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| 11/12/2009 |
Public construction going green under new law
Public buildings in Rhode Island are about to get greener under a new law sponsored by Sen. Louis P. DiPalma.
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| 11/12/2009 |
Bill to restructure EDC signed into law
The governor today signed into law legislation sponsored by Rep. Donna M. Walsh and Sen. Walter S. Felag Jr. that reconfigures the board of directors for the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and defines the term of employment for the executive director of the agency.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Assembly closes prostitution loophole
Human trafficking law also strengthened as lawmakers return to session
With both chambers’ approval today, the General Assembly voted to close a loophole that has allowed indoor prostitution to flourish in Rhode Island.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Assembly passes probation reform legislation
Bill would ensure due process for those accused of violating probation
The General Assembly today approved a measure sponsored by Rep. David Segal and Sen. Rhoda E. Perry that would ban the state from keeping people in prison on probation violations that are never proven.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Assembly OKs saltwater fishing license
Faced with federal regulations that otherwise would have imposed a higher fee on local fishermen, legislators today voted to create the Ocean State’s first recreational saltwater fishing license.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Bill guaranteeing funeral rights for domestic partners headed to governor
With passage by the General Assembly today, legislation to provide domestic partners with the right to make funeral arrangements for their partners will soon be on its way to the governor’s desk.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Assembly passes bill to end gubernatorial appointments for U.S. Senate vacancies
The governor will no longer be able to appoint a replacement if one of Rhode Island’s U.S. senators is unable to complete his or her term, under legislation approved by the General Assembly today.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Assembly bans texting while driving
The General Assembly has approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Peter F. Kilmartin and Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski that would prohibit motorists from sending, writing or reading a text message while driving.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Assembly approves referendum to drop ‘plantations’ from state’s name
With final passage by both chambers today, a question will be placed on the 2010 state ballot asking voters whether they wish to eliminate a part of the name of their state – the “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” – because to many, it contains an outdated reference that conjures up images of a time and place when slavery was widely accepted.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Bill to strengthen state’s drunken driving laws heads to governor’s desk
Legislation that would address situations in which drunken drivers refuse chemical tests in accidents where death or serious bodily injury results was approved by the General Assembly and heads to the governor’s desk for consideration.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Three years to a college degree in Rhode Island
Earning a bachelor’s degree in the state will no longer have to take four years. Students enrolling at Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island will have the option of completing their degree in three years, under legislation passed this week by the General Assembly.
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| 10/29/2009 |
Bills OKd to eliminate some mandatory minimum sentences
The General Assembly again this year has approved legislation to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug possession charges in an attempt to reduce prison population and correctional costs and to give judges more discretion when sentencing offenders.
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LEGISLATIVE INFO
