Woonsocket Radio News Room

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This week at the

General Assembly

 

STATE HOUSE — Here are the highlights from news and events that took place in the General Assembly this week. For more information on any of these items visit http://www.rilegislature.gov/pressrelease

 

 

§  General Assembly convenes 2019 session
The General Assembly began its 2019 session with 14 new representatives in the House and seven new senators. Democrats increased their ranks by two members in the House, which is now made up of 66 Democrats and nine Republicans. The Senate remains at 33 Democrats and five Republicans. More women were elected to both chambers. The House, which had 23 women in the previous term, now includes 26 women, and the Senate includes 16, up from 13 at the end of the previous session.

§  Mattiello re-elected Speaker of the House for new term
Rep. Nicholas A. Mattiello (D-Dist. 15, Cranston) was re-elected speaker of the house for the 2019-20 legislative session. First elected to the House in 2006, Speaker Mattiello was elected to lead the chamber in March 2014 after having served as Democratic majority leader since 2010.
Click here to see news release.

§  Ruggerio re-elected President of the Senate

Sen. Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-Dist. 4, North Providence, Providence) was re-elected to the office of president during opening day ceremonies in the Rhode Island Senate. He was first elected to the position in March 2017, and began his first full term in the chamber’s top post after being sworn into office. He previously served as Senate majority leader.

Click here to see news release.

 

§  Senate re-elects Metts as president pro tempore, Crowley as deputy

The Rhode Island Senate re-elected Sen. Harold M. Metts (D-Dist. 6, Providence) as president pro tempore and Sen. Elizabeth A. Crowley (D-Dist. 16, Central Falls, Pawtucket) as deputy president pro tempore during the opening day ceremonies of the Senate. 

Click here to see news release.

 

§  House Democratic Caucus re-elects Majority Leader Shekarchi and team

The House Democratic Caucus in November elected Rep. K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) as majority leader for the 2019-20 legislative session. The caucus also elected Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton, Portsmouth) as majority whip, Rep. Christopher R. Blazejewski (D-Dist. 2, Providence) as deputy majority whip, Rep. Charlene M. Lima (D-Dist. 14, Cranston, Providence) as deputy speaker; Rep. Brian P. Kennedy (D-Dist. 38, Hopkinton, Westerly) as speaker pro tempore; and Rep. Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence) as Democratic Caucus chairwoman.

Click here to see news release.

 

§  House Republicans elect Minority Leader Filippi, Whip Chippendale

The House Republicans in November elected Rep. Blake A. Filippi (R-Dist. 36, New Shoreham, Charlestown, South Kingstown, Westerly) as minority leader for the 2019-20 legislative session. The caucus also elected Rep. Michael W. Chippendale (R-Dist. 40, Foster, Glocester, Coventry) as minority whip, Rep. Justin K. Price (R-Dist. 39, Richmond, Hopkinton, Exeter) as senior deputy minority leader, Rep. Sherry Roberts (R. Dist. 29, Coventry, West Greenwich) as deputy whip; and Rep. Robert Quattrocchi (R-Dist. 41, Scituate, Cranston) as deputy minority leader.

Click here to see news release.

 

§  Senate Democrats re-elect Majority Leader McCaffrey

Senate Democrats in November re-elected Sen. Michael J. McCaffrey (D-Dist. 29, Warwick) as majority leader for the 2019-20 legislative session.

Click here to see news release.

 

§  Senate Republicans re-elect Minority Leader Algiere, Whip Morgan

Senate Republicans in November re-elected Sen. Dennis L. Algiere (R-Dist. 38, Charlestown, South Kingstown, Westerly) as minority leader for the 2019-20 legislative session. The caucus also named Sen. Elaine J. Morgan (R-Dist. 34, Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, West Greenwich) as minority whip and Sen. Thomas J. Paolino, (R-Dist. 17, Lincoln, North Providence, North Smithfield) as senior deputy minority leader.

Click here to see news release.

 

House names Rules Committee
House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello appointed the 17-member House Rules Committee, which will be led by Chairman Arthur J. Corvese (D-Dist. 55, North Providence). The committee will discuss and propose to the full House membership a set of rules and procedures for the chamber in the 2019-2020 session.                 

                                   

 

 

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For an electronic version of this and all press releases published by the Legislative Press and Public Information Bureau, please visit our Web site at www.rilegislature.gov/pressrelease.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new poll shows President Biden and former President Trump currently in a dead heat in the upcoming presidential race. Quinnipiac University's latest national poll found registered voters evenly split in their choice for president in 2024, with 46 percent supporting President Biden and 46 percent supporting former President Trump. In a five-way matchup including independent and Green Party candidates, Biden and Trump are still tied with 37 percent support apiece, while independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. drew 16 percent support.        More pro-Palestinian protests are breaking out on U.S. campuses. Texas state troopers on horseback are at the University of Texas at Austin campus today as the "Palestine Solidarity Committee" says it wants to establish a foot hole at the UT Austin campus. The school says the protesters will not be allowed to set up any camps.        Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial resumes Thursday. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is expected to continue testifying for a third day, after explaining to the court how he paid people for the rights to negative stories about Trump only to never publish them in order to protect the presidential candidate. He's also expected to be questioned about Stormy Daniels, the adult film star whose alleged affair with Trump is at the heart of the criminal case.       Millions of salaried workers in the U.S. will soon qualify for overtime pay thanks to a new rule from the Biden administration. The rule announced Tuesday by the Department of Labor changes the threshold under which salaried employees become eligible for overtime. The department estimates that an extra four-million workers will qualify for overtime once the rule is implemented in January.        Ohio is allowing breastfeeding mothers to be excused from jury duty. The law says that if a prospective juror can provide documentation to the judge that they're currently breastfeeding their one-year-old or younger child, they can be excused. The State Senate passed it unanimously in September and Governor Mike DeWine signed the bill into law Tuesday.       The NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs features three games tonight. In the East, the Boston Bruins will head to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs for game three. In the Western Conference, the Vegas Golden Knights will face off against the Stars in Dallas for game two of their series, and the Los Angeles Kings will play the Oilers in Edmonton in game two.        

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