Government
Public services and government action
General Assembly bill to end discriminatory process of solemnizing marriages is a moment for Pride
Not only should the Governor sign the bill, he should do so as a celebration of Pride.
With no explanation, Wyatt ICE detainee population explodes 316%
The number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees currently housed at the Wyatt has jumped 316% in June, from 31 detainees on June 3rd to 98 detainees as of yesterday, June 21st.
The Providence Alliance for Student Safety Coalition releases plan for student safety: Police Free Schools
“Police are trained to handle crime and disturbances out in the community, they aren’t familiarized with situations in a school environment," said Fatoumata Diallo, a student leader in Young Voices. "Therefore it’s up to our school system to give students the support they need to be safe and excel instead of relying on police who are often making situations worse than better.”
Reclaim RI responds to House budget that refuses to increase taxes on the one percent
“There is still time for the Assembly to do the right thing, and we hope that our state’s leaders will amend the budget to bring some fairness to our state taxes and invest in our communities for the long term,” said Reclaim Rhode Island in statement.
Coalition marches on Nonviolence Institute to demand an end to close cooperation with police
On Friday, organizers and members of the various organizations making the above demand marched from the offices of DARE (Direct Action for Rights and Equality) on Lockwood Street to the Nonviolence Institute on Oxford Street to speak out "about the impact of policing on our youth and our community. We are calling for redistribution of funds to support legal and medical fees for youth impacted by the shootings, and for investment in housing, healthcare, economic opportunity, education, and supports for youth."
RentReliefRI could provide up to $200m to Rhode Islanders facing eviction
“This program is helping our agency meet our commitment to maintain housing for low income residents who have been hurt by the pandemic while also allowing us to receive the rental income we need to continue providing quality housing management,” said Jacqueline Martinez, Associate Director of Property Management and Tenant Selection for the Providence Housing Authority.
Speaker Shekarchi on the 2022 budget: Tax cuts, affordable housing and more
Speaker Shekarchi said he is careful about the tax structure because "I don't want to drive businesses out of Rhode Island." He then told an anecdotal story. "I talked to a business in northern Rhode Island, and they were very very concerned with the so-called Tax the Rich. It was a big, large insurance company and he's like, two-three miles from the Massachusetts border. He made it very clear to me…" The Speaker did not complete the thought, but the indication is that the business owner threatened to leave the state if he is subjected to higher taxes on earnings over $475k.
Governor McKee suggests affordable housing crisis bigger than federal funds can handle
"The problem is large, right?" answered Governor Daniel McKee. "I don't know whether there is enough money in the ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act] funds if you spend every dollar of it, to actually satisfy that problem."
State leaders all-in on police body-worn cameras
Of the two big questions, how the program will be funded, and what the statewide policies regarding body-cameras will be, only the funding question was answered adequately. The question of what exactly the statewide policies governing the use of police body-cameras will look like has been left to a rule making process that promises public input, but will ultimately be decided by law-enforcement.
Advocates press Speaker Shekarchi to increase taxes on the one percent
“In 2006, Governor Carcieri cut taxes on the wealthiest Rhode Islanders," noted Martinez Youngs. "Because of these cuts, Rhode Island has lost over $1 billion in tax revenue. At the same time, property taxes have increased in order to account for the lost funds. We need to tax the rich in order to make the system work for everyone.”