Speaker Shekarchi and Senate President Ruggerio outline their priorities for 2024

Housing, police reform, and saving Rhode Island's endangered health care system seem top of mind, as is tightening the state's fiscal belt now that federal covid money is gone.

Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio addressed their respective chambers on Tuesday, the opening day of Rhode Island’s 2024 legislative session. During the session, each leader outlined their legislative priorities. Where there is overlap in their addresses, there is most likely consensus and the strong possibility of legislative action. Where one or the other floats an idea not echoed in the other’s address, there will be behind the scenes bargaining and horse trading.

Both the Speaker and the Senate President mentioned that with the end of federal covid relief dollars, Rhode Island needs to tighten spending.

For Speaker Shekarchi, housing remains a top priority, which was echoed in the Senate President’s address. The Speaker also mentioned his assessory dwelling unit (ADU) bill, the only one of his 14 housing bills to not make it through the Senate last year. The Senate President did not mention ADUs.

Speaker Shekarchi also mentioned the environment, which brought to mind mind the environmental justice bill passed by the Senate last year which never made it to the House floor. Perhaps this will be the year for an environmental justice bill, but the Senate President did not mention the environment at all.

Both leaders talked about the urgency of buttressing Rhode Island’s endangered health care system, especially the shortage of primary care physicians. Both also spoke of a compromise that has been worked out to reform the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights (LEOBOR). Rhode Island remains the only New England state with LEOBOR legislation on the books, and Rhode Island’s version is the most strident version among the 15 states that has some form of the legislation. Mild reform is unlikely to satisfy the advocates who would see LEOBOR completely repealed, while more substantive reform is unlikely to pass muster with the state’s many police unions. Nine community organizations called for the General Assembly to take action on police accountability bills on Wednesday.

The Speaker spoke about the redesign of the General Assembly website (which is a great improvement) and the openness with which the House conducts its business. All submitted House documents are available on line and all House committees and commissions are now recorded and televised. Asked by Providence Journal reporter Kathy Gregg if the Senate will follow suit in making their committee testimony available on line, the Senate spokesperson said no.

The Senate President introduced Senator Valerie Lawson (Democrat, District 14, East Providence, Pawtucket) as the new Senate Majority Whip, a position she takes over from former Senator Maryellen Goodwin (Democrat, District 1, Providence), who passed away last year. He also introduced the newest member of the Senate, Jake Bissaillon, who replaces Senator Goodwin in District One. Bissaillon was formerly the Senate President’s Chief of Staff. The Senate President’s new Chief of Staff will be John Fleming, formerly the Secretary of the Senate.

Speaker Shekarchi also mentioned that “members of this House have voluntarily agreed to adhere to a limit of 15 bills per member.” But not all members have agreed. Representative David Place (Republican, District 47, Burrillville, Glocester) took to Twitter to say that, “I am not a member who’s agreed to limit the # of bills submitted on behalf of my constituents or the residents of RI. Every one of the bills I’ve submitted in the past have been deemed thoughtful enough to merit further study so I will continue to submit them for consideration.”

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Here are the full addresses from the Speaker and the Senate President, lightly edited for clarity, and the video of the entire House and Senate first day sessions:

Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi (Democrat, District 23, Warwick):

“Members of the house, guests, and people of Rhode Island welcome back to our beautiful chamber. The last time we were all together in this room was six months ago. However, it truly feels like we never left. Technically, we are considered to be a part-time legislature, but many issues we face have required our constant focus and attention as we continue to build back after the pandemic.

“There is good news. I'm hopeful that Rhode Island has dodged a recession and I'm confident that the strategic investments we made during the last few legislative sessions have prevented our economy from floundering. The painstaking choices made in this room have given the state great tools to grapple with the many critical and ongoing issues we face, but we're not out of the woods yet. Since becoming speaker, I'm proud that we have passed four balanced budgets in which we have not raised taxes. The General Assembly has made strategic tax cuts that have positively impacted virtually every Rhode Islander, such as the permanent elimination of the car tax, a widespread exemption in the tangible tax, which wiped out this tax for 75% of Rhode Island small businesses, raising the amount of annual retirement income that is also exempt from state taxation, and eliminating all state income tax on military pensions.

“Despite these reforms, our constituents, like most Americans, are still feeling the pinch of inflation. I always say that crafting a balanced budget is the most important duty we have in the House. The budget is the ultimate policy statement and the budget we create this session will uniquely reflect the priorities of the people in this room and the constituents we serve. But I want to caution all of you that this year there are some very tough decisions ahead.

