Legislation

A twice vetoed bill that would eliminate the draconian mandatory minimum sentences contained in some of Rhode Island’s drug laws, which are the harshest in all of New England, appears headed back to the Governor.

Capitulating to a strong push to close a so-called “loophole” in state law that made indoor prostitution legal, a bill was passed that includes not only jail time for first-time offenders, but a forfeiture provision that will deprive offenders of money derived from income earned as a prostitute.

A human trafficking bill also passed with problematic, overly broad language. As defined, a now-unlawful “sexually-explicit performance” of a minor could have severe First Amendment implications for the art community.

The ACLU testified against a budget article proposed by the Governor that would increase from $5 to $25 the cost for a criminal records check.

For almost a decade, the ACLU and the Public Defender successfully fought off a proposal to allow police officers to forcibly obtain blood samples from individuals involved in serious car accidents where there was a suspicion of DUI.

On a positive note, the Assembly sent a package of sex offender legislation back to committee, killing the bills for the year.