Mental Health Legislation, Immigration Legislation: This Week at the State House

Rep. Maldonado legislation addresses federal immigration detainers

Rep. Shelby Maldonado (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls) has introduced legislation that would set standards for law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island when dealing with immigration detainers. A civil immigration detainer is a request from federal authorities to local law enforcement officers to continue to hold a person once that person is released from local custody.

Rep. Regunberg, Sen. Satchell bills would create carried interest fairness fee

Rep. Aaron Regunberg (D-Dist. 4, Providence) and Sen. Adam J. Satchell (D-Dist. 9, West Warwick) have introduced legislation that would establish a 19 percent fairness fee for investment management services in order to tax the carried interest income of hedge fund and private equity investors as traditional earned income rather than as capital gains.

Rep. Serpa bill would keep insurers from halting substance abuse treatment

The House Committee on Corporations has recommended passage of legislation submitted by Rep. Patricia Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry, Warwick) that would keep insurers from terminating residential or inpatient substance abuse treatment for patients currently in treatment.

Rep. Tanzi bill would keep guns out of hands of domestic abusers

Rep. Teresa Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett) has introduced legislation that seeks to protect the victims of domestic abuse by taking firearms out of the hands of abusers. Called the Protect Rhode Island Families Act, the bill would prohibit gun possession by people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors and people currently subject to final domestic abuse protective orders.

Rep. Shanley bill would allow tenants to break lease over secondhand smoke

Rep. Evan P. Shanley (D-Dist. 24, Warwick) has introduced legislation that would afford tenants some recourse when experiencing secondhand smoke in their apartments. The bill would permit tenants of multi-unit residences to terminate their lease agreements if no action is taken by landlords to remedy the presence of secondhand smoke.

Sen. DiPalma bill would equalize teacher retirement contributions

Sen. Louis P. DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton) introduced legislation (2017-S 0210) that would gradually increase the state’s contribution to the teachers’ retirement system, while reducing the municipal contribution, which would eventually result in the contributions being shared equally between the state and municipalities.

Rep. Lima bill would release investigative records of 38 Studios

Rep. Charlene M. Lima’s (D-Dist. 14, Cranston, Providence) bill that would release certain records pertaining to the state investigation of 38 Studios passed the House Committee on Judiciary this week. The bill requires approval from the Superior Court to release the records, with sensitive personally-identifiable information, such as birthdates, social security numbers, home addresses, and financial account numbers, being redacted from the records release to the public.

Rep. McNamara, Sen. Lynch Prata bill would create Gaspee Days license plate

Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) and Sen. Erin Lynch Prata (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston) have introduced legislation to create a special fundraising license plate to benefit the Gaspee Days Committee. Gaspee Days commemorates the burning of a British vessel — the HMS Gaspee — that was torched by colonial freedom-fighters in 1772, in what was one of the earliest events in the young country’s fight for independence.

Rep. Williams bill would exempt natural hair braiders from cosmetology license

Rep. Anastasia P. Williams (D-Dist. 9, Providence) introduced legislation that would exempt natural hair braiders from the state’s requirement for hairdressers and cosmeticians to be licensed with the state. Natural hair braiding does not include the application of dyes, reactive chemicals, or other preparations to alter the color of the hair or to straighten, curl, or alter the structure of the hair; or the use of chemical hair joining agents such as synthetic tape, keratin bonds, or fusion bonds.

Related Slideshow: Winners and Losers in Raimondo’s FY18 Budget Proposal

Winner

Criminal Justice Reform

Per recommendations from the Justice Reinvestment Working Group, the Governor is proposing nearly $1 million in investments such as the public defender mental health program ($185,000), improved mental health services at the ACI ($410,000), recovery housing ($200,000) and domestic violence intervention, in her FY18 budget.

Winner

English Language Learners

Under the heading of “promoting 3rd grade reading,” Raimondo proposed adding $2.5 million to make English Language Learning (ELL) K-12 funding permanent. The Governor’s office points out that RI is one of four states that doesn’t have permanent funding.

