Update: The 2009 legislative session came to a close today at about 4:40pm with all of the vetoed bills under consideration being overridden.

Original Post: The Senate and House have some unfinished business to do before the new legislative session starts on Tuesday the 5th.  The General Assembly is looking at 14 House bills and  12 Senate bills which were vetoed by the Governor.  In quick succession each of these bills will come up for an override vote with little to no discussion. 

Most notable among these bills are:

Rep. Edwin Pacheco’s pre-registration bill for 16 and 17 year olds (H5005)   The Rhode Island Young Democrats were instrumental in urging the General Assembly to override the Governor’s veto on this piece of legislation with their “Make it Happen” campaign.  Way to go RIYD!

The original votes were as follows:

In the House, the bill passed 56-10.  Those voting in favor were: Speaker Murphy, and Representatives Ajello, Almeida, Azzinaro, Baldelli-Hunt, Caprio, Carnevale, Coderre, Corvese, Costantino, DaSilva, Dennigan, Diaz, Driver, Edwards, Ferri, Fierro, Flaherty, Fox, Gablinske, Gallison, Giannini, Guthrie, Handy, Hearn, Jackson, Kennedy, Kilmartin, Lally, Lima, Malik, Marcello, Martin, Mattiello, McCauley, McNamara, Melo, O'Neill, Pacheco, Palumbo, Petrarca, Pollard, Rice, A., Ruggiero, San Bento, Savage, Schadone, Serpa, Shallcross-Smith, Silva, Slater, Sullivan, Ucci, Vaudreuil, Walsh, and Winfield.

The Nays were: Representatives Brien, Carter, Ehrhardt, Gemma, Jacquard, Loughlin, MacBeth, Menard, Newberry, and Trillo.

In the Senate, the bill passed 31-4.  Those voting in favor were: Senate President Paiva Weed, and Senators Algiere, Ciccone, Connors, Crowley, DaPonte, Devall, DiPalma, Doyle, Felag, Fogarty, Gallo, Goodwin, Jabour, Lanzi, Lenihan, Levesque, Lynch, Maselli, McBurney, McCaffrey, Metts, Miller, O'Neill, Perry, Picard, Pichardo, Pinga, Raptakis, Sosnowski, and Tassoni.

The Nays were: Senators Bates, Blais, Cote, and Maher

Based on the initial vote, it shouldn’t be a problem to override this bill.

Rep. Chris Fierro’s Senate vacancy bill (H5094)

With the whole Rod Blagojevich mess, this bill sailed through both houses, and it is almost certain that the veto will be overridden.

The original votes were as follows:

In the House, the bill passed 64-6.  Those voting in favor were: Speaker Murphy and Representatives Ajello, Almeida, Azzinaro, Baldelli-Hunt, Caprio, Carnevale, Carter, Coderre, Corvese, Costantino, DaSilva, Dennigan, DeSimone, Diaz, Driver, Edwards, Ferri, Fierro, Flaherty, Fox, Gablinske, Gallison, Giannini, Guthrie, Handy, Hearn, Jackson, Kennedy, Kilmartin, Lally, Lima, Loughlin, MacBeth, Malik, Marcello, Martin, Mattiello, McCauley, McNamara, Melo, Menard, Newberry, O'Neill, Pacheco, Palumbo, Petrarca, Pollard, Rice, A., Rice, M., Ruggiero, San Bento, Savage, Schadone, Serpa, Shallcross-Smith, Silva, Slater, Sullivan, Ucci, Vaudreuil, Walsh, Wasylyk, Winfield.

The Nays were: Representatives Brien, Ehrhardt, Gemma, Jacquard, Trillo, and Watson.

In the Senate, the bill passed 35-0.  Those voting in favor were: Senate President Paiva Weed and Senators Algiere, Bates, Blais, Ciccone, Connors, Cote, Crowley, DaPonte, Devall, DiPalma, Doyle, Felag, Fogarty, Gallo, Jabour, Lanzi, Lenihan, Levesque, Lynch, Maher, Maselli, McBurney, McCaffrey, Metts, O'Neill, Picard, Pichardo, Pinga, Raptakis, Ruggerio, Sheehan, Sosnowski, Tassoni, Walaska.

