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.  

Former President Trump says he has been indicted over what he calls the "boxes hoax." In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that he has been summoned to appear at the federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday. Prosecutors decided to indict Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents and obstruction of the government's attempt to retrieve the documents after a months-long investigation by special counsel Jack Smith.       Donald Trump Junior is reacting to news of former President Trump's indictment over the handling of sensitive documents. In a tweet Thursday, Trump's oldest son said "We're living in a 3rd world Banana Republic." He added that "the only way to stop what the corrupt Biden DOJ" is doing is to put Trump back in the White House.       Forecasters say the wildfire smoke blanketing the Northeast may start lifting tonight. Air quality alerts have been posted across the region after smoke from Canadian wildfires created hazardous breathing conditions. Meteorologists say the smoke has settled over the Northeast because a stationary low pressure system has been steering a persistent wind southward into the U.S.       More than twenty teenagers are hurt after a deck collapsed at a park in Southeast Texas. The collapse happened this afternoon at Stahlman Park in Surfside Beach during a summer camp event. Officials said 21 victims between the ages of 14 and 18 were taken to the hospital.       Half of American adults say they disapprove of affirmative action. A Pew Research Center survey shows that half of Americans don't think colleges and universities should take prospective students' racial and ethnic backgrounds into consideration. A Supreme Court decision is expected this month on the issue, based on two cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina.       The Florida Panthers are looking to get on the board tonight against the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. Game Three of the best of seven series is taking place in Sunrise. Florida is down two-oh after losing the first two matchups in Las Vegas.