General Assembly
Governor Lincoln Chafee’s municipal relief bills are now available at the Rhode Island General Assembly website. The Senate sponsors are Finance Chairman Daniel DaPonte and Senator David Bates of Barrington/Bristol. Here are some excerpts from the submitted text: S2823 (“RELATING TO EDUCATION — FOUNDATION LEVEL SCHOOL SUPPORT”):16-2-9.4. School district accounting compliance. — (e) The department…
Local Impact: Central Falls, Glocester, Middletown/Newport, New Shoreham, Pawtucket 2, Portsmouth 2, Providence, Smithfield. 12. I’ve never been sure if the high-profile tension in Rhode Island between auto body shops and insurance companies is an “only in Rhode Island thing” or if it’s connected to some broader trend; whatever the answer, here is this year’s…
6. H7519: Creates a fee-based restricted-receipt state-government account, with proceeds to be used for the creation of a “uniform, statewide electronic plan review, permit management and inspection system” (H Corporations; Tue, Mar 13). But is a technical fix what’s needed to solve Rhode Island’s problems with inefficient permitting, or is there a more systemic problem?…
Local Impact: Johnston, Middletown/Newport, North Kingstown, North Providence, North Smithfield, Pawtucket 2 3 4, Providence 2, Tiverton 2, Westerly. 16. H7882: Adds the Governor’s Office to the list of government departments that can participate in the operation of a State House gift shop (H Municipal Government; Thu, Mar 15). 15. H7687: Requirement that all healthcare…
3C. H7462/H7465: Constitutional Amendment whereby the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island would be chosen together (H Judiciary; Tue, Mar 6). 3B. H7219: Repeal of the voter ID law (H Judiciary; Tue, Mar 6). 3A. H7426/S2060: Elimination of the master lever from Rhode Island general election ballots (H Judiciary; Tue, Mar 6 & S…
With many bills of significant impact being heard by General Assembly committees this week, the weekly review will be split into two sections. Here is part 1: Local impact: Little Compton 2, Portsmouth, Smithfield 2 14. S2489: Changes election rules from requiring that “substantially not more than nineteen hundred voters shall be served by the…
The prologue to this week’s list of General Assembly bills to be heard in committee is a bumper crop of local impact bills. I can’t say for certain if they are all sinister or sensible, but folks interested in the goings-on in Cranston, Cumberland 2, Middletown/Newport, New Shoreham, North Providence, North Smithfield, Pawtucket 2 3…
10. Bud Art. 27: Creates a restricted-receipt account for historic preservation tax-credit processing fees, to be used for reimbursing historic tax-credit processing fees (H Finance; Tue, Feb 14). Ed. note: Rational government budgeting at its finest? 9. H7406, aka the strange regulatory bill of the week: Sets a minimum price of $35.00 for transportation provided…
9. H7343: Allows school districts to replace school bus monitors on K through 5 buses with a suitable technical monitoring system (H Health, Education and Welfare; Wed, Feb 8). 8. Bud Art. 28: In addition to involving some specific financial details relating to Central Falls, including an extra-constitutional appropriation of local revenue, this article also…
Fresh on the heels of Governor Chafee’s declaration of the Year of the Cities and Towns, Reps. Scott Guthrie (D, Coventry), Roberto DaSilva (D, East Prov., Pawtucket), and John Savage (R, East Prov.) have introduced legislation (H7317) that may win the sure-to-be-tough contest for union-loving lunacy: 28-7-7.1. Representation of towns and cities – maximum legal…