Woonsocket Radio News Room

 


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.  

Subzero conditions are bringing the chill to the eastern third of the country this week. Strong gusty winds will lead to dangerous wind chills, prompting extreme cold warnings and watches for the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest. More severe weather will be on the way as a major winter storm is expected to impact a huge area from Texas to the East Coast from Friday through the weekend.        President Trump says the framework of a long-term deal on Greenland is in place. Shortly after announcing the deal framework in a post on Truth Social, Trump told reporters the deal gives the U.S. everything it needs. He went on to call it an "infinite deal" that would last "forever."        ICE's latest operation is underway in Maine this week. According to Fox News, authorities arrested more than 50 people on Tuesday and more arrests were taking place on Wednesday. ICE Deputy Assistant Director Patricia Hyde said there are "approximately 14-hundred targets" in Maine, and it comes as part of the Trump administration's broader crackdown against illegal immigrants.        The YouTuber credited by Republicans for uncovering "billions of dollars" in fraud in Minnesota says his peers are done putting up with fraud in the government. Nick Shirley was one of four witnesses to appear before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. Minnesota Democrat Governor Tim Walz said the firestorm from the fraud investigation was the main reason he's not seeking re-election.        A Navy admiral removed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says she's running for Congress. Three-star admiral Nancy Lacore was the head of the Navy Reserve before Hegseth removed her last August. On Tuesday Lacore registered to run for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District as a Democrat.        Heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the U.S. but fewer people are dying from it. That's according to a new report from the American Heart Association. The report shows heart disease death rates have dropped for the first time in five years.       

Old News Archives