House Dist. 44 Rep. Gregory Costantino said he thinks the General Assembly could have “done a lot more” in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Costantino, who is running unopposed for a seat that represents Johnston, Lincoln and Smithfield, said he has a “cordial” relationship with Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello. He described himself as an “independent voice” at the State House, and called for more action in helping Rhode Island recover from COVID-19.
“I think the fact we’re not in the building right now, it’s a good thing because we had some issues in the building with people coming down with the COVID virus, but I think, with technology the way it is, I think we need to do more Zoom meetings, and I just think the fact that – we’re out there and we’re hearing from our constituents, but me personally I think we should be doing a lot more,” Costantino said in a phone interview last week.
Costantino referenced Gov. Gina Raimondo’s handling of the pandemic, which has received positive reviews across the country, and said the House needs to “be out there doing a lot more.”
He said that representatives will return to the House at some point in early December to vote on the budget, adding he has no issue with delaying the vote until after the election.
“I just think that we could’ve stepped it up a little bit,” Costantino said. “We really don’t know what this budget’s looking like and if this money can be used to plug some holes in the budget. I’m sure we’re $400 or $500 million in the hole right now, at least.”
Costantino said he still walks his community and knocks on doors despite no opposition in the race this year. He encouraged the Sun Rise to run his personal phone number, 401-426-0824, in case constituents want to call him for any reason.
He said he’s also working on a newsletter that will likely be delivered after the election, discussing issues facing Rhode Island and providing information “that they probably wouldn't be able to find.”
“Here’s what I believe, OK, I still get out and walk and knock on doors and it’s a nice thing because obviously I can’t knock on all the doors, but during an election season when you don't have an opponent, you just say, ‘Hey, I’m stopping by. I want to make sure that everything’s OK,’” Costantino said. “I continue to do my thing.”
The most significant issues in the district come as little surprise, as Costantino said budget, COVID-19 and unemployment stick out to him. He said he’s curious what steps the state will take once the extra $300 unemployment boost runs out. He also mentioned homelessness as a “serious problem.”
“I think the biggest changes right now is the COVID situation and what it’s done to the budget. We continuously try to move forward and obviously you've got this Jeff Britt trial that’s coming up that I think will be an interesting thing to watch, but I’m just looking at this budget and how are we going to solve the budget and balance the budget,” Costantino said. “That, I think, is the biggest issue that I’m looking at right now.”
Costantino said he prides himself on being a self-funded candidate, saying he’s never had a fundraiser and doesn’t accept campaign contributions. He said that he wishes the State House had “less lobbyists in the room” on important issues.
“Every year we submit legislation, a lot of our legislation gets bypassed and I think we need to have an open conversation about some of the stuff that we introduce,” Costantino said.
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