(3.6) Contact your senator! And Senate President Dominick Ruggerio while you’re at it. (Maybe we can scare up an opponent for him by 2020. According to Ballotpedia, Ruggerio ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections of 2018, 2016, and 2014. He last faced a Republican opponent in 2012.)
Common Cause of Rhode Island is sounding the alarm on this one, “If the rules of the game aren’t fair, everybody loses. The Rhode Island Senate has proposed rules that will prevent your state senator from fully representing your interests.” Some of these undesirable changes would include:
- Allowing the Senate President to unilaterally remove a Senator from a committee.
- Allowing the rules to be suspended by unanimous consent of two people — the Majority and Minority Leaders — instead of a 2/3rds vote of the Senate.
- Allowing the Senate President to unilaterally approve a change to an individual Senator’s floor vote, instead of requiring a vote of the whole body.
Common Cause has made it easy for you to write an email to your senator. Find your senator here.
Common Cause suggests you arrive by 4:30pm to grab a seat. For more info go to “Stop The Ruggerio Power Grab.”
4:30pm, Wednesday, March 6, Room 311, State House, Smith Street, (directions)