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Goldwater Institute Responds to Louisiana Governor’s Rejection of       Free Speech Protections on State’s Public College Campuses

6/29/2017

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Phoenix— Governor John Bel Edwards yesterday vetoed a bill that would have protected the right to free speech on Louisiana’s public college campuses. Based on model legislation drafted by the Goldwater Institute, House Bill 269 would have required the state’s public universities to commit to a policy on free expression, created a system of sanctions to ensure that those interfering with others’ free speech rights were properly disciplined, and ensured that students and campus communities could hear from controversial speakers while protecting the right to protest for all people lawfully present on campus.

The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses (95-0 in the Louisiana House, 30-3 in the Louisiana Senate), a testament to the widespread embrace of free expression for all on public college campuses. Similar legislation based on the Goldwater model has been considered this year in Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, and California.

While Governor Edwards maintained in his veto letter that House Bill 269 was unnecessary to provide speech protections already granted by the First Amendment, there are countless examples of free expression being denied on college campuses. In Louisiana, for instance, speech and assembly activities at Southeastern Louisiana University are limited to a single two-hour time period every seven days—sending the message that free speech is not welcome on campus most of the time. Stories of speakers being shouted down—like American Enterprise Institute scholar Charles Murray at Middlebury College—and violent protests—like those against Evergreen State College professor Bret Weinstein—have frequently appeared in the news in recent months.

“The right to protest peacefully and respectfully must be protected—but so must the right of others to hear from controversial speakers. Respect for free expression must go both ways, and that what this legislation was meant to accomplish,” said Jonathan Butcher, education policy director at the Goldwater Institute and co-author of the model legislation on which House Bill 269 was based. “While Governor Edwards may not see how big the threat to free speech is on college campuses, the legislators of Louisiana saw it in near-unanimous fashion, and students and legislators are seeing the need for a solution across the country.”

About the Goldwater Institute

The Goldwater Institute drives results by working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and strengthen the freedom guaranteed to all Americans in the constitutions of the United States and all 50 states. With the blessing of its namesake, the Goldwater Institute opened in 1988. Its early years focused on defending liberty in Barry Goldwater’s home state of Arizona. Today, the Goldwater Institute is a national leader for constitutionally limited government respected by the left and right for its adherence to principle and real world impact. No less a liberal icon than the New York Times calls the Goldwater Institute a “watchdog for conservative ideals” that plays an “outsize role” in American political life.     


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ACLU SUES SMITHFIELD OVER RESTRICTIVE MEDICAL CANNABIS                                         ORDINANCE

6/22/2017

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 In its first legal effort to counter efforts across the state to undermine the state’s medical marijuana law, the ACLU of Rhode Island today filed a lawsuit against the Town of Smithfield over a recently enacted ordinance that imposes significant burdens on medical marijuana patients’ access to treatment.  The lawsuit, filed in R.I. Superior Court, is on behalf of two licensed medical marijuana patients – listed as Jane Does to protect their confidentiality – and the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (RIPAC), a medical marijuana public education organization. The suit was filed as other municipalities consider adopting similar troubling restrictions on the rights of medical marijuana patients, although Smithfield’s appears to be the most egregious.
 
The Town’s ordinance, enacted in April, imposes a number of onerous restrictions on the possession and growth of medical marijuana, despite, and directly contrary to, stringent regulations already in place under Rhode Island’s medical marijuana law. Among other restrictions, the ordinance limits the growing of medical marijuana to two mature plants and two seedlings, and only at a patient’s primary residence, even though Rhode Island law specifically allows for the cultivation of 12 mature plants and outlines where medical marijuana can be grown. The Smithfield ordinance further undermines the rights of patients by completely barring caregivers from growing medical marijuana for them anywhere in the town. The ordinance also requires patients to disclose their identity to a number of municipal authorities, which, the suit argues, is almost certain to undermine their right to confidentiality under the law. 
 
ACLU of RI volunteer attorneys C. Alexander Chiulli, John Meara and Matthew Plain from the law firm of Barton Gilman LLP filed the lawsuit. The suit argues that the ordinance infringes on patients’ rights as guaranteed by state law, unlawfully threatens their “health and wellbeing,” unduly restricts access to treatment, harms patients’ privacy rights, and unjustly targets medical marijuana users – all in violation of Rhode Island state law.  The suit seeks an injunction barring Smithfield’s enforcement of the ordinance.
 
RIPAC director JoAnne Leppanen said today: “The Smithfield ordinance has created stress and panic among patients whose legal access to their medicine is being denied by their own town. It is as if Smithfield has declared war on some of its most vulnerable residents by enacting this ordinance.”
 
Steven Brown, ACLU of RI executive director, added: “Rhode Island law recognizes that marijuana is a legitimate and effective treatment for debilitating medical conditions and lays out stringent regulations for its lawful possession and cultivation. Smithfield’s ordinance is an obvious attempt to undermine that law and make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for many of those who lawfully use medical marijuana to treat their conditions.”
 
