Legislation

Prompted by a 2019 shooting in Rhode Island which highlighted interjurisdictional gaps in information among police departments, a bill was introduced which would allow the state police to create a comprehensive, statewide records management program.

Although child pornography is a scourge, we opposed a bill that carves out a new exception to the First Amendment criminalizing the possession or display of vaguely defined “child erotica” when used for the “specific purpose of sexual gratification . . . from viewing the visual portrayals.”

While ensuring a healthy workplace is a laudable goal, a piece of legislation rapidly passed by the Senate would have created a far-reaching “civility code” and imposed liability on employers or co-workers who were, among other things, “overbearing.”

“Net Neutrality” guarantees that access to the internet remains non-discriminatory and that internet service providers can’t choose what sites you have access to or how quickly you can access them.

We opposed a piece of legislation which would have made interference with traffic by standing, sitting, kneeling, or otherwise loitering on a highway a felony crime punishable by three years in prison.

This bill would create an entirely new power for the Office of Civil Rights Advocate within the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office which would allow for this office to summon any person who may have information about potentially unlawful activities and compel them to disclose their knowledge.

This bill would have made it a crime for a person to, during a parade, demonstration, or rally, wear a gas mask, wear protective clothing or equipment designed to prevent a person from injury, or wear any mask at all with the “intent to intimidate another person.”

We opposed a provison within the proposed FY 2021 budget which would expand the tax credit program for businesses that make donations to “scholarship organizations” which funnel money to private and parochial schools for tuition purposes.