Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

This week at the

General Assembly

 

STATE HOUSE — Here are the highlights from news and events that took place in the General Assembly this week. For more information on any of these items visit http://www.rilegislature.gov/pressrelease

 

 

§  McNamara announces environmental bills at press conference
Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) hosted a press conference to announce a package of legislation to protect the state’s rivers. This first bill (2023-H 5087) would require the Department of Environmental Management to develop a plan for flooding on the Pawtuxet River. The second bill (2023-H 5088) would amend the definition of solid waste to include abandoned PVC pipe. The third bill (2023-H 5116) would permit the DEM director to recognize and identify public rights-of-way to shoreline and water access over land owned by a private party.
Click here to see news release.

 

§  Sen. Miller, Rep. Bennett bill would use Medicaid funds to aid homeless

Sen. Josh Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence) and Rep. David Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston) are sponsoring legislation (2023 H-5098) that would create a pilot program testing the effectiveness of using Medicaid waiver funds to provide the chronically homeless with housing. Advocates say the program will reduce homelessness and save the state money.
Click here to see news release.

§  Tanzi introduces bill to ban smoking in casinos
Rep. Teresa Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett) has introduced legislation (2023 H-5237) to include casinos in the state’s law prohibiting smoking in workplaces. Casinos are currently exempted from the 2004 Public Health and Workplace Safety Act, which workers and advocates say has a detrimental impact on casino workers.

Click here to see news release.

 

§  Cotter bill would establish limits on grocery self-checkouts
Rep. Megan L. Cotter (D-Dist. 39, Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond) has introduced legislation (2023-H 5161) to establish limits on self-checkout lanes at grocery stores in Rhode Island. Representative Cotter said she introduced the bill out of concern for those who work as cashiers, and also for customers, many of whom benefit from the social interactions they have in the community with people like cashiers.

Click here to see news release.

 

§  Sen. Lawson, Rep. Kazarian introduce bill to help local wineries

Sen. Valarie Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence) and Rep. Katherine Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence, Pawtucket) have introduced legislation (2023 S-0039, 2023 H-5232) that would allow wineries to sell up to three five-ounce glasses and three 750-ml bottles per customer per day on site. Currently, only breweries and distilleries can sell their product onsite. This legislation would create parity for winemakers.
Click here to see news release.

§  Potter introduces bill to promote solar, curb energy costs
Rep. Brandon Potter (D-Dist. 16, Cranston) has introduced legislation (2023 H-5033) to promote solar energy and tackle rising energy costs by improving the state’s net metering program. The bill would alter the net metering regulations to allow some homeowners to put larger solar installations on their roofs and make other changes to the net metering system.
Click here to see news release.

§  Sanchez introduces bill to raise minimum wage for teens
Rep. Enrique Sanchez (D-Dist. 9, Providence) has introduced legislation (2023 H-5181) that would require workers under 18 years of age to be paid at least the state’s minimum wage. Under current state law, teenagers 14 or 15 years old who work less than 24 hours per week can be paid as low as 75% of the current minimum wage. Full-time students under 19 years of age who work at nonprofit religious, educational, library or community service organizations can be paid as low as 90%.
Click here to see news release.

 

§  Rep. Solomon introduces legislation to lower state sales tax to 6%
Rep. Joseph J. Solomon, Jr. (D-Dist. 22, Warwick) has introduced legislation (2023-H 5192) that would lower the state’s sales tax to 6%. The tax has been 7% since 1990.
Click here to see news release.

 

  • Senators and representatives remind short-term rental owners to register
    Under legislation passed last year (2021-H 5505A, 2021-S 0501B), owners of short-term rentals are required to register their business. Statewide, about 68% of businesses have done so, according to data from airDNA. Senators Dawn Euer (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown) and Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Charlestown, Westerly, South Kingstown) and Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport) are urging those who haven’t registered to do so.
    Click here to see news release.
  • Speaker Shekarchi hosts author Douglas Brinkley at State House

At the invitation of Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick), author Douglas Brinkley gave a lecture at the State House on his 2022 book, Silent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental Awakening. Brinkley is an author, history commentator for CNN, Presidential Historian for the New York Historical Society, and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair magazine.        

 

 

The White House announced today that President Biden will start what the administration calls his Investing in America tour on Tuesday. Biden and other administration officials will cover more than 20 states over the next three weeks, highlighting Biden's economic agenda and investments through legislation passed last year.        It will be next week at the earliest before a Manhattan grand jury decides whether to indict former President Donald Trump over hush money paid to an adult film actress. The grand jury hearing the case typically doesn't consider it on Thursdays and doesn't meet on Fridays.        Weather forecasters say today will be filled with severe, stormy weather across much of the nation. A late-season storm system will blanket the Great Lakes region with snow, while severe thunderstorms are expected from the Gulf Coast up to the Tennessee Valley, and the Pacific Northwest could see snow.        Los Angeles Unified School District students, teachers, and staff will return to school today after a three-day strike. There is still no deal between the district and the unions representing service employees and teachers. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has been mediating the negotiations since Wednesday.        An international sports governing body says transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in female track and field events. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said Thursday that starting on March 31st, no female transgender athlete who has gone through male puberty would be permitted to compete in female world-ranking competitions.        A new survey finds that young people don't mind paying more to see movies on the big screen if it means getting the best seats in the house. The survey from Morning Consult found that 54-percent of 18- to 26-year-old Gen Z ticket buyers and 46-percent of Millennials, 27 to 42 years old, said it's "appropriate" for movie theater chains to charge the most for the most desirable seats.        

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