Funeral Rights legislation (H5294)

This legislation, sponsored by Reps. Segal, Edwards, Sullivan, and Fierro, was in response to the tragic story of Mark Goldberg.  Carcieri vetoed it in part due to the indefensible justification of its “incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage.”

We owe quite a bit of gratitude to Queer Action RI for forcing Carcieri to see the foolishness of his ways, and for their diligence in securing 425 names in a six day petition drive.  In the House, the bill passed 63-1.  Those voting in favor were Speaker Murphy and Representatives Ajello, Almeida, Azzinaro, Baldelli-Hunt, Caprio, Carnevale, Carter, Coderre, DaSilva, Dennigan, DeSimone, Diaz, Driver, Edwards, Ehrhardt, Ferri, Fierro, Fox, Gablinske, Gallison, Gemma, Giannini, Guthrie, Handy, Hearn, Jackson, Jacquard, Kennedy, Kilmartin, Lally, Lima, Loughlin, MacBeth, Marcello, Martin, Mattiello, McNamara, Melo, Menard, Naughton, Newberry, O'Neill, Pacheco, Palumbo, Petrarca, Pollard, Rice, A., Rice, M., Ruggiero, Savage, Schadone, Segal, Serpa, Shallcross-
Smith, Silva, Slater, Trillo, Ucci, Vaudreuil, Walsh, Williams, and Williamson.

The sole nay vote was Representative Corvese.

In the Senate, the bill passed 38-0 by unanimous consent.

That should be an easy override as well.

The Domestic Violence Prevention Act (H5227).

This should be a pretty simple override as well.  In the House, it passed 57-0.  Those voting in favor were: Representatives Ajello, Almeida, Azzinaro, Baldelli-Hunt, Brien, Caprio, Carnevale, Carter, Coderre, Corvese, Costantino, DaSilva, Dennigan, Driver, Edwards, Ehrhardt, Fellela, Ferri, Fierro, Flaherty, Fox, Gablinske, Gallison, Gemma, Giannini, Guthrie, Handy, Hearn, Kilmartin, Lally, Lima, Loughlin, MacBeth, Malik, Martin, Mattiello, Menard, Naughton, Newberry, Pacheco, Petrarca, Pollard, Rice, A., Rice, M., Ruggiero, Savage, Schadone, Segal, Serpa, Shallcross, Silva, Trillo, Ucci, Vaudreuil, Walsh, Williams, Winfield.

In the Senate, the bill passed 38-0 by unanimous consent.

The Foreclosure Mediation bill (H5492aa)

This one will be slightly more difficult to override.

In the House, it passed 48-19.  Those voting in favor were: Speaker Murphy and Representatives Ajello, Almeida, Azzinaro, Caprio, Coderre, Costantino, DaSilva, DeSimone, Diaz, Driver, Edwards, Fellela, Ferri, Fierro, Fox, Gallison, Gemma, Giannini, Guthrie, Handy, Jackson, Jacquard, Kennedy, Kilmartin, Lima, MacBeth, McCauley, McNamara, Melo, Menard, O'Neill, Pacheco, Petrarca, Rice, A., Rice, M., Ruggiero, San Bento, Schadone, Segal, Silva, Sullivan, Vaudreuil, Walsh, Wasylyk, Williams, Williamson, and Winfield.

Those voting nay were: Representatives Baldelli-Hunt, Brien, Carnevale, Carter, Corvese, Ehrhardt, Hearn, Lally, Loughlin, Malik, Marcello, Martin, Mattiello, Newberry, Pollard, Savage, Serpa, Trillo,
and Watson .

It breezed through the Senate on a vote of 31-0.  The Yeas were: President Paiva Weed and Senators Bates, Blais, Ciccone, Connors, Cote, Crowley, Devall, DiPalma, Felag, Fogarty, Gallo, Goodwin, Lanzi, Lenihan, Levesque, Lynch, Maher, Maselli, McCaffrey, Metts, Miller, O'Neill, Perry, Picard, Pichardo, Pinga, Raptakis, Ruggerio, Sheehan, and Tassoni.

Unfortunately, the incredibly important probation reform bill will not be taken up.  That’s disappointing, since it means that innocent people will unjustifiably remain in prison, paid for by the taxpayers at a time when elected officials are searching far and wide for ways to save money.

Here's hoping these overrides go smoothly!