“The influx of new federal pandemic relief is finished. We have wisely leveraged our federal funding and we have made investments that will stand the test of time. However, this year's budget will look very different from the last few years. The give and take of balancing a budget is much different when we are forced to live within our means and difficult choices must be made. Some of our newer colleagues have not had to deal with a difficult budget year.

“Through our legislative process, our collective priorities will develop and we will refine them. We must also maintain focus on the initiatives in which we have already made substantial investments.

“Safe and affordable housing for every Rhode Islander has been a personal priority for me, but it is also paramount to many of you. I want to take a moment and recognize the work of Representative June Speakman, who has chaired the Housing Affordability Study Commission for several years. The work of that commission was responsible for the development and enactment of a dozen critical bills aimed at breaking down barriers to housing access and production. Production.

“Continuing to address the housing crisis will be an ongoing responsibility for all of us. We have made historic investments in housing of about $300 million, but our work is just beginning with housing prices and rents still rising and the housing supply dangerously lagging. Our housing and homelessness crisis is far from solved. Many of the housing laws we passed last year took effect just yesterday. We have been very thoughtful in our approach and we have given municipalities ample time - more than six months - to prepare for the new laws. Many municipalities have embraced our efforts. Providence, Warwick, South Kingstown, East Providence, and others have proactively implemented new zoning laws to align with the legislation we passed. However, some [municipalities are] wrongfully trying to circumvent the spirit of the new laws. We must not let this pushback alter our course. We must stand our ground and allow the reforms to take effect and let us renew our efforts to get accessory dwelling units known as ADUs, a top priority for our seniors over the finish line in 2024

“Along with housing, the environment and the stability of our infrastructure will continue to be top of the mind in our chamber. In just the last few weeks, we've endured a massive disruption due to the sudden failure of one of the busiest sections of our interstate highway. Days later, widespread flooding from a powerful storm caused substantial damage to several communities. As the Ocean State, we can feel the impact of warming temperatures and rising sea levels. In many ways, we are ground zero for climate change. In anticipation, we have enacted landmark environmental legislation that has become the model for other states across the country. Rhode Island is leading the way when it comes to environmental initiatives. The Act on Climate, harnessing the power of wind energy, transitioning to a green economy, banning harmful PFAS from our food packaging and our water supply, and reducing plastic waste. Despite all these accomplishments, the last few weeks were a reminder that the General Assembly must soldier on in our efforts to safeguard our environment.

“We are also witnessing a sea change in our workforce. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have seen continuing labor shortages across multiple critical industries, including essential state services, schools, and private-sector businesses. In recent months, we have been focused on alarming declines in the ranks of healthcare providers, especially primary care physicians. There are increasing and concerning indications that our entire healthcare system is under a great deal of strain. Collective effort across state and federal government, hospital systems, and health insurance providers will be required to stabilize our healthcare system for the future. Like access to safe housing, access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right for all Rhode Islanders. I believe it will be a primary focus of this session.

“We should all be encouraged by the life science industry in Rhode Island, which has the potential to dramatically improve our economy and our workforce. We invested $45 million to jumpstart our efforts in the life sciences. The economic possibilities are limitless. The Rhode Island Life Sciences hub will tap into discoveries to prevent emerging health threats. It will attract well-paying research and development jobs to Rhode Island and create opportunities for families while preventing the brain drain of our talented graduates from moving elsewhere.

“Another important issue that we have been steadily working on since June is the reforming of the Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights. We have encouraged participation from all stakeholders in crafting a fair and measured bill. I am confident that our efforts over the last several months will lead to the passage of meaningful legislation in 2024.

“I want to take a moment and thank the chairs of our 12 commissions as well as the members who volunteered their time during the so-called off-session. People used to say that study commissions were where legislation went to die. That is not the case anymore. I love bringing people together to get good things done and our commissions are made up of an all-star lineup of the foremost industry experts on land use, housing, the environment, public safety, and workforce. All of these individuals generously give their time and expertise spending countless hours analyzing data and testimony with little fanfare and no compensation. As I like to say, the proof is in the pudding. We've had many pieces of legislation introduced based on the findings of our commissions. The result is a better product - thoughtful legislation that incorporates feedback from multiple stakeholders and is fact-based. I'm looking forward to the legislation that will be introduced this year as a result of the hard work of many commissioners.

