Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

Reps. Edwards, Cortvriend, Carson, Phillips attend national redistricting conference

 

From left, Rep. Robert Phillips, Rep. Terri Cortvriend, Rep. Lauren H. Carson and Rep. John G. Edwards in Salt Lake City during the National Conference of State Legislators Redistricting Seminar, held July 14 thought 16.

 

STATE HOUSE — Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton, Portsmouth), Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown), Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport) and Rep. Robert D. Phillips (D-Dist. 51, Woonsocket, Cumberland) recently took part in a conference on redistricting run by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“Redistricting is a complicated process that is meant to ensure that all voters have equal power, no matter how population may shift. There are many, many moving parts and it requires balancing considerations that sometimes conflict. As we get ready to dive into our own redistricting process in the coming year, it was very enlightening to be able to learn from those with significant experience, so we can do our best to carry out this process fairly, effectively and in a manner that stands up to the scrutiny that redistricting warrants,” said Representative Edwards, who serves as the House Floor Manager.

Held July 14 through 16 in Salt Lake City, the seminar was designed to help legislators prepare for the once-a-decade redistricting required after completion of the census. The conference included national redistricting experts and legislators from across the nation discussing many practical matters for legislators tasked with leading their state’s redistricting efforts, such as balancing conflicting principles, the Voting Rights Act and racial gerrymandering, and record-keeping and adequately preparing for court challenges to redistricting.

The Rhode Island constitution calls for the General Assembly to reapportion its districts after each federal census. The last census took place in 2020. This session, a law was passed establishing an 18-member special commission on reapportionment whose purpose is to draft and to report to the General Assembly an act to reapportion the House and Senate districts and the state’s congressional districts.

 

-30-

 

 
The Biden administration is telling House Speaker Mike Johnson it's up to state governors to decide if the National Guard is needed to subdue pro-Palestine protests on college campuses. Johnson called on President Biden to call in the National Guard after visiting Columbia University on Wednesday. The Speaker said "there is an appropriate time for the National Guard" if the protests aren't contained quickly.       The Supreme Court is considering whether Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for acts he took in office. The case before them Thursday centered around Trump's federal election interference charges. Trump's attorney argued prosecuting a president for official acts "incompatible" with Constitution. The special counsel attorney argued the Constitution does not grant a president absolute immunity.       Librarians in Alabama could face criminal charges if a newly-passed bill becomes law. The Republican-controlled state House of Representatives passed a bill where librarians at public libraries or public schools can be arrested if accused of distributing material considered "obscene." The bill passed on a party-line vote of 72-to-28. The bill originally called for the offense to be a Class C felony with a maximum ten-year sentence, but was changed to a Class C misdemeanor with a maximum three-month sentence.       Kim Kardashian is promoting criminal justice reform at the White House. The reality TV star joined Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday to help promote a new rule from the Small Business Administration that will lift loan restrictions for people with criminal records. Kardashian is a long-time advocate for non-violent drug offenders, and helped elevate the issue during the Trump administration.       A New Hampshire man is avoiding jail time in his sentence for making a hoax bomb threat at Harvard as part of an extortion scheme. William Giordani yesterday pleaded guilty to the charge of concealing a federal felony, and was sentenced to three years of probation. Giordani allegedly placed a tool bag that was rigged to look like an explosive device at the Harvard Science Center Plaza. He then called Harvard Police claiming to have placed three bombs on campus, demanding bitcoin to stop the bombs from exploding.       Buying a home is now more expensive than ever. A new report from Redfin found the median home price in the United States is now over 383-thousand-dollars, a record high. The economic research lead with Redfin says prices may drop slightly in the coming months, but buyers should accept that "housing costs are likely to remain elevated for the foreseeable future."       

Old News Archives