Government
Public services and government action
The Woonsocket City Council refuses to understand the Open Meetings Act
In pretending to follow the Open Meetings Act, the City Council seems to have repeatedly violated it at Monday's hearing. Further, they are using the Open Meetings Act to shut down public comment, which is not the purpose of the act at a...
Governor Gina Raimondo ceremonially signs legislation extending the statute of limitations for childhood sex abuse claims
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo held a ceremonial signing of legislation that that amends the state’s civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse on Monday. In attendance were Representative Carol Hagan McEntee (Democrat,...
Governor Raimondo signs bill exempting hair braiding from licensing into law
The bill, long championed by Representative Anastasia Williams, was finally passed by the General Assembly this year. Natalie Jones moved from employee to owner of Salon 361, a natural hair braiding shop in Providence. This was the busin...
Will Cristian Aguasvivas be returned to the Dominican Republic to be tortured?
If returned to the Dominican Republic, Cristian Aguasvivas is "more likely than not" to be tortured. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo maintains that he has sole discretion to make that decision... United States District Court Judge John Mc...
Senator Bell meets with constituents
Rhode Island State Senator Samuel Bell (Democrat, District 5, Providence) held a constituent meeting Monday evening and talked about his accomplishments during his first year in his position. He also took questions from his constituents....
Nancy Green: Liberians in Rhode Island deserve a path to citizenship
Today I ‘liked’ a Facebook post from Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: “Happy Liberian Independence Day! Rhode Island has a vibrant Liberian community that has contributed so much to our state. I remain committed to passing Senato...
The Making of a Democratic Economy: A conversation with economist Marjorie Kelly
Economist Marjorie Kelly, vice president and senior fellow at The Democracy Collaborative, was in Boston last Thursday evening to discuss her new book, The Making of a Democratic Economy, which is about the possible transformation of our...
A guide to Open Government in Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Attorney General's Office held their 21st Annual Open Government Session on July 19. The three hour session sought to explain how the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Access to Public Records Act (APRA) work. The Open Mee...
Protect Families First: Public health advocates call for Providence Police to cease homicide investigations for accidental drug overdoses
Expressing concerns that treating accidental drug overdoses is both counterproductive and dangerous, public health and recovery advocates call for the Providence Police Department to immediately halt their investigations of recent and tr...
State Senators and Representatives reflect on past legislative session with Common Cause
Rhode Island State Senators Dawn Euer (Democrat, District 13, Newport, Jamestown) and James Sheehan (Democrat, District 36, Narragansett) and State Representatives Jason Knight (Democrat, District 67, Barrington, Warren) and John Lyle Jr...