RI State Report: Grants, Parole Bill + Lawmaker Upset with Police
Anthony Faccenda, GoLocalProv News Contributor
RI State Report: Grants, Parole Bill + Lawmaker Upset with Police
We’ll also recognize several lawmakers that were honored this week for their work toward drawing attention to a host of issues ranging from adoption to farming. Additionally, we’ll examine a series of grants recently announced by Sen. James Sheehan, as well as take a look at Rep. Raymond Hull’s grievance with local law enforcement. And lastly, just in time for the holiday season, the State Report will give you the rundown on a series of upcoming holiday concerts to be held at the State House. Keep reading for all the details.
Sen. Raptakis Re-Introduces Murder/Parole Bill
Senator Leonidas P. Raptakis pre-filed legislation on Tuesday for the 2014 General Assembly session that would require individuals convicted of first or second degree murder who have not been sentenced to a life term to serve at least 50 percent of a sentence prior to being eligible for parole.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Individuals who commit first or second degree murder should be expected to serve at least the majority of their sentences, although I firmly believe they should be required to complete the full sentence for these kinds of heinous acts,” said Sen. Raptakis, (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, East Greenwich, West Greenwich). “At the very least, they should have to serve no less than half of the sentence, which has not always been the case.”
Sen. Raptakis introduced identical legislation during the 2013 legislative session, which was passed by the Senate but not acted upon when it was sent to the House and assigned to a House committee. He said he hopes the bill will again be passed by the Senate in 2014 and “will receive a full and fair hearing this time in the other chamber.”
“This is about truth in sentencing and requiring individuals convicted of a horrible crime to serve a significant amount of time in jail,” Sen. Raptakis said. “The public expects that those convicted of such a violent crime as murder will pay an appropriate price by serving a significant amount of time behind bars.”
Although Sen. Raptakis has introduced similar legislation in the past, he was confident it would be enacted last year when it came to light that an individual convicted of murdering a Woonsocket woman in 1999 was granted parole after serving only 15 years of a 35 year sentence.
“How can we talk about being tough on crime when murderers know they will be getting out of prison after serving only a relatively short amount of time, and much less than the sentence they receive? Why pretend we are giving out harsh sentences when we all know, and when the murderers know, they will be getting out in much less time then they have been sentenced to serve?” he asked.
During committee testimony on the bill last session, Sen. Raptakis cited another case involving an individual who was released after serving only 18 years of a 40-year term for the 1992 murder of his then-girlfriend. Within a few years of his parole, that individual was taken into custody on charges that he murdered his new girlfriend.
The 2013 version of the bill was reported out of the Senate Committee on Judiciary on an 8-0 vote and was passed by the full Senate on a vote of 38-0. Subsequently assigned to the House Committee on Judiciary in mid-March, it was never scheduled for a hearing before the General Assembly adjourned for the year in July.
See More News of the Weeks Below
RI State Report: More News of the Week - 11/23/13
Hull’s Call to Police
On Thursday, Representative Raymond A. Hull expressed his frustration over law enforcement’s decision not to inform residents of his communities where a recently paroled murderer is living.
“The people in my district are upset, and I don’t blame them,” said Rep. Hull, (D-Dist. 6, Providence, North Providence).“They and I think that law-abiding residents of a community have a right to know if a thrill killer is living in their neighborhood and that the police have a responsibility to inform residents of something like that, in the interest of keeping them safe.”
Rep. Hull, who is a member of the Providence Police Department, voiced his concerns and those of many individuals who contacted him about the situation in regard to the recent release from prison of Alfred A. Brissette Jr., who served a portion of a 35-year sentence for the 1999 beating death of a Woonsocket woman.
“We understand this individual is living in Providence, but residents of my community have been repeatedly turned away by the Providence Police Department in their efforts to determine where he is living,” said Rep. Hull. “I understand that the police are in a difficult position, concerned about an individual’s civil rights and the potential ramifications of making this person’s location public. But I am also concerned about the civil rights and the general safety of my constituents who want to know if their neighborhood is safe for them and their children.”
Rep. Hull said he believes that, as is the requirement involving released sexual offenders, there should be a community notification process “if an individual convicted of, imprisoned for and then paroled for a heinous, major crime such as murder moves into a Rhode Island community.” He said he intends to research the issue to determine if there is action he can take legislatively to enact such a requirement.
“It is not my desire to trample on the rights of anyone who has served time for a crime, but I think the nature of the crime this particular individual committed raises this to a different level. It certainly has raised the fear of residents in my city to new heights and I believe their concerns need to be addressed,” he concluded.
Shekarchi Seeks Intern
On Friday, Rhode Island State Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi of Warwick announced that he is seeking applications from Warwick high school or college students interested in serving as his legislative intern during the 2014 General Assembly session that begins in January.
“This is a great opportunity for students with an interest in political science and law and with a calling for public service to get a first-hand look at the legislative process,” said Rep. Shekarchi. “Not only is it a great learning experience for them, but they provide great assistance to legislators during the session.”
Legislative interns work for several weeks during the General Assembly session (January to June). Intern duties depend on the needs of the individual legislators, but typically include constituent services, speech-writing, research, bill preparation and tracking, and attendance at legislative floor sessions as well as committee hearings.
