. Two years is an eternity in politics, since a lot can change over that time, some of it unexpected. For now, however, the problems involving the Washington Bridge cast a shadow over Governor Dan McKee. And one of McKee’s Democratic primary rivals from 2022, former CVS Health executive Helena Foulkes, put out a statement commenting on how she raised more than $116,000 in the last three months of 2023. Foulkes says she continues to keep her options open on ways that she might make a positive contribution to the state. That’s politics-speak for how she appears to be gearing up for another run. As we approach 2026, Attorney General Peter Neronha is also contemplating a run for governor. You can read more about that in my Friday TGIF column posting around 4 this afternoon on what used to be known as Twitter @IanDon and thepublicsradio.org.

That’s our show for this week. Our producer is James Baumgartner. I’m Ian Donnis, and I’ll see you on the radio.

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