March 12, 2018

Never forget: 

We are the most powerful branch of government

Actions for the Week of March 12, 2018

Text "Act-RI" to 662-200-4303 for weekly updates

1. Support our Students in the Walkout to End Gun Violence

      Attend the Rally and Press Conference

Rally: Wed, March 14 at 1:45 on the mall side of the State House

Press Conference for Safe Schools Act: Wed, March 14 at 3:30 inside the State House

2. Demand a Vote on the Reproductive Healthcare Act

Four of our legislators have refused to allow the general assembly to vote on this act.

 ProvidenceJournal 2-6

 Let's tell them how we feel about that:

Senate President Dominick Ruggerio

 sen-ruggerio@rilegislature.gov
  (401) 222-6655

Speaker Nicholas Mattiello

rep-mattiello@rilegislature.gov
(401)222-2466

Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey

 sen-mccaffrey@rilegislature.gov
  (401) 739-7576

House Majority Leader K. Joseph Shekarchi

 rep-shekarchi@rilegislature.gov
 (401) 827-0100

for more details see "Legislation to Watch - Reproductive Freedom" below

3.  Join the Fight for $15

"You can't pull yourself up by the boot straps if you can't afford boots"


 ✎ Sign the petition  
            

 Attend the Senate Labor Committee hearing Wed, March 14 at the State House Room 212 
from 3:30 to 6:30

             Contact the four Labor Committee members who have not sponsored this bill

Senator Frank A. Ciccone, III      

sen-ciccone@rilegislature.gov

401) 275-0949

Senator Paul W. Fogarty

   sen-fogarty@rilegislature.gov

 (401) 949-0895

Senator Mark W. Gee
         sen-gee@rilegislature.gov

(401) 222-2708

Senator Frank S. Lombardi   

sen-lombardi@rilegislature.gov

(401) 453-3900

Senator Frank Lombardo, III       

sen-lombardo@rilegislature.gov

(401) 270-1379

for more details see "Legislation to Watch - Income Inequality" below

4. Let People Vote and In Person Early Voting

Let People Vote repeals RI's voter ID law to broaden access to the ballot box, not restrict it.

In Person Early Voting allows for 20 days of early voting including weekend hours, increasing access to the polls and lessening the strain of mail in ballots on election administrators.

Attend the House Judiciary hearings in State House, Room 205 Wed, March 14 from 4-9

✎ Sign the petition  for in person early voting

for more details see "Legislation to Watch - Voting and Campaign Reform" below

5. Save the Dates

March of Our Lives, Rhode Island

Attend this student led march to end the epidemic of mass school shootings

Sat, March 24 from 1 to 3 at the State House

March for Science, Rhode Island

Sat, April 14 from 1 to 3 at the State House

For the most comprehensive list of upcoming events, visit RHRI's event page

LEGISLATION TO WATCH

Affordable Healthcare

Support RI's Single Payer Healthcare Bill 

for more comprehensive coverage at a lower cost by simply cutting out for-profit insurance companies. 

✎ Sign the petition        

For more info:


Fact Sheet

House Bill H7285 pending Finance Committee Full text

Senate Bill S2237 pending Health and Human Services Committee on March 22  TBD Full text 

RI Healthcare Access and Affordability Partnership  
Press Release 1-24

Uprise RI 1-24

Require Pharmaceutical Accountability

by directing the state board of pharmacy to review critical drug prices and set price caps.

✎ Sign the Petition

For more info:

House Bill H7042 held for firther study by Corporations Committee Full text

Environmental Protection

Support the Economic and Climate Resilience Act 

which places a price on carbon pollution and returns revenue to families and businesses while reinvesting in the clean energy economy.

No Current Actions

For more info:

House Bill H7400 pending Finance Committee  FullText

Senate Bill S2188  pending Environment and Agriculture Committee FullText

Energize RI

Uprise RI 2-1

Press Release 1-31

Protect RI Coastline from Offshore Drilling 
Regulates offshore drilling to minimize adverse effects on RI’s waters and coastline.

No Current Actions

For more info:

House Bill H7250 pending Judiciary Committee  Full text

Senate Bill S2116 pending Environment and Agriculture Committee  Full Text

Reduce Energy Plant Carbon Emissions  

Requires carbon-emissions-reduction goals be considered in energy plant siting proceedings.

No Current Actions

For more info:

Senate Bill S2054 pending Environment and Agriculture Committee  Full Text

Gun Safety

Assault Weapon Ban

Restricts possession and sale of new assault weapons, limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds and grandfathers current possession and ownership.

