Newport This Week - February 17, 2011 by Tom Shevlin

February 17, 2011 Newport This Week Page 7

General Assembly Highlights

RHODE ISLAND’S OFFICIAL JEEP LEASING HEADQUARTERS

Here are the highlights from news and events that took place in the General Assembly this week. For more information on any of these items visit http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/News/ sion of one ounce or less of marijuana by a first-time adult offender would be a civil offense punishable by a $150 fine and forfeiture of the drug. Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Portsmouth, Tiverton) is the sponsor of similar legislation in the House. n Cyberstalking added to domestic violence statute Although cyberstalking is a crime in Rhode Island, it is not an action punishable under the state’s domestic violence laws. Rep. Elaine A. Coderre (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket) has introduced legislation to add cyberstalking and cyberharassment to the list of acts punishable as domestic violence offenses. n Sen. Tassoni applauds Chafee actions on homelessness Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr. (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, North Smithfield), who chairs the Committee on Housing and Municipal Government that has been holding hearings on the homelessness problem in Rhode Island, complimented Gov. Lincoln Chafee for several steps his administration is taking to address the issue. Administration plans announced at this week’s committee hearing include improvements at Harrington Hall, an emergency

n Same-sex marriage bills heard

by House Judiciary Committee In a hearing that stretched late into the night, the House Judiciary Committee took testimony from scores of citizens on two separate measures pertaining to same-sex marriage. One bill, (sponsored by Rep. Arthur Handy (D-Dist. 18, Cranston) and cosponsored by Speaker Gordon D. Fox and others, removes gender-specific language from the section of the general laws that governs eligibility for marriage and inserts language that allows any person to marry any other eligible person, regardless of gender. The other, sponsored by Rep. Jon D. Brien (D-Dist. 50, Woonsocket), would ask voters in the 2012 election to approve or reject a constitutional amendment specifying that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in the State of Rhode Island.” n Bill introduced to decriminalize marijuana Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Warwick) has introduced legislation that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.Under the bill, posses-

shelter in Cranston, and reactivation of the Interagency Council on Homelessness._ n Exclusion on estate tax raised to $1.5 million Sen. Walter S. Felag Jr. (D-Dist. 10, Bristol, Warren, Tiverton) has introduced legislation to raise the tax exclusion on an individual decedents’ estate tax (the so-called death tax) from its current $850,000 to $1.5 million. Similar bills dealing with the estate tax have been introduced in the House by Rep. Deborah Ruggiero (D-Dist. 74, Jamestown, Middletown) and Rep. Patricia Morgan (R-Dist. 26, West Warwick, Coventry, Warwick). n House Labor Committee holds hearing on ‘Illegal Immigration Control’ bill The House Committee on Labor heard several hours of testimony on legislation to require the Department of Administration to order the executive department to utilize the E-Verify program for new hires in state departments and by companies that do business with the state. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Peter G. Palumbo (D-Dist. 16, Cranston) and Rep. Joseph A. Trillo (R-Dist. 24, Warwick).

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Councilors Call for Referendum on School Regionalization By Tom Shevlin While parents turn their attention toward the immediate task of building the new Pell Elementary School, the long-term prospects for school regionalization was the topic of the day on last Friday’s Open Forum radio program on WADK 1540 AM. Hosted by City Councilwoman Jeanne-Marie Napolitano, much of the 90-minute long program centered around a recent meeting of an island-wide group tasked with exploring the merits of school consolidation. Joining Napolitano were fellow councilors Naomi L. Neville and Henry F. Winthrop. Neville, who sat on the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission for several years before being elected to the council in November, said that she has long been a supporter of exploring regionalization of all kinds. Aside from education, “There are other ways of thinking about regionalization too,” she said. From trash collection to tax collection, sharing services on an island-wide basis is something that should be closely looked into, according to Neville. According to a 2010 study released by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC), current projections show that Aquidneck Island’s three school systems will face a cumulative budget deficit of upwards of $7 million if changes to the current system aren’t made. Formally chartered last year, the

Aquidneck Island Schools Municipal Advisory Committee aims to explore just what changes could be made without negatively impacting education. A predecessor group had been meeting informally for several years on the same topic. Napolitano described the latest meeting – on Monday prior – as “somewhat different in tenor” than previous meetings. Neville summed up the general concept of regionalized schools as one that’s, “complicated, and difficult.” “I think that whatever works best for the kids education is everyone’s primary focus,” she said. Winthrop also expressed his “solid” support for consolidation of services. Speaking frankly about the latest discussion, he said, “I walked away very disappointed.” “I don’t feel there’s an appetite within some of the communities – at least one of the communities on Aquidneck Island – to regionalize,” he said. Citing a desire by several town officials in attendance to maintain local control over things like budgeting, Winthrop noted, “If you’re not going to give up some control, then you’re not going to regionalize.” “If we took a group of kids from the high schools, and we put them in a room and said ‘figure out how we’re going to make this work,’ they would come up with a solution,” Winthrop said. “Because they’re not burdened with all of the prejudices that we as older adults are.” So what are the prospects for re-

gionalization moving forward? “I would like to think that this dialogue is going to continue,” said Winthrop. But, he added, “if i were a betting man, I would bet that it’s not going to happen – at least it’s not going to happen island-wide. Maybe we could move forward with Middletown and see what would happen then.” Winthrop recalled the first time these types of discussions arose in the early ‘90s. “At the time, the big argument was, ‘Well we don’t want that broken down infrastructure that you have in Newport.’” At the time, Rogers High School was in rough shape, Thompson Middle School hadn’t been expanded, and the city’s elementary schools were rapidly becoming obsolete. “Now the argument is,” Winthrop said, “’You’re kids aren’t smart enough to go to school with our kids,’ or ‘You’re kids aren’t white enough to go to school with our kids.’” But Middletown Town Councilor Antone Viveiros, who called into the program, reiterated concerns he’s had regarding the legal reach afforded to regional school districts. Earlier this year, Viveiros lobbied for changes in the laws governing regional school districts to prevent such bodies from exercising rights to eminent domain. Winthrop labeled that charge as a scare tactic and pushed for a move to place the issue before voters in the form of a referendum. “It does seem like it’s time,” Neville added.

Real Estate Transactions: February 7 – February 14

Address

Seller

Buyer

Price

Newport No Transactions This Week

Middletown No Transactions This Week

Portsmouth 114 Rebels Way 0 Old Pier Road

Prescott Point LLC Norman Jr. and Lynn Perrault

Craig and Judith Harris Sunny Meadows Farm LLC

$389,000 $250,000

w w w. n e w p o r t j e e p . c o m Service Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30am-5pm; Saturday 8am-4pm Sales Hours: Monday-Thursday 7:30am-7:30pm; Friday 7:30am-6pm; Saturday 8am-5pm

310 WEST MAIN ROAD, MIDDLETOWN, RI • 401-846-2323