10 Last-Minute Deals that Took Place in the General Assembly
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Early this morning, lawmakers wrapped up the 2012 General Assembly session following another marathon evening that included votes on more than 100 items.
So what were the key issues considered (or avoided) in the finals days of the session?
GoLocalProv breaks down ten deals that went down in the last weeks (or minutes) of the year.
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Rhode Island won’t have an education chancellor (as originally proposed), but the last-minute plan to get rid of the Board of Regents and the Board of Governors for Higher Education and create a new 11-member Board of Education did come as a shock to many.
Critics say the General Assembly made the decision to abolish the two board thanks in part to the Board of Governors’ vote to bypass the legislature and grant in-state tuition to undocumented citizens late last year. The bill was viewed as payback. But lawmakers argue that the new board will help better coordinate and streamline the state’s education systems.
No Supplemental Tax in Woonsocket
The Governor’s office and Woonsocket’s House delegation spent virtually all of Tuesday attempting to draw up a compromise to impose an 8.5 percent supplemental tax on city residents. But a deal was never reached, leading the Chafee administration to accuse the delegation of lacking courage.
“Representatives [Lisa] Baldelli-Hunt, [Jon] Brien, and [Robert]Phillips have done their city and their constituents no favors by failing to agree to what is necessary to begin to take steps to truly address the significant challenges facing Woonsocket,” said Rosemary Booth Gallogly, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Revenue.
The delegation meanwhile blamed the Governor’s office for being unwilling to compromise.
“We cannot force our residents to pay a 13.8 percent supplemental tax,” said Rep. Baldelli Hunt “We originally started with a five-point plan and narrowed it down to a two-point compromise for the governor. But in the end, he said our proposal for an 8.5 percent tax, which would not have been added to the base, was not large enough.”
Auto-body Legislation
The controversial bill that will allow auto-body ships to sue insurance companies for what they believe they are entitled to for repairs has some critics claiming that Rep. Peter Petrarca quietly pulled the strings to push legislation that would directly benefit his father, who is the President of Providence Autobody.
Petraca abstained from voting, but those who were against the bill say he orchestrated the entire plan with last-minute re-writes to the legislation. Now critics claim insurance rates could spike by over $160 per person in the state. Supporters of the bill, like Petrarca’s sister, Jina Petrarca, claim insurance rates will not increase and that the new law will actually benefit customers.
Carwashes Pulled Out of Sales Tax
While taxi companies and pet groomers will be forced to bear the burden of a seven percent sales tax, car washes were pulled from the plan after the group that represented the businesses hired Providence Licensing Board chairman Andrew Annaldo as a lobbyist for $10,000.
Annaldo argued that car washes provide value to the environment by using less water than citizens who wash their own cars, but critics felt as though well-connected business owners were able to pull strings to benefit themselves.
Assembly Overrides Chafee’s Veto
After Governor Chafee stood up against legislation that would have exempted Warwick property owners from having to connect to available sewers by 2014, the General Assembly managed to override his veto on Tuesday.
It was a rare veto for Chafee, who argued that the legislation would damage the financial health of the Warwick Sewer Authority and that cesspools could continue to “threaten public health.” Chafee also said the bill was a step in the wrong direction for water quality.
Access to Public Records
A watered down version of an open records law sponsored by Rep. Michael Marcello and Sen. James Sheehan was finally passed Tuesday evening. The new law will make employment contracts public and will also apply a balancing test that makes most documents that are identifiable to an individual public unless constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
“Good governments provide their citizens with as much accurate and easily obtainable information as possible,” Marcello said. “We believe the changes being made in this legislation enhance the current law, make it easier for the public to seek and receive information and make more information that is pertinent to the public readily available. I see it as a significant move toward a more open and accessible government.”
Payday Lending
For the second straight year, legislation that would have reformed payday lending rates but was opposed by former House Speaker (and now lobbyist) William Murphy never made it a vote in the House.
A compromise was discussed throughout the day Tuesday, but the coalition calling for payday lending reform opposed an amended Senate bill and the discussion never made it to the House floor.
Casino Bill
GTech had been lobbying hard for a provision in the casino gaming bill that would have allowed the company to avoid spending about $10 million on certain repairs at lottery terminals around the state, but the provisions were not included in the final bill Tuesday.
The legislation, which had been in the works for several weeks, will award the state 18 percent of all net revenues on tables games.
Teacher Layoff Notifications
Education reformers were unable to muster enough last-minute support for legislation that would have moved the required teacher layoff notification date back to June 1. It was believed that a compromise was never worked out with labor leaders. The majority of education reform-related legislation was not considered during the 2012 General Assembly session.
A Ban on Tan
After a lengthy discussion, lawmakers voted to restrict young people from using tanning beds without consent from a parent or a doctor’s note. The bill was opposed by those who said the new law would hurt tanning businesses, but lawmakers said they wanted to put the risk to children over business interests.
“This should prevent a significant portion of minors from increasing skin cancers including melanoma, which can mean treatment that includes toxic, very expensive drugs with lifelong negative effects, as well a lifetime of risk of reoccurrence,” said Rep. Eileen Naughton. “Since tanning can release endomorphins, it can also be addictive. Just like cigarettes, tanning should be regarded as something that is too dangerous for kids.”
Dan McGowan can be reached at [email protected].
