Woonsocket Radio News Room

 


WEEKLY MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

 

Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz : It's time to vote on pay raises
When Governor Dan McKee requested pay raises for his cabinet directors for the second time in barely a 6-month span, Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz and Senate Minority Whip Gordon Rogers were quick to respond by calling for an up or down vote by the General Assembly.  Read the full press release here.

WEEKLY  LEGISLATIVE  HIGHLIGHTS

Morgan bill would limit who can mail voters’ mail ballots.
Senator Elaine Morgan (R-Dist. 34, Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, West Greenwich) introduced the legislation (S-0395), ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – MAIL BALLOTS. The bill Requires that only the mail ballot voter or their spouse/court appointed guardian/cohabitant/or adult person related to the voter by blood or marriage, be allowed to physically mail the voted mail ballot. The bill was referred to Senate Judiciary.  On March 7, the committee recommended the measure be held for further study.

Paolino bill would increase aggregate limit for tax credits.
Senator Thomas Paolino (R-Dist. 17, Lincoln, North Providence, North Smithfield) introduced the legislation (S-0267), ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- TAX CREDITS FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCHOLARSHIP ORGANIZATIONS.  The legislation would increase the aggregate amount of tax credits for contributions to scholarship organizations to $5,000,000 for 2024.  The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

SESSION  HIGHLIGHTS

The Senate Minority Caucus was excited to welcome Leader Emeritus Dennis L. Algiere back to the Senate chamber on Thursday, March 16, as the General Assembly honored Irish and Italian cultures with their traditional celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day and St. Joseph’s Day.  The Senate session included an Irish heritage address delivered by former Senate Majority Leader Michael J. McCaffrey and an Italian heritage address delivered by former Senate Minority Leader Dennis L. Algiere. 

Read the Senate Resolution honoring Senator Dennis L. Algiere for his service to the people of the state of Rhode Island here. 

SENATE MINORITY NEWS

The Senate Minority Office extends proud congratulations to Senate Minority Whip Gordon Rogers on his appointment to the Rhode Island Emergency Management Advisory Council. Read full release here.
 

COMMUNITY  ENGAGEMENTS

Senator Anthony DeLuca welcomed students from Tollgate High School in Warwick to visit the Senate Minority Office during their tour of the State House March 16th.  

Nine people including a one-year-old are injured after a shooting in Florida last night. Investigators say it happened in Hollywood on the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk after two groups began to argue. One person was detained and another suspect is at large.       The House Rules Committee will meet today about the debt ceiling deal struck by President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy. The full House is expected to vote tomorrow on the bipartisan deal that raises the nation's debt limit for the next two years. It then needs to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate before the June 5th deadline to act or risk default.       Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will hold his first presidential campaign event in a key primary state today. He will visit Des Moines, Iowa later this afternoon. DeSantis is also expected to make stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina this week.       Tesla CEO Elon Musk is in China meeting with government officials. A visit to Tesla's Shanghai plant is also planned. China is Tesla's second-largest market after the U.S., with the Shanghai plant being the electric car maker's largest production hub.       Hollywood's writers strike is nearing the one-month mark, with no signs of a deal being reached. The Writers Guild of America called a strike for the first time in 15 years after negotiations stalled. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents many Hollywood employers, rejected proposals across the board from the WGA regarding residuals from streaming services, safeguards against automation, and higher minimum pay.       The Powerball jackpot is growing to 239-million dollars after no one matched the winning numbers last night. That's just over 121-million if you take the cash option. Meanwhile, there's still time to buy a two-dollar ticket for tonight's Mega Millions drawing with a jackpot of 187-million dollars.       

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