Megan L. Cotter
Democratic · RI · Rhode Island State Representative, District 39
Megan Cotter is an Exeter-area state representative first elected in 2022 and a seafood-industry sales executive. Her legislative work emphasizes forests and farms, conservation, property-tax relief, education, and rural communities.
Where Megan L. Cotter stands, based on their records
Supports
AI Regulation (1 record), Environment and Public Health (3 records), Labor Rights (1 record),
Opposes
Cost of Living Reduction (1 record), Government Spending Reduction (1 record)
Campaign finance information not available
Track record
Track record — AI Regulation
AI Regulation · 1 support
Voted to require doctors and hospitals to tell patients when artificial intelligence is used to write up their visit. It passed the House 51-14.
June 11, 2026Supports AI Regulation
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Environment and Public Health
Environment and Public Health · 3 support
Voted to replace the 10-member coastal council with a 7-member board whose members must have environmental expertise. It passed the House 52-19.
June 20, 2025Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Voted to keep Rhode Island's supervised drug-use centers open two more years, to March 2028. The centers are meant to prevent overdose deaths. It passed the House 51-16.
May 29, 2025Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Sponsored the 2023 House resolution creating a 12-member commission on forest management to prevent wildfires, after spring fires in Exeter and West Greenwich. The House passed it on June 12, 2023.
June 12, 2023Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Labor Rights
Labor Rights · 1 support
Sponsored a 2026 law, signed on June 18, 2026, that limits how many self-checkout stations a grocery store can have compared with staffed lanes, and limits the workload of workers who monitor them.
June 18, 2026Supports Labor Rights
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Cost of Living Reduction
Cost of Living Reduction · 1 oppose
Voted to let Providence raise its property tax levy by up to 8 percent in one year, above the usual state cap. It passed the House 56-17.
May 27, 2025Opposes Cost of Living Reduction
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Immigration
Immigration · 2 support
Voted to bar civil arrests at Rhode Island courthouses without a judge's warrant, which protects people going to court from immigration arrest. It passed the House 56-16.
June 10, 2026Supports Immigration
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Voted to let residents who cannot prove legal immigration status get a state ID card, which cannot be used for voting. It passed the House 59-14.
June 14, 2023Supports Immigration
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 1 oppose
Sponsored a 2026 act, which took effect on June 26, 2026, that let the Chariho Regional School District borrow up to $116 million, with voter approval, to build a new elementary school.
June 26, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 4 support
Sponsored a 2025 law, signed on July 2, 2025, that treats disaster response workers as state employees while on duty, giving them the same legal protections.
July 2, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Voted to require police to send guns used in crimes for ballistic testing and enter the results in the national tracing database. It passed the House 49-21.
June 10, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Sponsored a bill requiring the state environmental agency to work with local fire departments on fire prevention at state properties. The House passed it on June 4, 2024, but the Senate did not act on it.
June 4, 2024Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Voted to remove the time limit for prosecuting second-degree sexual assault and set a 10-year limit for third-degree sexual assault. It passed the House 44-24.
May 2, 2024Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Housing Affordability
Housing Affordability · 1 support
Voted to stop towns from using zoning to limit unrelated people living together below one person per bedroom. It passed the House 49-22.
June 15, 2023Supports Housing Affordability
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Social Programs and Welfare
Social Programs and Welfare · 1 support
Sponsored a 2026 law, signed on June 10, 2026, that gives totally disabled veterans in Exeter a $5,000 property tax exemption.
June 10, 2026Supports Social Programs and Welfare
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Public Education Quality
Public Education Quality · 2 support
Sponsored a 2026 act, which took effect on June 26, 2026, that let the Chariho Regional School District borrow up to $116 million, with voter approval, to build a new elementary school.
June 26, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Sponsored a 2025 law, signed on July 2, 2025, that requires every school district to set up a safety and behavioral health committee to support students' mental health.
July 2, 2025Supports Public Education Quality
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Women's Reproductive Rights
Women's Reproductive Rights · 2 support
Voted to shield Rhode Island health care providers from lawsuits and prosecution by other states over reproductive and gender-affirming care. It passed the House 50-15.
June 11, 2024Supports Women's Reproductive Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Voted to cover abortion in Medicaid and state employee health plans. It passed the House 49-24.
April 27, 2023Supports Women's Reproductive Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Data Privacy
Data Privacy · 1 support
Voted to require doctors and hospitals to tell patients when artificial intelligence is used to write up their visit. It passed the House 51-14.
June 11, 2026Supports Data Privacy
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 4 support
Voted to bar civil arrests at Rhode Island courthouses without a judge's warrant, which protects people going to court from immigration arrest. It passed the House 56-16.
June 10, 2026Supports Civil Rights
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Voted to let people with more than one non-violent felony clear their records after 15 years without a new arrest. It passed the House 56-14.
June 9, 2026Supports Civil Rights
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Voted to let people with one felony and one misdemeanor clear the felony from their record after a waiting period, excluding violent crimes. It passed the House 54-19.
June 13, 2024Supports Civil Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Voted to shield Rhode Island health care providers from lawsuits and prosecution by other states over reproductive and gender-affirming care. It passed the House 50-15.
June 11, 2024Supports Civil Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Track record — General
General · 13 records
Received the endorsement of Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island PAC for her 2026 House District 39 race.
September 21, 2026
Source: plannedparenthoodaction.org · researched September 21, 2026
Voted against requiring legislative and gubernatorial approval before Rhode Island joins the federal private-school voucher tax credit. It passed the House 55-14.
June 10, 2026
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Sponsored a House resolution creating a commission to study water supply planning for new housing in rural towns. The House passed it on June 8, 2026.
June 8, 2026
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Sponsored a 2025 law, which took effect on July 1, 2025, that created a special motor vehicle registration for forestry vehicles.
July 1, 2025
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Voted against banning the sale, manufacture and purchase of assault-style firearms in Rhode Island. It passed the House 44-28.
June 20, 2025
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Voted against burying part of a high-voltage power line and charging the extra cost to electric customers in Providence and East Providence. It passed the House 52-18.
June 10, 2025
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Voted against making kratom legal to sell to adults 21 and over under labeling rules. Opponents wanted the product kept off the shelf. It passed the House 40-24.
May 29, 2025
Source: legiscan.com · researched September 21, 2026
Received Clean Water Action Rhode Island's endorsement for her 2024 House District 39 race.
August 9, 2024
Source: cleanwater.org · researched September 21, 2026
Sponsored a 2024 law, which took effect on June 29, 2024, that lets school districts use release days for teacher training as long as students still get 1,080 hours of instruction a year.
June 29, 2024
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Voted for the House overhaul of the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights, which set a new hearing panel for police discipline. It passed the House 58-14.
May 9, 2024
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Sponsored a 2023 law, signed on June 26, 2023, that lets students take an excused school absence to attend agricultural fairs.
June 26, 2023
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Voted to legalize online casino gambling (iGaming) in Rhode Island. It passed the House 59-11.
June 15, 2023
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Voted against raising the campaign contribution limit for individuals and political action committees to $2,000 a year and changing other reporting rules. It passed the House 41-29.
June 12, 2023
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov · researched September 21, 2026
Race Megan L. Cotter is in:
- REPRESENTATIVE IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY · November 3, 2026 · State House District 39; Rhode Island · incumbent
Profile last researched September 20, 2026.