The suggestion was one made by the Funding Formula Working Group in January 2016, who said that “in the event that Rhode Island chooses to make an additional investment in ELLs, the funding should be calculated to be responsive to the number of ELLs in the system and based on reliable data, and include reasonable restrictions to ensure that the money is used to benefit ELLs — and promote the appropriate exiting of ELL students from services.”

Winner

Car Owners - and Drivers

Governor Raimondo wants to reduce assessed motor vehicle values by 30% - a change that would reduce total car tax bills by about $58 million in calendar year 2018. Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello, however, has indicated that he might want to go further in its repeal.

In her budget proposal, Raimondo also put forth adding 8 staffers to the the Department of Motor Vehicles to "address wait times."

Winner

T.F. Green

The “Air Services Development Fund” would get an influx of $500,000 to “provide incentives to airlines interested in launching new routes or increasing service to T.F. Green Airport.” The Commerce Corporation set the criteria at the end of 2016 for how to grant money through the new (at the time $1.5 million fund).

Also getting a shot in the arm is the I-195 development fund, which would receive $10.1 million from debt-service savings to “resupply” the Fund to “catalyze development & attract anchor employers.”

Tie

Minimum Wage Increase

An increase in the state minimum wage is part of Raimondo’s proposal, which would see it go from $9.60 an hour to $10.50 an hour. Raimondo was unsuccessful in her effort in 2016 to bring it up to $10.10 — it was June 2015 that she signed legislation into law that last raised Rhode Island’s minimum wage, from $9 to 9.60.

The state's minimum hourly wage has gone up from $6.75 in January 2004 to $7.75 in 2013, $8 in 2014, and $9 on Jan. 1, 2015. Business groups such as the National Federation of Independent Business however have historically been against such measures, citing a hamper on job creation.

Tie

Cigarette Tax

Like the minimum wage, Raimondo is looking for an increase - in this instance, the cigarette tax, and revenue to state coffers. Raimondo was unsuccessful in her effort to go from a tax of $3.75 to $4 last year. Now she is looking for an increase to $4.25 per pack, which the administration says would equate to $8.7 million in general revenue — and go in part towards outdoor recreation and smoking cessation programs.

The National Federation of Independent Business and other trade groups have historically been against such an increase, saying it will hurt small businesses - i.e. convenience stores. And clearly, if you’re a smoker, you’re likely to place this squarely in the loser category instead.

Loser

Hospitals

As often happens in the state budget, winner one year, loser the next. As GoLocal reported in 2016, “the Rhode Island Hospital Association immediately lauded the budget following its introduction, and addressed that while it is facing some reductions, that it "applauds" this years budget after landing on the "loser" list last year.”

This year, it falls back on the loser list, with a Medicaid rate freeze to hospitals, nursing homes, providers, and payers — at FY 2017 levels, with a 1% rate cut come January 1, 2018.

Loser

Online Shoppers

The taxman cometh — maybe. Raimondo proposed an “Internet Sales Tax Initiative” — which would purportedly equate to $34.7 million in revenues.

"Online sales and the fact that online sellers do not collect sales tax has created a structural problem for Rhode Island's budget — our sales taxes have been flat," said Director of Administration Michael DiBiase, of the tax that Amazon collects in 33 states, but not Rhode Island. "We think mostly due to online sales, we’re able to capture the growth. The revenue number is $35 million dollars — it improves our structural deficit problem. It’s an important fiscal development."

Loser

Long Term Care Funding

The Governor’s proposal recommends “redesigning the nature” of the State’s Integrated Care Initiative, by transferring long-term stay nursing home members from Neighborhood Health to Medicaid Fee-for-Service and repurposing a portion of the anticipated savings (from reduced administrative payments to Neighborhood Health) for “enhanced services in the community.” “The investments in home- and community-based care will help achieve the goal of rebalancing the long-term care system," states the Administration.

Cutting that program is tagged at saving $12.2 million; cuts and “restructuring” at Health and Human Services is slated to save $46.3 million.