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Health & Fitness

House Leadership Package... Is It Enough To Get Us Going?

I give my opinion on some of the bills that may get a vote before the session ends.

18 bills "developed to improve the coordination and quality of Rhode Island’s economic development efforts and help business succeed in their efforts to grow here".

There are 18 bills facing the general assembly as we get closer to a close of the 2012 session. These are the bills and my opinions.

2013-H 6069 - Economic Development Plan by an Economic Planning Council – Sponsored by House Majority Leader Nicholas A. Mattiello (D-Dist. 15, Cranston), this bill establishes an Economic Development Planning Council to convene once every four years in the same years as gubernatorial elections, to develop economic policy and a strategic plan for implementing it.

Sounds good but... is once every 4 years enough? I say no. As we all know opportunities and situations change frequently and I think if there were to be such a Council it would need to convene once per year rather than once every four years to look at the year past and adjust, add or subtract from a plan as the opportunities or situation of the state changed throughout that year. The last thing we need is to continue with a failed plan for four years then try another one after damage has been done or failing to capitalize on opportunities by tweaking a plan that has proved to show promise.

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2013-H 6063 - Secretary of Commerce – Sponsored by House Finance Committee Chairman Helio Melo (D-Dist. 64, East Providence), this bill creates the Executive Office of Commerce headed by a Secretary of Commerce, transfers many functions currently assigned to the Department of Business Regulations, Department of Labor and Training, the Department of Environmental Management and the Department of Administration to it to align functions and improve coordination of processes for the business community.

All our eggs in one basket? I think rather than transferring many of these functions to yet another department, instead this Executive Office of Commerce should be more of an oversight organizational office to monitor and develop standards amongst the fore mentioned departments. One thing RI is famous for is frustrating business by creating unique roadblocks from department to department without any uniformity.

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2013-H 6070 - Council of Economic Advisors – Sponsored by Rep. Donna M. Walsh (D-Dist. 36, Charlestown, Westerly, South Kingstown, New Shoreham), this bill creates a Council of Economic Advisors from the public and private sectors to collect and publish economic data, and advise with the Governor and Secretary of Commerce.

This one makes perfect sense however... The one thing I do not like in the bill is the following... The Council May (a) Accept grant funds and in-kind contributions from governmental and private entities. This is an opening for the same type of crooked agencies that Rhode Island has been famous for. Strike this clause entirely.

2013-H 6071 - Commerce Corporation – Sponsored by House Majority Whip Stephen R. Ucci (D-Dist. 42, Johnston, Cranston), this bill replaces the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation with the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (RICC), with the Secretary of Commerce as its chairman and CEO. There would be a COO to run RICC. Establishes guidelines for financial program oversight and evaluation.

MY God Please Yes! We still have no idea how we are going to recover from the 38 studios disaster.

2013-H 6060 - Historic Structures tax credit - Sponsored by Rep. Jeremiah T. O'Grady (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket), this bill re-establishes the historic tax credit program to include a per project cap of $5 million.

This bill is nothing new and makes sense.


2013-H 6068 - Rapid Rhody – Sponsored by Rep. Deborah Ruggiero (D-Dist. 74, Jamestown, Middletown), this bill establishes “Rapid Rhody,” a small business loan program to provide more timely access to capital to employers with fewer than 100 employees, coordinated with the existing Small Business Loan Program.

Good for small business This is a nice addition to make an effort to help the little guy from getting caught up in bureaucratic red tape. Small businesses do not have the leisure or the money to wait when an opportunity presents itself.

2013-H 6067 - Business Development Center – Sponsored by Rep. Kenneth A. Marshall (D-Dist. 68, Bristol, Warren), this bill creates a Business Development Center that is more customer-centric. Includes ombudsmen and concierge call service.

Possibly Wasteful. While I can see where this could be of service to smaller businesses, I see more of a nice government job for the friends and families of certain individuals while wasting tax payer money to fill their paychecks. This one should be dropped or really overhauled.

2013-H 6059 - Municipal Roads and Bridges Revolving Loan Fund – Sponsored by Speaker Fox, this legislation, announced last month by legislative leaders and Treasurer Gina M. Raimondo, would establish with state bonds a revolving loan fund to help municipalities do major road repairs at a lower borrowing cost.

This "Paves The Way" A very nice bill from speaker Fox. Each city and town in this state is in such financial trouble and the roads certainly show it. This is an excellent way for the cities and towns to get moving on long overdue road repair.

