Good evening, Code Affairs listeners. I am here with a man who has been described as the most outspoken

member of the Rhode Island State Senate. He is, I believe, is this correct,

the only DSA member of the Rhode Island state government? No, only one in the state Senate.

Oh, I only want to say Senate. Okay, but you've got something else. Providence,

Providence DSA endorsed David Morales, who won, who's now my state representative.

Nice, nice. But the only one of the state senate, and you have been causing trouble,

at least shaking up Rhode Island State politics, according to some of the articles that I read

in the preparation for coming to talk to you. You and I met a couple of

years ago, and since then there have been a lot of events in your state. And I'd really like to

dive into Rhode Island State Politics for our listeners. So Sam Bell, Rhode Island State Senator,

it is so nice to talk to you. Well, thank you so much for having me on.

Great to chat with you.

Let's start by if you could introduce our listeners and readers, because this will be

transcribed, to Rhode Island state politics.

So first, I was just looking at this interview in Uprise Rhode Island with you, where you said,

for so long, Rhode Islanders have felt like our state is an embarrassment, but we don't have to be. Why is that? Why have Rhode Islanders felt like their state is an embarrassment?

Rhode Island is a truly extreme example of how right-wing politics can get within the Democratic Party. What happened in Rhode Island

is about 30 years ago, a group of hard right people took control of the Rhode Island Democratic

Party in a series of legislative coups in the state Senate and the state house. And it actually

started with explicit alliances with the Republican

party, to elect a governing majority, in first the state Senate and then later the state house.

There were several leadership challenges back and forth, but when all the dust settled,

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