Ocean State Action Unveils Legislative Agenda
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Gay marriage, health care, and taxes top the legislative agenda for this session for Ocean State Action, a leading coalition of progressive groups in Rhode Island.
With a $295 million dollar budget deficit looming over the state, OSA executive director Kate Brock recognizes that serious tax reform is a pressing need. “We need to close corporate tax loopholes and level the playing field between Rhode Island’s small businesses and multi-state corporations,” Brock told GoLocalProv.
In regards to marriage equality, a long-term goal of the organization, Brock feels the state is long overdue. “This is the year for marriage equality,” she said, “It is a great injustice that same sex couples have been relegated to second class citizenship.”
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In addition to these items, the group also considered adding civil rights issues such as racial profiling legislation and Ban the Box to their agenda. (Ban the Box refers to job applications that ask about any prior criminal convictions.)
The legislative agenda was unveiled at a meet-and-greet potluck in Warwick yesterday.
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