With the Rhode Island General Assembly now in session, WhatsUpNewp has reached out to the area’s legislators to learn what they see as the most pressing issues facing Rhode Island in 2026, and legislation they are planning to introduce.
Today, we focus on State Rep. Lauren Carson, D-Dist. 75, who is a Deputy Majority Leader. Housing, healthcare, the environment, short-term rentals are among issues Representative Carson sees as critical issues for Rhode Island’s future.
Brief biography: Representative Carson, 71, is a deputy majority leader w, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in November 2014. Besides her leadership role and committee assignments, Representative Carson chairs two important legislative study commissions – one exploring services available to older Rhode Islanders and the other reviewing policies concerning economic and social issues related to short-term rentals. The General Assembly will consider recommendations prepared by both commissions.
Representative Carson has been particularly active on issues related to the environment, small business, tourism, and government transparency.
In 2021, she sponsored the Act on Climate, and in her first term she created and led a commission to study the impact of sea rise in Rhode Island. Representative Carson has sponsored and championed numerous bills relating to the environment and climate.
She was named 2021 Environmental Champion by Clean Water Action, and has been honored as Legislator of the Year at various times by the Rhode Island Audubon Society, the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, the Rhode Island Conservation Districts. The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau gave Representative Carson its 2022 James McCarvill Leadership Award. In 2017, she was honored as a Champion for Seniors by the Edward King House in Newport.
Representative Carson has served on the Advisory Board of the Alliance for Livable Newport, the Newport Energy & Environment Commission, and the Environmental Council of the Rhode Island Educational Fund Board.
She earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Rhode Island in 2008, a master’s in business from URI in 1992, and a BA in sociology in 1976 from Ramapo College in New Jersey. She is a graduate of Benedictine Academy in New Jersey.
She is the mother of a son, Andrew.
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State Representative Lauren Carson, D – District 75, Newport.. A Deputy Majority Leader, second vice chair of the House Innovation and Technology Committee, second vice chair of the House Environment and Natural Resource Committee, member of the House Oversight Committee (chairing the committee’s subcommittee on tourism, the arts and recreation), member of the House Municipal Government and Housing Committee, and Member of the House Small Business Committee.
WUN: How can constituents reach you?
- Telephone: 401-523-1143
- Email: laurencarson@gmail.com
- Website: www.laurencarson.com
WUN: What do you perceive as the most critical issues facing Rhode Island in 2026?
In this age of uncertainty and complexity, Rhode Island faces many critical
issues.
Access to and the costs of housing and healthcare rise to the top of the list,
followed by rising utility costs and challenges transitioning to cheaper, reliable
energy alternatives. The cost of our utility system and the impact on job security
by AI and data centers must be addressed now. Uncertainty about the future
of our federal priorities and dollars and the impact on the Rhode Island budget will consume the General Assembly in 2026.
Changing demographics must be considered as we plan for the future. Fewer births locally and nationally will have a great fiscal impact on state and local budgets. We potentially face changes in education costs just to keep pace, given that there are fewer students and our aging population is beginning to explode, placing stress on social service funding with fewer young people working. Our social service delivery systems must evaluate the future to adjust to these changes in the population.
The financial impact of climate change cannot be overlooked. Climate change is
real, and the longer we wait to address the issues of rising seas, health impacts,
and climate pollution, the more it will cost future generations.
Much work lies ahead for a part-time Rhode Island Legislature.
WUN: In the upcoming legislative session what are your top priorities – bills you expect to introduce and/or sponsor? Please provide a brief explanation why each is important.
1. Continue working towards building a Multi-Sector Plan on Aging through my
House Study Commission on Aging, with the goals of developing future-
oriented policies for aging Rhode Islanders. Twenty five percent of the Rhode Island population is older adults. Currently, there are more older adults than students in schools. We need to plan for the impact of this. There will be bills on this effort.
2. Continue focusing on the implementation of the Act on Climate, which I
passed in the House in 2021, and monitoring its implementation, which
includes the implementation of strategies to reduce carbon. The Strategy
Plan for the implementation of the Act on Climate was released last month by
the Executive Climate Change Council. That is the statutorily required
blueprint for reducing carbon in Rhode Island and meeting the Act on Climate carbon
reduction goals. Now it is time to act, and as a leader of the House
Environment Committee, which is where my focus will be for the Committee.
3. Focus on working to keep open the Newport Hospital Birthing Center at the
Newport Hospital. The Birthing Center is critical to Aquidneck Island.
Transporting pregnant women off the island to give birth presents life-
threatening options for our families. There will be bills on this effort.
4. Short-term Rentals (STR) are always an issue for Newport and the
surrounding tourism communities. My Study Commission will be gearing up
for the new year. We will begin again by evaluating the impact the 2025
Summer season had on communities and various proposals from several
communities around the state.
5. I will be sponsoring various other bills on pesticide safety in schools,
composting, local canvass authorities, and their processes, and since it is
early in the session, I am still working on a few other policy proposals.
My 2025 Constituent Survey will be public in a few weeks, and I look forward
to hearing from my constituents on their priorities.
WUN: What are your plans for the upcoming election?
Run for reelection.(WUN note: Finances are often a key ingredient in any election, providing candidates with the wherewithal to purchase advertising, develop campaign materials, hire staff, and cover other expenses. Campaign finances are required to be reported to the state Board of Elections quarterly. Those funds can only be used for a candidate’s campaign, donated to another candidate for election purposes, or donated to charity. Campaign funds are not permitted to be used for personal expenses. Campaign finance reports are due approximately 30 days after the close of the previous quarter, which means the next filing period is the end of January for the quarter ended December 31. As of the third quarter, ending in September, Carson reported a fund balance of $ $26,694.60.