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.  

The Senate is out until Monday as the government shutdown hits day 31. There's no clear end in sight as millions of low-income Americans will soon feel the pain of the standoff. The food stamps benefit known as SNAP is set to expire tomorrow for roughly 42-million people. Today, a federal judge may rule on a lawsuit brought by 25 states to compel the Trump administration to release contingency funds to keep SNAP funded.        The FBI says its stopped a potential terrorist attack in Michigan planned for Halloween weekend. FBI Director Kash Patel said multiple suspects have been arrested who were allegedly plotting a violent attack. Patel added that more details will be forthcoming and thanked the men and women of FBI and law enforcement.        Wicked winds are in store for millions of trick-or-treaters. Strong wind advisories are out for 46-million people starting this afternoon in place across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Some gust could reach 40-to-50 miles per hour. Parents are reminded that children under 18 are three-and-a-half times more likely to be killed by a car on Halloween than on any other day.        Tonight's Mega Millions drawing is worth some scary cash. The jackpot is estimated at 754-million-dollars -- the largest jackpot ever for a Halloween drawing. The odds of winning the grand prize are about one in 290-million.        At least one Republican isn't pleased with a recent briefing on military strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats. Republican Mike Turner of Ohio was present for a members-only House Armed Services Committee meeting on Thursday and confirmed that Department of War lawyers were not present and therefore could not explain the legal rationale behind the administration's actions. The congressman claims attendees are concerned about the drug trade and its impact on the U.S.        The fight for the NBA Cup starts tonight. There will be eight games to kick-off the annual tournament, including matchups between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers and between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies. The Milwaukee Bucks took home the title last season.       

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