Giannini: A New Spirit at the General Assembly, Budget Passes in Record Time
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
There seems to be new spirit of cooperation in the House of Representatives and even the Republicans have become part of it. House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello has managed to win over his adversaries. He recently appointed Representative Chris Blazejewski, who was aligned with Rep. Marcello in the last Speaker's race, as Deputy Majority whip. And he recently announced Representative Joy Hearn, who voted for Mike Marcello in the last speakers race, as the recipient of a $350,000 appropriation for the Polaris Manufacturing Company. These extended olive branches use to be rare in the world of politics. But we are beginning to see a new trend of collaboration in the House.
There was a time in the House when there were at least 30 Representatives, including Republicans, who were considered dissidents. A dissident is a person who tries to buck the political establishment by not going along with the leadership. They may have a difference of opinion or have voted for a different leadership team. They are considered to be the outcasts in the General Assembly. As a dissident you are put in a place no one wants to go. Politicians call it being in "Siberia" where you are stripped of your Chairmanship, good committee assignments and even where you sit in the House Chamber. Some colleagues may even treat you differently because you are not considered part of the team. There was no amnesty for dissidents especially women who made up only about 20 percent of the House.
I remember a time when one former Republican Minority leader would get up on every bill to debate. At times it became quite contentious, but now it seems as though Republicans have come to terms with the Democratic leadership and are now content with their decisions on the budget and legislation. Many things seem to have changed now. We are now seeing legislators who didn't support the Speaker being taken back into fold and the Republicans are being appointed to higher positions than ever before.
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This new collaboration between House Members seems to be an ongoing effort by the Speaker to unite the House Chamber. It also can be an effective tool to get things done especially during budget time. The new House Budget is being passed this week by both the House and Senate.
After a record three hours of debate the House passed the budget last night and will now send it over to the Senate Chamber for passage. The Senate will either stamp their approval or make recommendations to the articles in the budgets. If changes are made by the Senate, the House will receive the Budget back in their chamber to be amended. This rarely happens but I have seen it happen once. There are many issues still left up in the air on the budget.
Issues Still on Table
The General Assembly still has to deal with the "Toll issue", an issue strongly advocated for by the unions, who now have a radio commercial on seeking passage of legislation. The General Assembly will have to go back in the summer or fall if they plan on dealing with this issue. The Republicans had stated they planned on putting in their own plan to deal with repairing the roads and bridges with an amendment to the budget. But the amendment was pulled by the Republicans because they knew there was no way that a $60 million dollar floor amendment would pass on the House floor. Amendments of that magnitude should be presented in the Finance committee where public testimony is taken.
The issue of the baseball stadium also needs to be resolved . It remains to be seen if the PawSox owners will wait for another session to happen or if they will move the team out of state. My guess is that the legislature will return to weigh in on this issue because there are many jobs at stake.
Heading in the Right Direction
During these last weeks of session, legislators work hard to cooperate with each other because they need to get their bills and initiatives passed. It's obvious the Representatives feel the budge reflects their ideals because the budget passed in record time with little debate. This is truly remarkable considering budget sessions have lasted sometimes into the next day or days.
That's the difference between now and then. The fights are fewer, dissidents are fewer and the olive branches are growing. This may be a new course for the General Assembly,
one that encompasses cooperation and consideration. As any dissident legislator will tell you, it's not fun being in "Siberia" because you supported the wrong leadership team or have a difference of opinion. I know how it feels because " I've been there, done that and wore the warm coat". And I know what it feels like to be on the "outs" because you supported another team. I hope we are seeing a time when all House members are given an opportunity
to contribute their hopes and dreams and hold on to their own identities without being punished for their beliefs.
After all, we are all human beings and deserve to be treated and respected equally regardless of our stand on the issues. I look forward to that day. Maybe it's finally here.
Joanne Giannini served as a RI State Representative from Providence from 1994 to 2010. She has previously written commentaries for the Providence Journal and the Federal Hill Gazette. During her tenure in the General Assembly, she made appearances on CNN, Primetime News, and American Morning regarding legislation she filed in Rhode Island.
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