“Something else that I'm very proud of is the transparency under which this house operates. All of our commissions, all of our committees, and all of our house sessions are being televised, live-streamed, and are available to view on demand. All documents and testimony are posted online for the public to review, and this week we're going to update our General Assembly website so it's more user-friendly for the public we serve.

“I'm also proud of the decorum under which we conduct ourselves. As an example, members of this House have voluntarily agreed to adhere to a limit of 15 bills per member. We are confident this reduction of bills will improve our hearing process and facilitate public participation. I have every confidence that our spirit of collaboration and respect will serve us and the people of Rhode Island. As we begin this new session, I pledge to work as hard as I can to live up to the trust that my constituents and all of you have placed in me. I have faith in our process and I have faith in all of you. Now, let's get to work for the great people of the state of Rhode Island.”

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Senate President Dominick Ruggerio (Democrat, District 4, North Providence)

“Today we reconvene to continue our work on behalf of the people of the State of Rhode Island. We've had several changes here over the last session and I want to take a moment to congratulate our new Majority Whip, Senator Valerie Lawson.

“Val has served with great distinction in this chamber since she was elected in 2018. She's been a valued member of our leadership team and I relied on her council on several issues during the past few sessions. I think she'll be an absolute asset to this Senate as far as policy, and the politics, are concerned. I know she's earned the respect and the admiration of all the people in this chamber. While no one can replace our good friend, Senator Maryellen Goodwin, I know that Senator Lawson will make an excellent majority whip.

“I want to acknowledge the newest member of the Chamber, someone who we know very well, and that's Senator Jake Bissaillon. Jake was sworn in in December and he's been a major contributor over the past couple of sessions because he has been the Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate. He's dedicated to the highest ideals of public service, and as the new Senator representing District One, I know he will carry on with Senator Goodwin's legacy of service and advocacy.

“I additionally want to acknowledge and congratulate John Fleming, the new Senate Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate. I have tremendous confidence in all the senators and staff members to provide the guidance and leadership we need as the Senate continues to work to improve the State of Rhode Island.

“We had much to celebrate in 2023. Together we established a new $50,000 tangible property tax exemption, eliminating a significant burden for 75% of the businesses in the state of Rhode Island, and those are all small businesses. We made major progress toward addressing lead safety hazards in homes and put Rhode Island on track to replace all lead water pipes within the next decade. We continued our historic work to address Rhode Island's housing crisis and our efforts to strengthen our early childhood system in 2024. Our focus will remain on the critical areas of healthcare, education, and housing.

“It is critical that we focus on ensuring the strength of our community hospitals, attracting and retaining primary care physicians, and ensuring that all Rhode Islanders can access quality healthcare. That includes taking steps to address Medicaid reimbursement rates, an area, especially important to every member of this body. I am grateful to the leadership of Chairman Louis DiPalma on this particular issue. We will redouble our efforts to strengthen the workforce in healthcare and education and create new pathways to careers in these essential fields.

“Over the past several years, as Rhode Island has dealt with Covid and then inflation, this chamber prioritized putting money back into the hands of struggling Rhode Islanders and residents and small businesses. We will continue exploring ways to provide relief to Rhode Islanders as we did with the car tax phase-out and the tangible tax.

“We also have some unfinished business that we have to address this year. I am committed to enacting sensible, meaningful reforms to the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights, fulfilling the mission of the Senate task force led by former Senator Harold Metz, and we will work to enact Whip Lawson's proposal to expand the TCI [temporary caregiver insurance] insurance to 12 weeks. This is extremely important to Rhode Island families. Rhode Island used to be a national leader in paid family leave. We will be a leader in that endeavor soon.

“As you know, we have many challenges to face and many priorities to balance. There will be difficult decisions to make, but while the historic Federal pandemic funding may be nearing an end, Rhode Island is on firm footing. Thanks to the prudent spending approach we have taken, we directed our one-time pandemic funding towards one-time expenditures, making important investments in our future without creating new long-term obligations.

“Additionally, to prepare for future uncertainty, we have strengthened our reserves with a new supplemental rainy day fund. Rhode Island's long-term fiscal health must remain a central consideration even as we address today's needs. I look forward to the session and working together with each of you to make Rhode Island an even better place to live and work. I thank you very much for everything you've done and I look forward to everything that you're going to do in the future.”