BY VINAYA SAKSENA

CUMBERLAND — Richard Singleton, the state representative from Cumberland who has become known for his staunch anti-illegal immigration stance, has announced his decision not to seek another term, while Cumberland School Committee member Karen MacBeth has announced her intention to run for his seat.

This year will be the last in the house for Singleton, a Republican-turned independent who was a proponent of legislation targeting what he sees as a dangerous influx of illegal immigrants into the United States. And while she hasn’t avoided the issue outright, MacBeth, a Democrat, appeared to be coming into the race with a different set of priorities, focusing more on education and local aid issues.
Singleton said he was moving out of state to live with his new family, and that the family’s circumstances would not allow him to continue living in Rhode Island.
“I’m getting married, and we decided to live in my fiancé’s house in Bellingham, Massachusetts,” Singleton explained. “It’s really become impossible for me to stay in elected office. It’s not something I wanted to do, but she comes first, and that’s the way it is.”
Since taking office in 2004, Singleton has become known for his staunch stance against illegal immigration, which he noted was not to be confused with opposition to immigration regardless of legality, as he said people might have been led to believe. He had recently been a proponent of a legislation that would have required employers to check the legal status of workers and, in one bill, make it a crime to hire an illegal immigrant.
Singleton also made two attempts to pass what became known as the “Easter Bunny Bill.” Created in response to the Easter Bunny being banned from some schools on the grounds of being a religious symbol, the bill would have prohibited communities and public schools from removing religious symbols from schools.
MacBeth declined to comment on the “Easter Bunny Bill.” Asked whether or not she would bring a stance on immigration similar to Singleton’s to the office if elected, she offered a cautious response.
“I think the issue has been extremely important to Rick,” MacBeth said. “Before I would vote, I would like to look at the system (i.e., the federal immigration database that Singleton proposed that employers use) to make sure the information we get back would be accurate. I certainly wouldn’t want a business (owner) to do a background check that says a person is (legally) incapable of working and then find out they were capable.”
MacBeth said she had not taken a public stance on the issue before, and that she would also consider the opinions of constituents before making a decision on it. She said the issues of most interest to her would be school-related ones, particularly state aid to local schools, which she said she wanted to preserve. MacBeth, who is also the principal of the Leo A. Savoie Elementary School in Woonsocket, said her interest in tackling these issues at the state level stemmed from information she had read in updates on general assembly activity sent to school committee members.
Singleton, meanwhile, said he would consider running for office in Massachusetts, though he would not be able to do so for some time due to residency requirements. And while he had often been frustrated with Democratic control of the state legislature, he said he looked back on his experience there with little angst.
“I have fond memories, certainly, of the past,” he said. “I think there are a lot of wonderful people involved in public service. Most people are there to serve their community. I think we’ve done some great things in the past four years.”