Last Week at the General Assembly. . .

Bill clears way for gender-specific school events
Schools would no longer need to be concerned that father-daughter or mother-son dances are contrary to the state’s gender discrimination laws as a result of legislation passed by the Senate. Sponsored by Sen. Hanna M. Gallo (D-Dist. 27, Cranston, West Warwick), the bill (2013-S 0012Aaa) will amend state law to provide that activities for students of one sex are permissible if reasonably comparable activities are provided for students of the other sex.

Legislation introduced to improve safety in R.I. schools
Three bills addressing school safety issues have been introduced in both chambers. Developed by the legislature and the governor’s office, the bills will, among other things, require schools to perform a safety assessment in conjunction with local police, fire and school safety teams; require annual review and certification of school safety and emergency response plans and set specific requirements for school fire drills and lockdown drills. Sen. Hanna M. Gallo (D-Dist. 27, Cranston, West Warwick) and Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) sponsored two of the bills (2013-S 800, 2013-H 5940 and 2013-S 0801, 2013-H 5941) and Sen. Louis P. DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton) and Rep. Raymond E. Gallison Jr. (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth) introduced the other bill (2013-S 0014A, 2013-H 5152).

McCaffrey, Pichardo ‘Moving The Needle’ education bills pass Senate
The Senate passed two bills – derived from key recommendations of its “Moving The Needle” report on Rhode Island’s economic competitiveness – designed to increase the overall educational attainment of the state’s workforce and potentially help thousands of Rhode Islanders obtain a postsecondary degree. Sen. Michael J. McCaffrey’s (D-Dist. 29, Warwick) bill (2013-S 0639Aaa) directs the state Board of Education to allow students to enroll in courses at a postsecondary institution to satisfy academic credit requirements in both high school and the aforementioned institution of higher education. Sen. Juan M. Pichardo’s (D-Dist. 2, Providence) bill (2013-S 0511A) would direct the state Board of Education to implement a “reverse transfer” policy, which would create an avenue for students to transfer credits from a four-year college to a two-year school. 

Senate approves Jobs Match Program legislation
The Senate approved legislation to establish an easy-to-use computer-based program to efficiently identify and address skill gaps among job seekers. Sponsored by Sen. James C. Sheehan (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown), the bill (2013-S 0403) seeks to strengthen statewide interagency collaborations, enhance the current state workforce development and job match system and address skill gaps in a manner that aligns with business and industry needs.

Edwards, Miller hold news conference for first day of pot decriminalization
Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Portsmouth, Tiverton) and Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence) – lead sponsors of last year’s marijuana decriminalization legislation – joined Protect Families First at a State House news conference on the first day the law went into effect. The lawmakers had an in-depth discussion of the new rules in place for possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana, which includes a $150 civil fine to replace the criminal penalties.

House passes bill to allow voting by all in line when polls close
The House passed legislation (2013-H 5771) sponsored by Rep. Edith H. Ajello (D-Dist. 1, Providence) to change the state elections law to guarantee that all voters who are standing in line to vote when polls close are allowed to cast their ballots. Under current law, if a line of potential voters stretches outside the building where polls are located, those who are outdoors at 8 p.m. could be turned away. Her bill would allow them to vote. Companion legislation (2013-S 626) is being sponsored in the Senate by Sen. James C. Sheehan (D-Dist. 36, North Kingstown, Narragansett).

More than 7,300 signatures in support of plastic bag ban presented as bill heard
Environment Rhode Island presented to lawmakers a petition signed by more than 7,300 people and a letter of support from more than 130 businesses urging the state to enact legislation (2013-H 5403, 2013-S 404) sponsored by Rep. Maria Cimini (D-Dist. 7, Providence) and Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, North Providence) to ban plastic checkout bags in Rhode Island. The bill, aimed at curbing pollution, would prohibit most plastic bags from being given to customers at stores’ checkouts, effective Jan. 1, 2014, in large stores and one year later for smaller stores, and contains exceptions for some types of bags. The petition was delivered to lawmakers on the same day the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee held a hearing on the bill

House Oversight prepares report on election hearings
The House Oversight Committee has prepared a report based on four hearings regarding the 2012 election and problems at local polling places. The committee received testimony from the Office of the Secretary of State, the state Board of Elections, other public officials and representatives of several groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the League of Women Voters and Common Cause. Once approved, the final report will be released to the public and available on the General Assembly website. 

Mother of murdered teen testifies on ‘Kelsey Smith Act’
Missey Smith, the mother of a teen who was abducted and murdered in Kansas in 2007, testified before the Senate Committee on Judiciary on legislation to establish the ‘Kelsey Smith Act’ in Rhode Island. Sponsored by Sen. James E. Doyle II (D-Dist. 8, Pawtucket), the bill (2013-S 0284) , which passed the committee, provides law enforcement with a way to quickly ascertain the location of a wireless telecommunication device if a person has been determined, by law enforcement, to be at risk of death or serious physical harm due to being kidnapped and/or missing. The companion House bill (2013-H 5456) was introduced by Rep. Raymond H. Johnston Jr. (D-Dist. 61, Pawtucket).

Legislative leaders, local officials meet on Central Coventry Fire District issues
House Speaker Gordon D. Fox (D-Dist. 4, Providence), Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown) and Coventry’s legislative delegation met with Coventry fire, police and town officials to search for solutions to provide Coventry residents with fire protection as the bankrupt Central Coventry Fire District faces court-ordered closure April 12.