State House

The Morning After

The Morning After

It seems fitting that the Providence Journal editorialized in support of making Plan B, the emergency contraceptive drug, over the counter the very morning after Rhode Island’s annual abortion restriction hearing in the State House.  Over sixty supporters came out in waves of pink to support the work of the RI Coalition for Reproductive Justice and [...]

Keep abortion restrictions out of Rhode Island

Keep abortion restrictions out of Rhode Island

The same radical anti-abortion agenda coming out of state legislatures from Arkansas to North Dakota is headed straight for Rhode Island. Today 5 dangerous abortion restriction bills will be heard at the State House that would work to insert politicians between a woman and her doctor – and would bring the same extreme legislation that [...]

Rep. Valencia continues push for tax equity

Rep. Valencia continues push for tax equity

Rep. Larry Valencia is charging hard at injustice and promoting progressive values in the General Assembly. This Democrat serving  Hopkinton, Exeter, and Richmond voted ‘Yea’ on marriage equality, is a cosponsor of the marijuana legalization bill, the lead sponsor of the repeal of Voter ID, cosponsors Rep. Maria Cimini’s Tax Equity bill, and has also [...]

Environmental Groups lobbied legislators en masse on Tuesday. (L to R Mike Roles, Tricia Jedele, Gov. Lincoln Chafee, Nicole Pollock, Rep. Art Handy, and Francis Pullaro of RENEW NE.

Environmental advocates take to the State House

Each year, the Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI) holds a legislative lobby day allowing everyday folks who care about the environment to lobby their legislators to protect laws that protect our environment and voice opposition to bills that they see as detrimental to the first resort’s ecosystems. The Environment Council of Rhode Island was [...]

Cynicism warps view of Senate GOP’s SSM support

Cynicism warps view of Senate GOP’s SSM support

Last night a lengthy Twitter discussion erupted about the Senate Republican Caucus unanimously supporting marriage equality which is a first among legislative caucuses; according to the Human Rights Campaign. It was about as substantive as one can be with 140 characters, including people’s handles. Mainly, it sought to suss out the reason why the Senate [...]

Sen. Donna Nesselbush was given a standing ovation before the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting. (Photo by Dave Fisher)

Committee moves marriage equality to full Senate

The Senate Judiciary Committee made history today with the passage of two bills regarding same sex marriage, and the defeat of a bill that would have put the question of marriage equality to a ballot vote in 2014. In a vote of 7-to-4, the committee passed SB 38, which redefines marriage as a union of [...]