2013-H 5979 - Innovate RI – Sponsored by Rep. Christopher R. Blazejewski (D-Dist. 2, Providence) would create the Innovate RI program to provide technical assistance small companies competing for federal grants and matching grants and loans if they get them. It would also establish a paid internship program for bio-sciences students.

No Brainer But... This is a great incentive for those wanting to start small businesses but get lost in the maze of trying to get grants. Also a great idea to give paid internships to students as many small businesses cannot afford to do so. However I am a bit confused on why this only established paid internships for bio-sciences students. This absolutely must be extended to other sciences and technologies.


2013-H 5033 - Back to Work RI – Sponsored by Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston), creates the Back to Work Rhode Island program in which a person collecting unemployment benefits would be paired with a business for training at no expense to the business, which could then hire the trained employee if it chooses.

Not Enough It all sounds great until you read into the bill. There is a limit to the first 200 participants deemed eligible by the department. This could get very ugly very fast. It is wide open to favoritism, deals and gender or race biased. It also stops after the 200 and the program ends with no new participants after November 2014 and it expires December 2014. You're on to something good here but bring it back to the drawing board for now and fix these issues.


2013-H 5425 - Department of Environmental Management – Sponsored by Rep. Patricia A. Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry, Warwick), requires that local wetlands and septic ordinances be consistent with state regulations.

Going to come back to this one after talking to the bills sponsors. There is a reference to firearms I do not like in my first read so before I give my opinion I want to have the discussion.


 
2013-H 5698 - Floating holidays – Sponsored by Representative Serpa, to allow floating a holiday for holidays, excluding Sundays, observed by the state that are not designated national holidays.

I'll take a vacation day on this one The bill adds the floating holiday designation for a holiday that is not also observed by the federal government. Does not hurt the employee and helps the employer. Good bill in my opinion.

2013-H 6065 - Biweekly pay – Sponsored by Rep. Joy Hearn (D-Dist. 66, Barrington, East Providence) This allows employers to pay less frequently than weekly, consistent with business practices across the country.

But what about those that are paid "weakly" Anyone that is on a fixed salary can already be paid bi-weekly but this bill makes it possible for those on an hourly wage to be paid in the same manner. I do not like this at all. We have many minimum wage jobs and jobs paying under 12.00 per hour. Those people in most cases have all they can do to keep up. Making them change to a bi-weekly pay is unfair and in some cases will cause undue hardships. This bill should die.

2013-H 6062 - Manufacturing internships and apprenticeships – Sponsored by Rep. Mia A. Ackerman (D-Dist. 45, Cumberland, Lincoln), this bill revises labor laws to allow students to train during school hours in approved programs.

Three cheers for this bill Many students work part time jobs to help at home and pay for their education and do not have the time to add an internship putting them at a loss of time and money having to intern after they graduate or during time off. This would give them the opportunity to intern while in school giving them a nice head start.

2013-H 6061 - Seasonal Unemployment – Sponsored by Rep. K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) - Directs the Department of Labor and Training to prepare options for addressing the issue of high-user employers and options for limiting their cost impact on the unemployment insurance system.

At least they are looking This bill does not change anyone's benefits if they are laid off because they are a seasonal employee. All it does is forces a study on those employees and employers of a seasonal nature. Nice to see they are finally looking at this situation.

2013-H 6030 - Rhode Island Made – Sponsored by Representative O'Grady, this bill creates a plan for all makers of products in Rhode Island to have a coordinated branding strategy. It also designates a day to celebrate the manufacturers in our state.

Seal of approval This is a great idea to help build pride in the workforce, in the state and spread a little advertising to prospective businesses.

2013-H 6066 - External reporting and accountability – Sponsored by Rep. Teresa A. Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett), this bill would require the Office of Management and Budget to inventory reports

Accountability is definitely needed in this state As long as it just does not become another fat cat position, this bill points in the right direction to make the department own up to its actions to the general assembly and the Governor.

For the most part this package has some good ideas and good intentions to help get this state moving again. There is some work still needed on many of the bills however and a couple should just go away.

What I and many people I have talked with would like to see is some of the following ideas that would surely help move business into the state.

Any business that moves into the state or that is newly created should get a fuel tax break. Even if it is for one year take away the fuel tax or refund them the total fuel tax spent at the end of the year. Another incentive is to give a significant tax break for the first year or two to any business that relocates into the state of Rhode Island to help with the costs incurred with moving and the hiring of new employees.

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