Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

Reapportionment Commission to begin work on Sept. 9

 

STATE HOUSE – The Special Commission on Reapportionment will hold its first meeting on Thursday, Sept. 9, at 4 p.m. in Room 313 of the State House.

It will be an organizational meeting that will include the election of the co-chairs, one from the House and one from the Senate. A presentation will be made by Kimball Brace, president of Election Data Service Inc., a consulting firm from Virginia that will assist the commission.  Public comment will also be taken.

The state constitution calls for the General Assembly to reapportion its districts as well as the two congressional districts after each 10-year federal census.

The 2020 census data was made public on August 12, 2021, which is several months later than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the late release, the commission is organizing earlier than in the past – the first meeting 10 years ago was October 4, 2012. 

The 18-member commission will use the results of the census to redraw district lines to reflect population shifts. It must make its recommendations to the General Assembly by January 15, 2022. According to the legislation (2021-S 0852A, 2021-H 6222A) signed into law by the Governor, the commission is comprised of six House and six Senate members, requiring each chamber to have four members from the majority party and two from the minority party. Three members of the public are appointed by each chamber as well.

Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi has appointed Representatives Arthur J. Corvese (D-Dist. 55, North Providence), Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence), Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence), Brian C. Newberry (R-Dist. 48, North Smithfield, Burrillville), Robert D. Phillips (D-Dist. 51, Woonsocket, Cumberland) and David J. Place (R-Dist. 47, Burrillville, Glocester). From the general public, he has appointed Antonio Lopes, the CEO and founder of TILT Communications; Kaprece Ransaw, a real estate agent; and former State Rep. Stephen Ucci, who co-chaired the reapportionment commission 10 years ago.

President Dominick J. Ruggerio has appointed Senators Stephen R. Archambault (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, North Providence, Johnston), Walter S. Felag, Jr. (D-Dist. 10, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton), Ana B. Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence), V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown, New Shoreham), Jessica de la Cruz (R-Dist. 23, Burrillville, Glocester, North Smithfield) and Gordon E. Rogers (R-Dist. 21, Foster, Coventry, Scituate, West Greenwich). From the general public, he has appointed Maria Bucci, a former Cranston City Council member; Alvin Reyes, an organizer with IBEW Local 99; and Harold M. Metts, a former state senator, retired school administrator, and community leader.

All meetings will be live streamed at http://rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx and televised on Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox Channels 15 and 61, on Full Channel on Channel 15 and on Channel 34 by Verizon subscribers.

 

 

 

The FBI has taken sole control over the investigation into the deadly shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minnesota yesterday. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it was notified that it "would no longer have access to the case material, scene evidence or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation." After the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the woman refused commands to get out of her vehicle, and tried to harm the officer with the car.        Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is authorizing the state's National Guard to help support local law enforcement following tensions in Minneapolis after an ICE-involved shooting where a woman was killed Wednesday. A press release from Walzs' office says that the support will be to help protect critical infrastructure and maintain public safety. The statement went on to thank Minnesotans for having "met this moment," saying there is every reason to believe peace will hold.        A manhunt is underway for the person, or persons, who killed two people and injured six others outside a church in Utah. Police say a funeral was taking place at an LDS church in Salt Lake City Wednesday when an altercation broke out in the parking lot and shots were fired at a group of people. Of those injured, three are in critical condition.        Proceedings have resumed in Corpus Christi at the trial of former Uvalde ISD police officer Adrian Gonzales, but some testimony has been thrown out. Yesterday the judge denied a defense motion for a mistrial over the testimony of Stephanie Hall, a teacher at the school on the day of the attack. The defense contended her testimony on Tuesday was different from previous statements that had been given to them by the prosecution.        The first of two cross country storms is heading East with millions under the threat of severe weather and floods. The storm is moving out of the Four Corners region with Missouri and Kansas seeing downpours today, while a tornado has been confirmed in Oklahoma. The system will move through the Midwest throughout today.        Three suspects are under arrest in the burglary of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders' home. Police say the break-in happened November 16th while the Browns were playing the Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland. The whereabouts of the fourth suspect are unknown.       

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