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.        

 

 

House Speaker Mike Johnson will meet with Jewish students today at Columbia University in New York City. His visit comes as the school faces massive protests against Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories. Hundreds of students have been protesting for days against the Biden administration's response to the Israel-Hamas war, calling for an end to support for Israel.        A new foreign aid bill will be signed into law by President Biden today. The Senate passed the 95-billion dollar emergency foreign aid package yesterday. It includes funding for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and the Indo-Pacific as well as the groundwork to ban the social media app TikTok in the U.S.        A case involving emergency abortions is being heard by the Supreme Court. The high court is hearing arguments currently on whether emergency rooms in Idaho can provide abortions to a woman whose health is at risk. Idaho's law makes it a felony for physicians to perform most abortions except to save the life of the mother.        The national average price for a gallon of gas is holding steady. Triple A reports the average cost for a gallon of regular gas is still three-dollars-and-66-cents across the country. That's the same as it was a week ago, but 13 cents more than a month ago.       The older people get, the later they think old age starts. A German study published this week in the American Psychological Association's Psychology and Aging journal checked in with thousands of people over the years born between 1911 and 1974. The longer the study went on, the further away people saw the start of old age.       Former University of Southern California running back Reggie Bush is getting his 2005 Heisman Trophy back, according to a report from ESPN. Bush had his trophy taken away in 2010 after the NCAA [[ N-C-Double-A ]] imposed sanctions on USC for infractions including Bush receiving improper benefits. The Heisman Trust told ESPN the "reinstatement" of Bush's trophy comes as there has been "enormous changes in the college football landscape."       

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