Senator Thomas J. Paolino
Senate Deputy Minority Leader
Member, Senate Committee on Judiciary
Member, Senate Committee on Education
Member, Senate Committee on Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies
Senator Thomas J. Paolino (R-Dist. 17, Lincoln, North
Providence, North Smithfield) was first elected to the Senate in November of
2016. He has served as the Senate Deputy Minority Leader since 2021.
Sen. Paolino is a current member of the Senate Committee on Finance and the
Senate Committee on Education. Previously, he served on the Senate Committee
on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Housing and
Municipal Government. Sen. Paolino served on the Permanent Joint Committee
on State Lottery from 2019 through 2023 and as Secretary for the Finance
Committee for the 2021-2022 legislative session.
Accountability to
Rhode Island taxpayers continues to be a main focus for Senator Paolino. He
has advocated for fiscal responsibility, streamlining business regulations,
and lowering the tax burden for all Rhode Islanders. Legislation Senator
Paolino has introduced or supported includes a line-item veto, an Office of
Inspector General, eliminating the car tax, lowering state sales tax,
implementing zero-based budgeting, increasing thresholds on estate taxes,
eliminating state income tax on social security income, and campaign finance
reform.
Ensuring Rhode Island’s
students have access to a quality education is a priority for Sen.
Paolino. He helped secure $25 million for schools in his district, including
funding for the construction of the new Lincoln High School. Sen. Paolino
led efforts to pass mandatory Financial Literacy courses in all RI high
schools into state law and has introduced legislation to increase the
aggregate amount of tax credits for contributions to scholarship
organizations to $5,000,000 for 2024.
Sen. Paolino works tirelessly
for his community, aiding in the procurement of $160 million in federal
funds to redesign and improve public safety on Route 146. He utilizes his
professional experience in the healthcare industry to advocate for our most
vulnerable and elderly population, supporting the expansion of home care
services to enable seniors to age in place.
A lifelong resident of
Rhode Island, Sen. Paolino is a graduate of Mt. St. Charles Academy and has
earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Dean College. He
is currently a professional licensed chauffeur, and formerly worked as a
home care liaison and recruitment director for Lifetime Medical Support
Services and as a fitness instructor at MacColl YMCA.
Senator
Paolino can be reached at sen-paolino@rilegislature.gov or
401-222-2708.