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

 

§  Legislators approve spending portion of ARPA funds

The General Assembly approved and the governor immediately signed into law a plan (2021-H 6494A, 2021-S 1006A) for using $119 million of Rhode Island’s $1.13 billion American Rescue Plan Act State Fiscal Recovery Funds to help children, families, small businesses and the tourism industry, and boost affordable housing and broadband planning. Legislators added $6 million to further enhance support for child care needs, as well as safeguards and specifics, to the plan that was originally proposed by Gov. Dan McKee.
Click here to see news release.

§  General Assembly overrides veto of bill to register short-term rentals
The General Assembly voted to override the governor’s veto of legislation (2021-H 5505A, 2021-S 0501B) sponsored by Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport) and Sen. Dawn Euer (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown) to require every short-term rental property listed for rent in Rhode Island on the website of any third-party hosting platform to be registered with the Department of Business Regulation. The bill, which now becomes law, is meant to furnish basic information to ensure compliance with safety and tax regulations and owners’ contact information in case of an emergency.
Click here to see news release.

§  Speaker Shekarchi says affordable housing will top legislative priorities

Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) opened the 2022 session by announcing that affordable housing will continue to be his top legislative priority. He also indicated that a good deal of the chamber’s work will focus on the health and economic issues related to the pandemic, and that the House would begin a robust hearing process on the legalization of marijuana.

Click here to see news release.

§  President Ruggerio lays out legislative priorities for 2022
Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-Dist. 4, North Providence, Providence) convened the Senate for its 2022 legislative session, laying out the agenda for the year including a goal of 100 percent renewable energy for Rhode Island by the end of the decade, universal access to pre-kindergarten within five years, tuition forgiveness for nurses and teachers, addressing climate change and water infrastructure, building a girls’ residential psychiatric treatment facility, and the legalization of marijuana.

Click here to see news release.

 

§  Senate confirms several judges and magistrates
The Senate confirmed several new judges and magistrates who were appointed by the governor on the opening day of the 2022 legislative session.  The judicial appointments, which require the advice and consent of the Senate, were confirmed to posts within the Rhode Island Superior Court, the Rhode Island Family Court, the Rhode Island District Court and the Rhode Island Worker’s Compensation Court.  The Senate also approved two magistrate appointments to the Rhode Island Superior Court.

 

§  Legislation seeks to expand investment in Rhode Island school buildings
Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Sandra Cano (D-Dist. 8, Pawtucket), Senate President Pro Tempore Hanna M. Gallo (D-Dist. 27, Cranston, West Warwick) and Rep. Brandon Potter (D-Dist. 16, Cranston) joined General Treasurer Seth Magaziner in announcing that they will sponsor legislation seeking voter approval this year to expand the ongoing investment in school construction by $300 million, with incentives for energy efficiency or renewable energy use and the use of Rhode Island based and minority contractors.
Click here to see news release.

 

Another seated juror in former President Trump's hush money criminal trial is being dismissed after he was questioned about his arrest record. This comes after a juror was excused earlier today when she expressed concerns about her identity being made public by the media. Trump is accused of falsifying business records in order to cover up payments allegedly made to an adult film star just prior to the 2016 election.        Allman Brothers Band singer-guitarist Dickey Betts has died at the age of 80. His family announced his death on his Instagram account. They said Betts passed away peacefully Thursday at his home in Osprey, Florida surrounded by his family. Betts wrote and sung on the Allman Brothers Band hit "Ramblin' Man" which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.        Republican Mike Johnson is setting up some high-stakes votes that might end his short term as House Speaker. Defying the conservative wing of his party, Johnson plans for House votes on aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and a separate bill for the border. The conservative flank argues the border should be tied to Ukraine to force Democrats to vote for its passage.        911 outages in several states were caused by a light pole installation. In a statement to ABC News, emergency call system service provider Lumen said the installation was done by a third party. Lumen said "some customers in Nevada, South Dakota and Nebraska experienced an outage" and the company installing the pole was unrelated to them. It said all services were restored in under three hours and they apologized for their inconvenience.        The U.S. is hitting Iran with new sanctions. The sanctions target Iranian leaders and entities connected to the country's missile and drone program. The Treasury Department also says it is punishing five companies associated with Iran's steel industry and three subsidiaries of an Iranian automaker.        Basketball superstar Caitlin Clark is set to become Nike's next signature athlete. That's according to The Athletic, which reports the deal is worth eight figures. The deal will include a signature Nike shoe for Clark. The all-time NCAA [[ N-C-Double-A ]] leading scorer and first overall pick in the WNBA Draft also received offers from Adidas and Under Armour.        

Old News Archives