Legislation requested and/or supported by OCG in 2011
Ethics Amendment
This bill will allow citizens to vote on a Constitutional Amendment to restore jurisdiction over the General Assembly to the state’s Ethics Commission. Read more.
2011-H 5410
Rep. Michael Marcello
2011-S 634
Sen. Edward O’Neill
Inspector General
For an independent state Inspector General to root out fraud, waste and abuse. Other states with an Office of Inspector General save more money than the cost of running the office. Read More…
2011-H 5431
Rep. Larry Valencia
2011-S 622
Sen. Rhoda Perry
Voter Handbook
Allow pro and con statements in the Voter Information Handbook on Referendum questions. Read More…
2011-S 349
Sen. Edward O’Neill
Rep. Michael Marcello
Publish legislator roll call committee votes
Publish on the General Assembly website all roll call committee votes. It would not cost additional taxpayer dollars to scan the documents containing the vote. The public should know who has voted to kill a bill or who has voted to allow it to come to the house or senate floor for a vote of the full chamber.
2011-H 5340
Rep. Deborah Ruggiero
Eliminate straight-ticket voting
This is a question at the top of the ballot asking the voter if he/she wants to vote for all members of a particular party with one vote. Only 14 states have straight-party voting, including Rhode Island. Most voters do not know that if they vote a straight party and then go down the ballot and make a mark in any multi-seat race, their straight party vote has been discarded by the optical scan machine. Read More…
2011-S 232
2011-S 238
Sen. David Bates
2011-H 5452
Rep. Michael Marcello
2011-H 5454
Rep. Brian Newberry
Eliminate Legislative Grants
Legislative grants are awarded through legislators by the House Speaker and the Senate President with no review process by the General Assembly. Read More…
2011-H 5596
Rep. Karen MacBeth
Magistrate Selection
Have magistrates subject to the same selection process as judges. Read More…
2011-H 5091
Rep. Donna Walsh
2011 –S229
Sen. James Sheehan
Voter Initiative
Twenty-four states have Voter Initiative, also called Initiative & Referendum (I&R). Rhode Island’s legislation has been judged to be model legislation by the California Commission on Campaign Financing. Read more…
2011-S 0372
2011-S 0374
Sen. Marc Cote
2011-H 5346
2011-H 5347
Rep. Larry Valencia