House Bill H7766 pending Judiciary Committee  Full Text
Senate Bill S2493 Judiciary Committee held for further study  Full Text

Safe Schools Act

Prevents people with concealed carry permits from bringing weapons on to school property without consent of the administration

✎ Sign the petition

For more info:

Senate Bill S2289 Judiciary Committee held for further study  Full Text
House Bill H7591 pending Judiciary Committee  Full Text

Extreme Risk Protection Order

Allows for a gun violence restraining order when a judge finds an individual poses an imminent danger to self or others and requires surrender of all firearms

House Bill H7688 Judiciary Committee held for further study  Full Text
Senate Bill S2492 Judiciary Committee held for further study  Full Text

Ban Bump Stocks

Senate Bill S2027 pending Judiciary Committee  Full Text
Senate Bill S2271 Judiciary Committee held for further study Full Text
Senate Bill S2292 Judiciary Committee held for further study Full Text
House Bill H7075 Judiciary Committee held for further study  Full Text

Press Release 1-3

Ban High Capacity Magazines over 10 Rounds

Criminalizes the manufacture, import, possession, purchase, sale or transfer of any ammunition feeding device capable of accepting more than ten (10) rounds known as high capacity magazines.

✎ Sign the petition

Senate Bill S2319 Judiciary Committee held for further study Full Text
House Bill H7645 pending Judiciary Committee  Full Text

Oppose Reciprocity of Out of State Conceal Carry Permits

Senate Bill S2148 Judiciary Committee held for further study  Full Text


Oppose the Legalization of Gun Silencers in RI

Stop the proposed bill legalizing gun silencers

Senate Bill S2144 WITHDRAWN! FullText

Income Inequality

Providence ranks 3rd in the nation for income inequality 

Fight for $15 and Fair Pay

Fight for $15 gradually raises the minimum wage from $10.10 per hour to $15.00 per hour by 2022

The Fair Pay Bill protects against wage discrimination based on race, religion, sex, disability and age.

 ✎ Sign the petition 


For more info:

Fight for $15 House Bill H7199 pending Labor Committee  Full Text
Fight for $15 Senate Bill S2244 pending Labor Hearing March 14  Full Text

Fair Pay House Bill H7427 pending Labor Committee  Full Text
Fair Pay Senate Bill S2475 pending Senate Labor Committee  Full Text

Fight for $15 and Fair Pay Flyer
RI Working Families Party
Jobs With Justice
Press Release 1-30-18

ProvidenceJournal 01-30-18

UpriseRI 1-30-18

Protecting Tips

The Protecting Tips Bill prohibits employers from receiving any portion of the tips given to their employees

No Current Actions

For more info:

House bill H7398 Labor Committee hearing Thurs, March 15 Full Text
Jobs With Justice
The Hill 10-25-17

Tipped Minimum Wage

The Tipped Minimum Wage bill raises the minimum wage by fifty cents each year until it reaches two-thirds of the regular minimum wage.

No Current Actions

For more info:

House bill H7397 Labor Committee hearing Thurs, March 15 Full Text

Jobs With Justice

Millionaire's Tax

Provides for a 2% tax increase on personal income over $250,000

No Current Actions

For more info:

Senate Bill S2075 pending Finance Committee  Full Text

RI Working Families Party

CEO Tax

Establishes a surtax on publicly traded corporations, if the CEO makes more than 100 times the amount of the median worker.

No Current Actions

For more info:

Senate Bill S2058  pending Finance Committee Full Text

Net Neutrality

Insist on Net Neutrality 

by requiring RI funded internet to be consistent with net neutrality principles

No Current Actions

For more info:

Senate Bill S2008 pending Commerce Committee  Full Text

House Bill H7076 Corporations Committee hearing March 13 postponed  FullText
House Bill H7422 Corporations Committee hearing March 13 postponed  Full Text

Press Release 02-01

Uprise RI 2-1

Reproductive Freedom 

Reproductive Healthcare Act 

House Bill H7340 pending Judiciary Committee FullText

Senate Bill S2163 pending Judiciary Committee Full Text

Senate President [Dominick] Ruggerio

Speaker [Nicholas] Mattiello

Senate Majority Leader [Michael] McCaffrey

House Majority Leader [K. Joseph] Shekarchi

have all refused to allow an up or down vote by the full Assembly on the Reproductive Health Care Act

Fact Sheet

RI Coalition for Reproductive Freedom

Press Release 1-24

ProvidenceJournal 2-6

Protecting Access to Contraception 

Access to affordable, convenient, and effective contraception has led to significant declines in teen and unintended pregnancy, abortion, and unplanned births.

For more information:

House Bill H7625 pending Finance Committee  Full Text

Senate Bill S2529 Health and Human Services hearing March 20 Full Text

Fact Sheet

RI Coalition for Reproductive Freedom

Voting and Campaign Reform

In Person Early Voting 

Allows for 20 days of early voting including weekend hours. It will increase access to the polls for working Rhode Islanders and lessen the strain on election administrators from the explosive growth in the use of mail ballots.

✎ Sign the petition 

Print the petition and collect signatures

For more info:

House Bill H7501 Judiciary Committee hearing March 14  Full text 
Senate Bill S2419 pending Judiciary Committee  Full text

RI Working Families Party
Common Cause RI
Providence Journal.12-17
Press Release 2-8

Let People Vote

Repeal RI's 2011 voter ID law to broaden access to the ballot box for eligible voters, not restrict it.

House Bill H7342 Judiciary Committee hearing March 14  Full Text

ACLU People Power

No Fossil Fuel Money

Climate Action RI is planning a legislative initiative to get candidates and elected officials to pledge to refuse donations from the fossil fuel industry. No Fossil Fuel Money.org