Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio have announced the formation of the House and Senate Vision Services Task Force, which will be charged with providing recommendations for the long-term viability of the vision services program currently housed at the Sherlock Center. “When issues with the Rhode Island Vision Education Services Program’s…

Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) and Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-Dist. 4, North Providence, Providence) have announced their appointments of members of the state’s special reapportionment commission. The state constitution calls for the General Assembly to reapportion its districts as well as the two congressional districts after each 10-year…

The annual Single Audit of the State of Rhode Island for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, resulted in 72 findings related to the administration of federal programs and the State’s key financial operations. Expenditures funded from federal sources increased dramatically in Fiscal 2020 due to assistance made available in response to the global…

The House of Representatives today unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Susan R. Donovan which ensures pay equity for all employees, regardless of gender or ethnicity. The legislation, H 5261 Sub A, comprehensively addresses wage discrimination based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, and country of origin. It expands employee protections and…

The bill (2021-H 6122Aaa), which now goes to the Senate, fully funds state aid to education, does not include any broad-based tax increases and continues the scheduled phase-out of the automobile excise tax, which is set to be fully eliminated after the 2023 fiscal year. “I am immensely proud of this budget, which addresses the…

The state budget bill (2021-H 6122A), which was passed today by the House of Representatives, contains multiple initiatives backed by Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, including a new position for a state “housing czar,” Rhode Island’s first-ever dedicated funding stream for affordable housing and a pilot program to create supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals. “Rhode…

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi announced that the budget to be considered on the House floor will contain an amendment to provide more time for companies to make payments for state taxation of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Companies that profited from loans in excess of $250,000 are subject to state taxation. In the amendment…

With an eviction moratorium set to expire, the clock is ticking to identify those at highest risk of eviction and connect them to available rental assistance. Thousands of Rhode Island residents are eligible for a new COVID-19 rental and utility assistance program that is designed to help tenants who faced financial setbacks due to COVID-19.…