This afternoon, the Rhode Island State Senate passed the same-sex marriage bill 26-12.
Before the bill lands on Governor Lincoln Chafee’s ’75 P’14 desk, the Senate’s updated version of the bill needs to go back to the House for review and approval. The House had approved an earlier version of the bill back in January in a 51-19 vote. If the bill is signed to law, it could go into effect as early as August 1, and Rhode Island would become the 10th state to allow same-sex marriage. Lil Rhody is well on its way to making marriage equality a reality.
The Rhode Island Senate will determine today whether Rhode Island legalizes same-sex marriage. If the measure passes, Rhode Island will be the 10th state to allow same-sex marriage.
The Senate convenes at 4pm today and the proceedings can watched online here.
After overwhelming approval by the House in January, passage of the bill would essentially send it straight to the desk of Gov. Lincoln Chafee’75 P’14. Chafee will sign it. Technically the House has to approve the bill again due to a few additional amendments beefing up the protections for religious leaders who do not support same-sex marriage, but that process should be perfunctory.
The bill cleared a significant hurdle yesterday when the Senate Judiciary Committee approved it 7-4, undermining efforts to kill the legislation where it has died in previous years. Dawson Hodgson, R-North Kingstown, Paul Jabour, D-Providence and particularly William Conley Jr.,D-East Providence were considered swing votes- and all voted to send the bill to the floor of the Senate.
Though Hodgson and Jabour will probably vote for same-sex marriage today, many analysts still see Conley’s vote as up in the air. A vote to send a bill to the Senate for discussion is not a vote to legalize same-sex marriage — necessarily.
The five Republicans in the Senate all committed to vote in favor of same-sex marriage early Tuesday.
In 2012, Rhode Island passed a law to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. This law is currently in effect as of April 1, 2013. This is not an April Fools joke, but rather an effort that Senator Joshua Miller, D-representing Cranston, and state Representative Jay Edwards, D–representing Tiverton and Portsmouth, have been working to pass for the past five years. A first-time offender who possesses one ounce or less of marijuana will now see a $150 civil fine, and no jail time. An individual who is charged with possession three times in 18 months, however, must pay the original $500 civil fine, and will most likely spend a year in jail.
The implications are huge. The law hopes to debunk the “forbidden fruit” nature of the drug, which is why many young adults may find it so appealing in the first place. Perhaps more importantly, a portion of the money collected from fines will now go towards drug treatment and education programs. Now that possession is no longer criminal, it is hoped that people can seek proper treatment rather than becoming lost in the criminal justice system. This will save the state a great deal of money down the road by relying more on prevention and less on incarceration.
Rhode Island is officially looking to help you enjoy your favorite weeklydaily never 4/20 activity. Following Colorado’s and Washington (state)’s successes in November, your friendly neighborhood State Representatives and Senators have a filed a bill to legalize marijuana for students adults 21 and older.
Federal law still technically has a ban on the substance, a bill to give states the right to do- ahem- whatever regarding pot will be introduced next Tuesday to the House of Representatives.
RI State Rep. Edith Ajello believes “it is time for Rhode Island… to adopt a more sensible approach [to pot] just as our nation did with alcohol 80 years ago.”
Today, illegal substances don’t give way to fun speakeasies and awesome flapper dresses (i.e. Gatsby trailer). Today there are just more crowded dorm rooms. No awesome dresses.
Legalization will help the economy in ways that I don’t quite understand (I am taking Econ S/NC)… but it’ll create jobs, tax revenue, and other stuff, I think. Plus, we’ll be able to smoke.
The Ocean State had its ups and downs in 2012. Here are some standout stories from across RI.
Deficit Distress:
Providence has a lot to be thankful for in the new year. For a few months last year, it didn’t seem that the city would make it to 2013. In March Mayor Angel Taveras first announced the city faced the possibility of bankruptcy and suggested that a “category five” fiscal crisis was imminent. Taveras battled a $110 million deficit throughout the year, calling on the city’s non-profit institutions to increase their PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) contributions. The University felt the pressure — as students, faculty and city residents called on former president Simmons to step up to the Mayor’s demands — to finalize negotiations with Taveras and in May, Simmons and Taveras jointly announced an agreement under which the University promised to contribute an additional $31.5 million to the city over the next eleven years. The city’s other universities, colleges, and hospitals have also stepped up to help close the deficit and facilitate some fiscal stability. Taveras is set to present the city’s budget for the next fiscal year on Jan. 29 during the annual “State of the City” address.
