Lawmakers are heading back to Smith Hill with a mix of challenges. The Senate recently faced significant leadership changes while the House of Representatives looked much more stable.
In the Senate, tension boiled over during a leadership vote. Twelve Democratic senators chose to vote “present” instead of supporting Senate President Dominick Ruggerio. This unrest also led to changes in committee leadership. Senator Alana DiMario lost her chair position in the Environment and Agriculture Committee, with Senator V. Susan Sosnowski taking over the role. Sosnowski has experience, having previously led the committee for most of the last decade.
On the other hand, the House re-elected Speaker Joe Shekarchi with near-unanimous support, reflecting a calmer atmosphere there.
However, a pressing issue looms over both chambers: the state’s budget deficit, projected to exceed $300 million. The final figures will be available in May, as the state budget office completes its review.
This budget gap poses a challenge for environmental groups seeking funding for new initiatives and enhanced enforcement. The Environment Council of Rhode Island, which assesses state efforts to combat climate change, has reported that current actions fall short of goals set by the Act on Climate. They emphasized the need for more funding for agencies responsible for implementing essential policies and programs.
Although the Department of Environmental Management has slowly increased its staffing over the years, they didn’t request new positions in their latest budget. Conversely, the Coastal Resources Management Council has asked for five new roles to handle oversight of offshore wind projects and shoreline access, citing staffing shortages that delay their work.
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority faces a significant budget crisis, with a $31 million deficit. Last year, lawmakers temporarily addressed this problem by allocating $15 million from federal COVID funds, but a long-term solution is still needed.
Lawmakers have left several key issues unresolved from last year:
- Environmental Justice: Despite some internal efforts by the Department of Environmental Management, there are no protections in place to deal with the cumulative effects of pollution in communities. The proposed Environmental Justice Act aimed to empower regulators to consider these impacts in project approvals.
- Income Payment Plan: Advocates have repeatedly pushed for a program allowing low-income residents to pay a fixed percentage of their income for energy bills, rather than fluctuating rates based on usage.
- Bottle Bill: A proposed bottle deposit system that would encourage recycling through a small fee on beverage containers remains stuck in legislative discussions, with limited meetings from the study commission responsible for its review.
- CRMC Reform: Efforts to reform the Coastal Resources Management Council have been slow, with previous attempts ending in confusion over costs and organizational structure.
- Building Decarbonization: The state is working on regulations to phase out gas-powered vehicles but lacks a comprehensive plan to reduce emissions from buildings, which account for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Housing and Conservation: The Rhode Island Housing and Conservation Trust Fund was designed to support affordable housing and conservation projects, but it has remained unfunded for years, despite ongoing advocacy.
As lawmakers navigate these challenges, both urgent budgetary concerns and important legislative goals will shape the agenda moving forward.