High school (upperclass) and college students interested in the program can contact Rep. Shekarchi at 401-827-0100 or [email protected] and can obtain further information about the program from the State Government Intern Program office at the State House, 401-222-6782.
Rep. Shekarchi said there are also opportunities for Warwick students to work as pages during the legislative session. Pages work on session days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and duties are varied, mainly consisting of assisting the members of the House by performing errands during floor session.
“I encourage students to take advantage of these opportunities and I look forward to having a Warwick student serving as my intern during the upcoming legislative session,” said Rep. Shekarchi.
Rep. Shekarchi is serving his first term in the House of Representatives. He is a member of the House Committee on Judiciary and the House Committee on Labor and chairs the Special Legislative Commission to Study Rhode Island’s Zoning and Subdivision Enabling Acts.
Farm Bureau Awards
The Rhode Island Farm Bureau honored three Rhode Island state legislators on Thursday during the organization’s 60th annual awards event at the West Valley Inn.
Senator Walter S. Felag Jr. (D-Dist. 10, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton) and Representative Donna M. Walsh (D-Dist. 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly) were the recipients of a new award, the “Navigator” award, presented by the Farm Bureau. The award was created to honor state legislators and/or officials who have been influential in helping the organization deal with and address concerns about government regulations and procedures.
Sen. Felag and Rep. Walsh sponsored legislation that was incorporated into the state budget, requiring the state to assess inherited working farmland at its use value, not its higher cash value, for inheritance tax purposes.
Previously, family farms were assessed at their “full and fair” cash value, the value of the land if it were to be developed. Although an average Rhode Island family farm is about 50 acres and might be worth about $650,000 as a working farm, it could be worth around $5 million as house lots, costing the heirs about $500,000 in inheritance taxes. The result has often been that heirs of the farm were forced to sell all or part of the land to pay the tax bill.
Sen. Felag and Rep. Walsh said, upon enactment of the budget earlier this year, that the assessment procedure change acknowledges that farmland is a valuable asset to the state and may help prevent family farms from being driven out of business.
Senator. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, New Shoreham, South Kingstown), who received the 2013 “Golden Tractor,” was also honored at the Farm Bureau event. The “Golden Tractor” is awarded annually to the person who has done the most to help Rhode Island agriculture and acknowledging her consistent legislative advocacy to help Rhode Island farms survive and thrive.
Adoption RI Honors
Representative Elaine A. Coderre (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket) and Senator Gayle L. Goldin (D-Dist. 3, Providence) were recognized on earlier this week by Adoption Rhode Island for their commitment to raise awareness about adoption and their support for the children in state care in Rhode Island. The award ceremony was held by Adoption Rhode Island in celebration of National Adoption Month.
Rep. Coderre and Sen. Goldin were recognized for their sponsorship of legislation during the 2013 legislative session, which has now become law, which will allow caregivers, including parents of newly adopted children, to take time out of work to care for loved ones. The new law, which will take effect January 1, expands Rhode Island’s Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) program to cover up to four weeks of wage replacement for workers who take time off to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, domestic partner, parent or grandparent or to bond with a new child, whether through birth, adoption or foster care.
Last month, the two lawmakers were recognized as the recipients of the “Angels in Adoption” award presented to them at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, which recognizes individuals and organizations who have made contributions to children in need of homes.
Sheehan Announces Grants
On Thursday, Senator James C. Sheehan (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown) announced the presentation of legislative grants to three youth sports organizations in South County.
The grants are the result of funding requests for the organizations submitted by Sen. Sheehan during the previous legislative session.
Read the grant details below the ad.
- A grant check of $1,000 is being presented to Narragansett Storm, Inc., a girls’ cooperative high school ice hockey team involving players from Narragansett, South Kingstown and North Kingstown. The funds will be used to purchase ice time and pay for training, coaching, referees and Interscholastic League fees.
- A grant check of $900 is being presented to Team Narragansett, an AAU traveling basketball team. The funds will help cover the team’s various tournament registration fees.
- A grant check of $900 is being presented to South County Crush, the South Kingstown High School Varsity Hockey team. The funds will be used to cover the cost of rental time at the ice arena on the URI campus.
“These sports programs are of great value to youngsters in our communities, providing an outlet for their athletic talents, an opportunity for the healthful, physical activities they need and the chance to learn teamwork and cooperation and community pride,” said Sen. Sheehan. “I am happy to have been able to help make these funds available.”
Holiday Concerts
Earlier this week, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts announced the upcoming holiday concert schedule for the State House. Starting next month, the musical talents of Rhode Island school musicians will be showcased as part of a month-long musical celebration of the holidays.
"We're pleased to be continuing this holiday tradition of student performances at the Rhode Island State House," said Randall Rosenbaum, Executive Director of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. "Close to 3,000 student musicians from forty-five schools throughout the state will perform at the Rhode Island State House in a special series of musical performances."
The concert series starts on Monday, December 2nd and runs through Friday, December 20th. All concerts are free and open to the public. In total, the State House Concerts will feature 3,000 student musicians from 45 schools.
The concert series, organized by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, will feature music of the season, performed by students from schools throughout the State of Rhode Island. The performances are all in the Rhode Island State House.
A one-page holiday concert flyer can be found at http://www.arts.ri.gov/holiday.
About the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is a state agency supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders.
