 |
|
6/28/2023
|
Rep. Felix celebrates successes from 2023 legislative session
|
 STATE HOUSE – Rep. Leonela Felix is celebrating the successes of the 2023 legislative session and reflecting on what work must be continued next year.
“My neighbors in Pawtucket, like many Rhode Islanders, are concerned about housing costs, our public schools, the cost of health care and supporting small businesses. We made real progress this year on all these issues,” said Representative Felix (D-Dist. 61, Pawtucket). “There’s always more work to do, but I am proud of what we got done in 2023.”
Representative Felix sponsored a law (2023-S 1052A) that will create a pilot program to fund transit-oriented development: projects that build dense, mixed-use development around transit centers like train stations and bus hubs. She cosponsored a bill (2023-H 6090A) by Rep. Karen Alzate (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket, Central Falls) to support adaptive reuse: making it easier to convert commercial structures such as hospitals or mills into housing.
Pawtucket, which already has some transit-oriented development around the Pawtucket/Central Falls Train Station and lots of old mill and hospital buildings, is well positioned to take advantage of these new laws to bring in funding and build modern housing units for all income levels.
Representative Felix also sponsored a law (2023-H 5761Aaa) that extends foreclosure protections for homeowners. She supported a new law (2023-H 6087aa) by Rep. Cherie L. Cruz (D-Dist. 58, Pawtucket) that bans rental application fees and five different bills to tackle lead poisoning (especially for renters). She also supported the inclusion in the state budget of an additional $39 million to support housing development, up to $30 million each year for Low Income Housing Tax Credit and $32.5 million to help individuals dealing with homelessness.
“I know how firsthand how devastating it can be for families to not have stable housing. When I was a kid, my mom got seriously sick and had to stop working for a while. She fell behind on payments and the bank refused to work with her. We got kicked out and really struggled,” said Representative Felix (D-Dist. 61, Pawtucket). “That’s why it’s so important to me to help Pawtucket families secure safe, affordable housing.”
Representative Felix is also applauding increased funding in the state budget for education. The budget increases funding for multilanguage learners, special education students and high poverty districts. Importantly, the budget extends deadlines for school construction projects which will help Pawtucket, and other municipalities with pending projects, secure crucial state support.
Representative Felix also cosponsored legislation (2023-H 5006) by House Majority Whip Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence, Pawtucket) to expand abortion coverage to individuals on Medicaid and state employee health insurance. She also cosponsored a bill (2023-H 5044) by Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton) that extends a two-year pilot program to prevent drug overdoses through the establishment of harm reduction centers.
Three other laws Representative Felix supported will also improve health care in Rhode Island. One bill (2023-H 5426A) sponsored by Rep. June Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol), enshrines all of the consumer protections of the Affordable Care Act into Rhode Island State law. A second bill (2023-H 5282Aaa), sponsored by Rep. Camille F.J. Vella-Wilkinson (D-Dist. 21, Warwick), allows pharmacists to prescribe many hormonal contraceptives, helping Rhode Islanders access birth control even if they can’t find a primary care provider. A third (2023-S 0563Aaa), sponsored by Sen. Melissa Murray (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield), makes the HIV-prevention treatments PrEP and PEP free and accessible to qualifying patients.
Representative Felix is also proud of the progress made this year in supporting small businesses. She was a strong supporter of a law (2023-H 6333) sponsored by Rep. Brandon T. Voas (D-Dist. 57 Cumberland, Central Falls) to cut taxes for small businesses by exempting the first $50,000 of tangible property from the tangible tax. That law completely wipes out the tangible tax for 75% of Rhode Island businesses. She also supported a bill (2023-H 5264A) by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee’s (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett) to extend outdoor dining at restaurants.
Representative Felix also cosponsored a new law (2023-H 5380A) by Rep. Brianna Henries (D-Dist. 64, East Providence, Pawtucket) to make Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day, a state holiday.
On the subject of criminal legal reform, Representative Felix sponsored a new law (2023-H 5685aa) that requires courts to return bail money to the defendant (or whoever provided the bail) upon completion of the case. She cosponsored a law (2023-H 5883A) by Whip Kazarian that protects domestic violence victims from abusive litigation from their abusers, a law (2023-H 5185) by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) to better train police officers to interact with individuals with cognitive or communication-related disabilities, and a law (2023-H 6491) by Representative Batista that allows incarcerated individuals to keep up to $2,000 in their account that they can access upon release.
But on this front, she says, there is much more work to do.
She sponsored a bill (2023-H 6161) to restrict solitary confinement and make the process more humane. She cosponsored a bill (2023-H 6200) by Rep. José F. Batista (D-Dist. 12, Providence) to reform the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBOR) and increase accountability for police officers who engage in misconduct. She also cosponsored a bill (2023-H 5571) by Representative Batista to reform a rule known as 32F that results in upwards of 85% of probation violators being denied bail, even for accusations of nonviolent offenses.
None of these bills passed this year, but Representative Felix is committed to continuing the push next session.
“We got a lot done this year, and we have a lot more to do in 2024, especially when it comes to criminal legal reform. I’m grateful to my colleagues, Speaker Shekarchi and all the residents of Pawtucket who trust me to do this work. I know together we can keep making progress and make the lives of Rhode Islanders better.”
For more information, contact:
Fil Eden, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.1886
|
|