Thank You for Visiting

Welcome to my campaign website, and thank you for supporting our mandate for effective and fiscally responsible government in Rhode Island. I am honored to serve you in the Senate, and I appreciate your confidence to get the job done right. I believe in responsiveness and meaningful communication with my constituents, and I hope you will use this site as a tool to both learn where I stand on the issues and to share your concerns with me. Your civic engagement and support are crucial. Rhode Island needs leadership now, perhaps more than ever before!

Sincerely,

Sen. Dawson T. Hodgson

About Dawson

Dawson Hodgson was elected to the Rhode Island Senate on November 2, 2010, in his first campaign for elected office. A former state prosecutor, Senator Hodgson is a pro economic growth, pro government reform legislator, working to deliver a clean competent government for Rhode Island. He serves on the Senate Committees on Judiciary and Labor, and the Joint Committee on Economic Development. In his first legislative session he has been elected Deputy Minority Leader and emerged as a thoughtful advocate for better government and fiscal restraint.

Senator Hodgson is a native of North Kingstown, where he grew up living and working on his family's turf farm. A graduate of Bucknell University and University of Connecticut School of Law, he previously served as a Rhode Island state criminal prosecutor from 2005-2010. Senator Hodgson and his wife Megan reside in North Kingstown with their two young boys. He has entered the private practice of law, and remains involved in his family's farming business.

Sponsored Legislation

To see legislation I have Introduced, click here, and select 'Hodgson, D' on the sponsor tab.

Issues

• Education Reform

  I believe that excellence in public education is a moral and economic duty of our government. I will not be satisfied until Rhode Island schools produce America's finest citizens and workers. Our students must achieve the knowledge and skills they will need to compete in a 21st Century economy. Critical reading skills, math and science are critical building blocks that must be developed early. High expectations, rigorous academic standards, data-driven accountability and innovation can transform Rhode Island's lackluster public education system into an economic engine.

  I support Race to the Top.
  I support charter schools.
  I support school choice.
  I support the school funding formula.
  

• Government Management

  Efficient and effective management of the public's business is the touchstone for a well run government. Respect for the taxpayer's money, and the labor they expended to earn it, dictates that it should be spent judiciously, without waste, to meet our present needs, and to make smart investments in our society. Across all branches of government, we must foster a culture of diligence and accountability. I am an advocate for using data driven analysis to improve performance, reduce cost and eliminate redundancy.

  I support GMAP style program analysis across state government.

  I support one statewide IT department, serving all state government, headed by a cabinet level Chief Technology Officer.

  I support cost-effective regionalization, and shared municipal services.

• Ethics and Access

  There is no question that Rhode Island's name has been tarnished on numerous occasions in our history by those elected to lead. The legacy of such actions does more than damage the public trust in their government, it also depresses the state's economic prospects. Employers do not want to locate to communities known for political corruption, or a sense of pay to play. Political leadership in our time must include commitment to reform of Rhode Island's civic and governmental culture.

  I support an Amendment to the Constitution rendering legislators subject to the Ethics Commission.

  I support making all recordings of all committee hearings and votes available online, in real time.

  I support elininating the "master lever".

  I support voter initiative.

  I support term limits.

  I oppose legislative grants.

• Tax Policy

  To create jobs, Rhode Island must have a competitive and stable tax environment. To equitably and efficiently fund services to the public, we must have a dynamic and high quality revenue system. I support consistency and equity in our tax system, and believe in rigorous analysis before awarding special tax incentives. Ultimately, Rhode Island's tax system will always be judged in the context of the state's economic and fiscal health. If our tax environment can attract employers, and government management controls its costs, we can manage our way to sustainability.

  I support lessening the overall tax burden.

  I support equitable and efficient funding of services, particularly education.

  I support removing barriers to municipal fiscal restraint: mandates and redundancy.

  I support elimination of the $500 corporate minimum tax.

  I support repeal of the estate tax.

  I support the historic tax credit.

  I oppose the sales tax increase.

  I oppose the service tax increase.

  I oppose the combined reporting tax.

• Immigration

  Immigration laws have long been an area of great public interest and concern to the community. Policy and enforcement in this area impacts such matters as American citizenship, national security, and trade between states and nations. Accordingly, immigration laws and their enforcement have historically and appropriately fallen within the purview of our federal government. As a result of the federal government's inadequate performance in many areas of immigration policy, a number of citizens and state and municipal officials have advocated for state and local immigration policy. I firmly believe that immigration must be fixed by Congress. In the absence of federal leadership, however, I support efforts to protect Rhode Island taxpayers from economic damage by illegal immigration.

  On the federal level:

  I support secure borders
  I support a guest worker program
  I support the rule of law.
  

  On the state level:

  I support E-Verify.
  I support Secure Communities.
  I oppose sanctuary cities.
  I oppose in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.
  

Senate District 35

Rhode Island is currently in the process of re-drawing its legislative district boundaries based on data from the 2010 census. The leadership of the Senate has approved a proposal to significantly alter the bounds of District 35. The new district will extend from Division Rd. in East Greenwich to the Harbor of Refuge at Point Judith, and include the towns of East Greenwich, North Kingstown, South Kingstown, and Narragansett.

Existing District 35 Map

The existing boundaries of Senate District 35 include the Towns of East Greenwich, North Kingstown, and Warwick.

One of the responsibilities of a state legislator is to assist and communicate effectively with the municipal governments within the districts. My office can also assist constituents in their interaction with state and local government. Each of these municipal governments maintains a publicly accessible website which is an excellent source of information. If you have specific questions or concerns in this area, please contact me.

Contribute

Your civic engagement and financial support are crucial. Rhode Island needs leadership now, perhaps more than ever before. Please join our team!

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Please mail checks or money orders* to:
Hodgson for Senate
PO Box 7
Slocum, RI 02877