Dear Neighbors:
I hope you are enjoying Mother’s Day, when we celebrate our families across generations. This year’s Mother’s Day has an added joy for my family as our older daughter recently became a new mother, and we became new grandparents. In this week’s letter I discuss reforms to the Providence Public Schools, India Point Park and the Act on Climate.
A. The Providence Public Schools
I have discussed in earlier letters the work of the Senate Study Commission reviewing the Providence Public Schools, as summarized in this Slide Deck. This Wednesday (May 14), the Senate Education Committee will hear three bills recommended by the Commission’s report. All of them are specific to the Providence Public Schools. S-745 proposes an expedited due process for teachers whose performance is inadequate. S-746 would allow educators to negotiate compensation that is based on taking on additional work. S-747 would remove the “exclusively seniority” rule for determining reductions in force due to declining enrollments. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. in State House Room 212. If you wish to comment, you can do so in person, or you can submit written testimony by sending an email to this address. Please list your name, address and the bill number(s) addressed in your written testimony and whether you are writing in favor or in opposition to the bill(s).
B. India Point Park
This past Monday, the City marked the completion of improvements to India Point Park, including the opening of a pavilion, new plantings and new playground equipment. For almost 20 years, neighborhood groups have worked with the cities of Providence and East Providence to bury the power lines that detract from visitors’ enjoyment and use of parkland on either side of the Seekonk River. With the help of neighborhood advocates and leaders from both cities, I introduced Bill S-981, which would consolidate different funding sources to pay for the burial of those power lines on either side of the river. The Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government heard testimony on this bill this past Thursday.
C. The Act On Climate
The Act on Climate establishes a framework for a net-zero carbon future for Rhode Island which will depend critically upon reducing the carbon footprint of electricity generation. To advance that goal, I introduced the Offshore Wind Procurement Act, which would provide the electric distribution utility with specific direction and a timetable to secure contracts with offshore wind electrical generating firms to ensure the transition from fossil fuels in this major sector. Carbon neutral electricity generation is at the foundation of much of the Act on Climate, as we will need a robust source of clean electricity to replace the fossil fuel powered systems in our buildings and industry, and throughout the rest of our economy. The Senate Commerce Committee heard testimony on this bill at a hearing that took place this past Tuesday, May 6