Olivia Culpo, the first Rhode Islander to ever win Miss U.S.A., was just crowned this year’s Miss Universe! This marks the U.S.’ first win in the competition since 1997. The Brown Boston University student first won our Brunonian hearts when she stood up for transgender women during the Miss U.S.A. pageant in June. Before becoming queen of the universe, Cranston-native Culpo was known for her appreciation of cheeseburgers and love for playing cello. She even played alongside Yo-Yo Ma! (Soo casual.)
Although Culpo’s final question was not a description of her perfect date, she did give a shoutout to her siblings by saying she regretted being cruel to them growing up. Since she’s been crowned, Culpo will get to enjoy numerous benefits, including an “undisclosed salary,” all the makeup and clothes she could ever want, and a swanky apartment in NYC. Compared to other 20-year-olds, I’d say she’s set for life.
Progressive educator and Brown department head Ted Sizer is surely cheering from the grave. Last week, a Providence schoolteacher named Stephen Round, fed up with teaching students how to take tests, quit his 13-year position as a 2nd grade teacher. Unable to read his resignation at a committee meeting, Round did what any relatively hip middle-aged teacher would do and posted a video of himself reading the letter on the YouTube. While a middle finger might have sufficed, Round’s condemnation of the “demeaning education” provided for students in Providence Public Schools is a more eloquent, and more brutally honest, alternative.
Round, depicting the lack of “enjoyment” in daily classroom life, describes a dystopian learning environment that seems more like something out of Orwell than a classroom in the same city as our beloved Brown. Students never socialized, recess was a privilege, and teaching focused on standardized testing rather than developing students’ interest in subject matter. The school’s culture of adhering to curriculum standards at the policy level had robbed Round’s students of all valuable education, and as a teacher he could literally do nothing to intervene. Moreover, Round claims that educational higher-ups forced him to stop offering additional reading support for dyslexic students simply because it was outside of the curriculum.
Such a “one-size-fits-all” education was exactly what Ted Sizer hoped to eradicate at the high school level by starting his Coalition of Essential Schools in 1984. In a final FU to Providence schools, the teacher claims he’ll be leaving his well-paid position to tutor for free in Connecticut. Many, including plenty of Brown students, will talk about how test-focused curricula are ludicrous, but Round’s simple and bold actions, which have since found national coverage on Gawker (yes, it’s Gawker…but still), have potential to move the issue forward.
UPDATE: If you are not registered in Rhode Island and are looking to register today, you cannot do so in Salomon. You must go down to the Dunkin’ Donuts Civic Center and vote for presidential and vice presidential candidates there. A previous version of this post said that you can register in Salomon if you had yet not registered in the state.
For most Brown undergraduates, today marks the first time we can vote in a presidential election. In case you missed voter registration for your home state, Rhode Island allows eligible voters to cast their ballots on election day for presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Any Brown student who has registered in the state of Rhode Island with his/her on-campus address (69 Brown Street, Box ####) before the deadline can vote in Salomon today. Bring either a government-issued or school ID.
If you are not registered and are hoping to register today to vote for presidential and vice presidential candidates, you must go down to the Dunkin’ Donuts Civic Center.
Procrastination is both a value and a vice. In order to make it productive, we’ve provided you with a few quick facts that you probably didn’t know. Learn a new thing every day in higher education with BlogDailyHerald.
Rhode Island never ratified the 18th Amendment. Huh? Prohibition? That’s right, chaps in Rhode Island still wanted to get drunk while their compatriots in other states opted to go dry. Rhode Islanders seemed to have had their priorities straight… even though most states ratified the amendment, and it was thus enforced nationwide.
Tennis and polo, that’s what Newport Rhode Island does. Not only is the Rhode Island the home of the Tennis Hall of Fame, but before there was the U.S. Open, there was the National Lawn Tennis Championship, which was held for the first time in Newport in 1881. Five years earlier in 1876, the first polo match ever played took place in Newport. Surprising? Not really.
Rhode Island’s Party (Come Get It). A group of Rhode Island Sons of Liberty were the first colonists to take military action against the British by sinking one their ships, “The Gaspee,” in Narragansett Bay in 1772. The leader of this assault on the “bloody backs”? None other than very own John Brown. Come at us, Boston Tea Party.
How many Rhode Islands? About 5,445 Rhode Islands would fit in Russia. Find out how many Rhode Islands would fit in other gargantuan countries.
Hope. We’re talking about Rhode Island’s motto—not about Obama’s 2008 campaign slogan—which is the shortest of any state’s. (We also hope you stop procrastinating and get back to studying for your midterms.)
The latest and greatest news, commentary, culture, entertainment, sports and miscellany from College Hill and beyond, brought to you by The Brown Daily Herald. If you have questions, comments, tips, ideas or want to write for us, shoot us an e-mail at blog@browndailyherald.com.
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