Representative David Morales
Member, House Innovation, Internet and Technology Committee
Member, House Municipal Government and Housing Committee
David Morales was first
elected in 2020 to serve the people of District 7 in Providence’s Mount
Pleasant, Valley, and Elmhurst neighborhoods. He is a member of the House
Innovation, Internet and Technology Committee and the House Municipal
Government and Housing Committee.
Representative Morales has
sponsored laws banning tip
theft; prohibiting employers
from reporting, or threatening to report, an employee's immigration status
for whistle blowing; and banning insurers from charging copayments for COVID-19 treatment and vaccinations. In 2022, his legislative proposal to ensure
that all lower-income children, regardless of immigration status, qualify for
health insurance under the state’s RIte
Track program was incorporated in the
state budget. He has cosponsored laws that cap the monthly cost
of insulin at $40, reduce plastic
shopping bag use, prohibit housing
discrimination based on one’s source
of income, legalize and regulate recreational
cannabis, and prevent workers from
being excluded from receiving overtime
pay on Sundays and holidays. His legislative efforts
include measures to protect the rights of workers, prevent people from experiencing
utility shut-offs, encourage multilingual education in public schools, and
expand affordable health care, including legislation to establish a universal single-payer
health care system in Rhode Island.
Born September 16, 1998, he
was raised by a single immigrant mother in the rural town of Soledad, CA,
alongside his older sister. He graduated from Soledad High School in 2016 and
two years later he graduated from the
University of California Irvine with a bachelor’s in urban studies. In 2019, at
age 20, he became the youngest graduate in the history of the Brown University
Public Affairs master’s program.
Representative Morales is a
member of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) and is the
youngest Latino ever elected to a state legislature. Inspired by his
socioeconomic background and lived experience, he is a passionate advocate for
public education, affordable housing, and healthcare accessibility.
Representative Morales
works at Year Up Rhode Island as an Employment Placement Manager. He resides in
the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.