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.  

A former "Watergate" prosecutor says she believes former President Trump is "toast" as the investigation of his handling of classified documents moves forward. Jill Wine-Banks told MSNBC the case against Trump is strong as special counsel Jack Smith is reportedly nearing the end of his investigation. Her comments come amid reports the federal grand jury in the case is expected to meet this week.        Former Vice President Mike Pence is officially running for president in 2024. Pence filed the paperwork to enter the race today, joining a growing field of candidates vying for the Republican nomination. Pence has spent the last several months making frequent trips to early primary states like South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa.        The mother of a six-year-old who shot his teacher in Virginia is facing federal charges. Deja Taylor is charged with being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Court documents allege she claimed to not being "an unlawful user" of any illegal drug when purchasing a handgun last year even though she was a marijuana use.        Police are investigating the deaths of six women all found in the same area of Oregon in the last three months. All six bodies were found within one-hundred miles of each other in secluded areas of the woods across the Portland region. The deaths are being investigated as suspicious but police haven't determined whether all the women were homicide victims.        The victims of a private jet that crashed in Virginia yesterday were residents of New York. John Rumpelowns, who owns the jet, says his daughter, two-year-old granddaughter, her nanny and the pilot were heading back to East Hampton after a visiting him in North Carolina. The FAA says the small plane bound for MacArthur Airport flew into unauthorized airspace over Washington and crashed in the mountains, killing all four people on board.        A #BOYCOTTNASCAR hashtag reportedly is picking up speed after the company tweeted and an image showing support for the LGBTQ community. The majority of comments from the millions of people who he commented say they will no longer support the racing organization. But Stephen Rhodes, the first openly gay NASCAR driver, tells Queen City News, "For all the fans that are leaving, I guarantee that there is just as many coming."        

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