Woonsocket Radio News Room

House of Representatives Meets Tomorrow to Consider FY 2021 Budget and for Advice and Consent of RI Supreme Court Picks

STATE HOUSE – The Rhode Island House of Representatives will be meeting tomorrow, December 16 at 2 p.m. at the Vets Auditorium to consider the FY 2021 budget and for the confirmation votes of two appointments to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

The House will consider the FY 2021 budget (2020-H 7171A) which is a pared-down state budget for the 2021 fiscal year that restores funding to cities and towns, uses federal coronavirus relief funds to aid struggling Rhode Islanders and does not raise taxes or fees.

The House will also consider the Supreme Court appointments of Superior Court Judge Melissa A. Long and former Sen. Erin Lynch Prata to fill the seats being vacated by Supreme Court Justice Francis X. Flaherty and Supreme Court Justice Gilbert V. Indeglia.

The Vets Auditorium is closed to the public as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing will be televised live on Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox on Channels 15 and 61, in high definition on Cox Channel 1061, on Full Channel on Channel 15 and on Channel 34 by Verizon subscribers. It will also be live-streamed at www.rilegislature.gov/CapTV.

Media members wishing to arrange for in-person coverage are asked to contact Larry Berman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on former President Donald Trump's claim he has absolute immunity on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election. The outcome could determine whether Trump faces a federal trial this year on four felony counts brought by special counsel Jack Smith, which include conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and obstruction of an official proceeding.        The abortion issue was front and center in America on Wednesday. First, the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case is over whether Idaho's near-total abortion ban conflicts with a federal law requiring hospitals to provide patients emergency care. A decision is expected in June. Later in the day, Arizona's House of Representatives voted to repeal a Civil War-era abortion law that bans nearly all abortions, and the bill now heads to the state Senate.        The seven World Central Kitchen workers killed in Gaza will be honored this morning at Washington National Cathedral. The workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike on April 1st while bringing food aid to people in the war torn Palestinian territory.        The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is suing the Federal Trade Commission over its banning of noncompete agreements. The FTC voted Tuesday to block new noncompete agreements and require employers not to enforce current noncompetes, with an exception for senior executives. Business groups argue that these agreements are actually necessary to protect their intellectual property. They accuse the FTC of regulatory overreach.       A Beatles guitar that's been missing for over 50 years has been discovered in the attic of a British house. Julien's Auctions says the 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar is the same one John Lennon played on classics like "Norwegian Wood," and he can be seen playing the guitar in the movie "Help!" It will be going up for auction next month in New York City.        The road to the NBA Finals continued on Wednesday. The Miami Heat pulled off a 111-101 upset victory over the Boston Celtics in Game Two at TD Garden. Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the New Orleans Pelicans 124-92 at the Paycom Center.        

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