Rep. Casey to lead House Committee
on Municipal Government and Housing
STATE HOUSE — Rep. Stephen Casey will chair the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing, Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) has announced.
Chairman Casey (D-Dist. 50, Woonsocket), who was first elected to the House in 2012, has previously led the House Committee on Special Legislation from 2019-2020 and the House Committee on Health and Human Services from 2021 to 2022.
“During the pandemic over the last two years, Chairman Casey provided invaluable leadership in the health and human services field. For the next two years, the lack of affordable housing is one of the most critical issues facing our state,” said Speaker Shekarchi. “Most of the bills in a legislative package on housing will be heard in the Municipal Government and Housing Committee, and I can count on the veteran leadership of Chairman Casey to conduct fair and impartial public hearings on such a vital issue. He will also lend an important perspective as a representative from an urban community facing a housing crunch.”
The House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing considers all matters affecting municipal governments, transportation and housing issues.
“As a proud employee of the city of Woonsocket, I know the vital role our cities and towns play in the lives of Rhode Islanders,” said Chairman Casey, a Woonsocket firefighter. “I’m honored to receive this appointment and look forward to our work partnering with local government and making housing more affordable for Rhode Island families.”
Chairman Casey will also serve on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, which handles all legislation impacting the lives of Rhode Island veterans and those currently in military service; the House Committee on Labor, which deliberates legislation relating to workers’ compensation and labor laws; the House Committee on Corporations, which considers issues relating to financial institutions, business regulation, property and casualty insurance and consumer protection; and the House Committee on Special Legislation, which handles bills pertaining to commissions, resolutions and issues that do not fall within the purview of other standing committees.
President Biden is requesting Congress approve over seven-billion-dollars in aid to three Pacific island countries. The ask comes as the U.S. and China compete to influence the region. The money would provide economic assistance over the next 20 years to the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia. 
