The first week of the 2016 legislative session of the RI General Assembly was filled with high aspirations and low comedy. Here are some of the “Highs and Lows.” From passing the Good Samaritan Act to the fawning flattery of courtiers, we ran the gamut this week. Plus, a frying pan to the head for a prominent Trump supporter.
The high point came from the Senate, where on the second day in session, they passed the Good Samaritan Act, nearly unanimously. Only Senator Frank A. Ciccone, III (D District 7, Providence, North Providence) voted against. Attending the session was former East Side Senator Rhoda Perry, whose son, Alexander, recently passed away after a long battle with addiction. Perry was instrumental in passing the Good Samaritan Act when she was a Senator, and it is fitting that she should be in attendance. Senator Gayle L. Goldin (D District 3, Providence) fittingly submitted a resolution honoring Alexander Perry.
The low point was in the House of Representatives, where Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D District 19 Warwick, Cranston) competed with House Majority Leader John J. DeSimone (D District 5 Providence) in obsequiously slathering House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello with oleaginous praise over his being awarded “Man of the Year” by GoLocalProv. The House rose to give Speaker Mattiello a standing ovation as we all grabbed our air sickness bags.
The opening minutes of the House of Reps this year were marked by Speaker Mattiello studiously ignoring the protesters demanding Licenses for All outside the House chamber. As Mattiello calls for order, the voice of community organizer Juan Garcia can be heard shouting the Speaker’s name over and over again. Mattiello said recently that he is unmoved by protests, and he seems intent on proving that.
The ever classy ProJo‘s reaction to this event was to publish a letter from the kind-hearted James P Hosey in which he says, “Were I governor, I would have called out the National Guard to deal with these hooligans.”
The best moment in unintentional meta-comedy came from Rep. Joseph A. Trillo (R District 24 Warwick). Trillo, who has just been named honorary chairman of the RI Trump for President campaign, introduced his wife, Marilyn Cocozza Trillo, and said that she’s his “key political adviser.” Trillo made a joke that his wife sometimes uses a “frying pan to hit me in the head to get the advice through,” leaving us all to wonder whether it’s her bad advice or concussive brain damage that’s brought Trillo to publicly espouse his support for the racist, fascist and deceptive Donald Trump.
And lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that the General Assembly engaged in two minutes, 48 seconds of public, legislative prayer. The prayers were all Christian in nature and mostly Catholic. The prayers are in no way reflective of our state’s diversity and are in no way respectful of our state’s history of separation of church and state or freedom of conscience.
Roger Williams would not approve.
When Governor Gina Raimondo was a candidate, she did not promise to partner with the legislature to work out a solution to the problem of undocumented workers and access to driver’s licenses. She said that she would issue an executive order compelling the DMV to begin issuing such licenses within her first year in office. In fact, she signed her name to that promise. Raimondo has two days to make good on her word, or it will be a campaign promise broken.
To remind her of her promise, members of RI Jobs With Justice, Fuerza Laboral, English for Action, the Providence Student Union and others rallied at the State House outside the House chambers, demanding that their voices be heard and that promises be kept. As Speaker Nicholas Mattiello puttered about inside the House chambers, metaphorically polishing his gavel and preparing for the new legislative session, advocates for licenses were lead in chants by Juan Garcia and shouted the Speaker’s name.
Mattiello ignored the protesters.
Overlapping with the “Licenses for All” rally was a “No Tolls” rally. This rally was made up primarily of conservative anti-tax groups. This coalition was protesting against the proposed truck tolls, which the tax groups feel are a slippery slope to car tolls. There was some friction when members of the anti-toll rally took issue with the undocumented workers agitating for licenses, with one angry man leading a small group in screaming, “Go home!” over and over again.
Later those rallying for licenses chanted, “We pay taxes!”
Speaker Mattiello told Gene Valicenti on WPRO that he didn’t, “expect to be moved” by the toll protest, and he seemed equally unmoved by the Licenses for All rally. One wonders what does move the Speaker if our democratic process and exercise of our First Amendment rights are so inconsequential.
Time running out for Raimondo to keep undocumented resident driver’s license promise
Coalition demands driver’s licenses for all, regardless of immigration status
“In June of last year, when the candidates were running for governor, we got a promise from all the candidates, including Gina Raimondo, that she would sign an executive order granting driver’s licenses to undocumented people in Rhode Island within the first year of office,” said Juan Garcia, from the Comité de Inmigrantes en Acción.
Garcia was speaking at a State House press conference organized by Todos Somos Arizona, (We Are All Arizona) coalition, a group that supports immigrant rights. Since the Paris attacks last Friday, say organizers, “we have seen a surge in xenophobic messages and remarks made by politicians and the media against refugees and immigrants across Europe and the United States, including Rhode Island.”
Garcia said, “We just want to send a message, especially with everything that has happened in Paris with the terrorist attacks. The people standing behind me are not terrorists. We are human beings, and what better way to promote safety in Rhode Island than to give everybody a driver’s license?”
The coalition argues that this is a human rights issues and that, “driver’s licenses for all residents of Rhode Island would mean safer roads for everyone… Parents need driver’s licenses to drive their children (many of whom are US citizens) to school, doctor’s appointments, and to get to work. They shouldn’t have to live in fear everyday simply to provide for their families.”
“We do not want to be criminalized,” said Heiny Maldonado, director of Fuerza Laboral, “We only want to be recognized for the people that we are.”
José has been in the country in since 2000 and has been driving without a license since 2009. “It’s a safety issue,” he said, “I drive in fear, looking through my rear view mirror… I work a lot, I drive a lot and I need to provide for my loved ones.”
Veronica, speaking on behalf of Inglés en Acción / English for Action (EFA), said that she was speaking for undocumented parents who need to meet with teachers, meet with doctors and need to attend English language classes. They are, says Veronica, “afraid that they can’t get somewhere because they don’t have licenses.”
A dozen states, including Illinois, Vermont, California, New Jersey and Connecticut, have already passed legislation to provide licenses for all of their residents, regardless of immigration status. “We demand that Speaker [Nicholas] Mattiello support the governor, and not block this action,” said Garcia.
So far, Governor Raimondo has failed to keep her campaign promise and sign the executive order. In response to a query, the Governor’s office replied, “The Governor supports providing licenses for undocumented Rhode Island residents and remains committed to pursuing a solution. She has a team across state agencies working on this, but no decisions have been made on timing or process at this time.”
The Todos Somos Arizona coalition includes English for Action (EFA), Olneyville Neighborhood Association (ONA), Jobs with Justice, SIEU, Fuerza Laboral, Comité de Inmigrantes en Acción / Immigrant Action Committee and the American Friends Service Committee.