Brown said that the ACLU was considering filing additional lawsuits against other municipalities with similarly restrictive ordinances in conflict with the state’s medical marijuana law.
 
The full text of the lawsuit can be found here:
http://riaclu.org/images/uploads/RIACLUSmithfieldMedicalMarijuanaComplaint.pdf
 
The ACLU’s letter urging the Town not to adopt the ordinance can be found here:
http://riaclu.org/images/uploads/RIACLUSmithfieldTownCouncilLetterReMedicalMarijuanaOrdinance.pdf
 
The full text of the Smithfield Ordinance is available here:

http://riaclu.org/images/uploads/RIACLUSmithfieldMedicalMarijuanaComplaintExhibitD.pdf



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RIPTA Using Clean Air Funds To Finance PawSox Shuttle?

6/16/2017

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Funds used by RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transporation Authority) to cover the cost incurred providing free shuttle service to Pawtucket Red Sox Games are being drawn from Federal CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement Program) generated by the "FAST ACT" (Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act), The Coalition Talk Radio has learned.

According to the Federal Department of Transportation, the Program Purpose:
The FAST Act continued the CMAQ program to provide a flexible funding source to State and local governments for transportation projects and programs to help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act. Funding is available to reduce congestion and improve air quality for areas that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter (nonattainment areas) and for former nonattainment areas that are now in compliance (maintenance areas).
Statutory citation: FAST Act § 1114; 23 U.S.C. 149

Additionally, budget/contract authority is derived from the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund.

When reached for comment, as to the process/analysis used to arrive at Pawsox Games as a legitimate recipient of the funds​, RIPTA issued the following statement

"It was an internal process that involved at looking at a number of factors including – a desire to provide a seasonal service that would be attractive to both residents and tourists, as well as the need to come up with something that was finite, relatively short distance and not disruptive to our existing fixed-route schedule."

Reactions

Frank Carini of EcoRI.org :
"I would prefer to see the funds used for programs with lasting impact, say, dedicated bike lanes or public transportation infrastructure ... than being used to shuttle people back and forth to a ballgame for a team owned by wealthy individuals"

Dr. Peter Nightingale, Professor of Physics of The University of Rhode Island:
As is the case so very often, the beneficiaries of our laws and programs are the 1%, who already have enough. People in need are left to go without.

Robert Malin - Fossil Free Rhode Island
We need to modernize our transportation system to minimize our reliance on fossil fuels. I fail to see how giving rides to a baseball game qualifies. There are so many other priorities.

At a time when the "Free Ride Program" for the elderly & infirm was suspended due to alleged budget constraints ... The question begs ... at what point does the corporate welfare trail end for the Pawtucket Red Sox?

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History of the FAST Act
Using CMAQ Funds for Transit & Public Transportation Projects
Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement Program


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Challenger Jon Keith ??: Gallo likes sex offenders in her District?

6/10/2017

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 
Contact:  Jonathan Keith
Telephone:  401.484.1772
Email:  jonathan@jonkeithsenateri.com

Gallo likes sex offenders in her District?

​Cranston
, RI | June 9th, 2017 – Our community is the most important thing to us in Rhode Island and above all is the safety of our children. This is the number one thing that all State Legislators should protect at any cost. In Cranston we have over 180 registered sex offenders throughout our city, and as the number is alarming enough the most unfathomable part is that 43 of them are registered at one address. Many of us know it as Harrington Hall, 30 Howard Ave Cranston, RI 02920, the homeless shelter of “last resort.” It is a male only shelter that serves men that otherwise would have absolutely no other place to go. As compassionate as we all are in Rhode Island, and especially in Cranston, this homeless shelter has a darker side that never seems to be fully addressed.There is an overwhelming population of sex offenders that occupy this facility on a nightly basis. Occupants are to leave this facility at 7:00am and are within a 20-45 minute walk from 3 elementary schools. They are not allowed to return to Harrington Hall until 5:00pm putting 43 sex offenders on the streets of Cranston at the exact times that our children are walking to and from school, or participating in after school activities. Since 2012 many individuals and elected officials have tried to their best to keep the number of registered sex offenders to a minimum. The individuals that have been involved include Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, Representative Robert Lancia, Mayor Allan Fung, Ward 6 Councilman Michael Favicchio, Alliance for Safe Communities Executive Director Carolyn Medeiros, and The Cranston Crime Watch Co-Organizer Suzanne Arena. Jonathan Keith, former candidate for State Senate - District 27, would like to thank them all personally for trying their hardest to make Cranston the safest community for children possible.
 With all of these listed members of our society working together and on an issue that directly affects our daily lives there is still one elected official that is missing. “Why does Senator Hanna Gallo not feel that this issue is a top priority?” Jonathan would like to know. “As a member of the Senate Leadership Hanna should have no issue pushing the legislation (S0897), capping the number of sex offenders, to the Senate floor for a vote.” Last month with the full support of the City of Cranston, Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Representative Robert Lancia the house version H5159 was successfully passed. Since then Hanna has dropped the proverbial ball in the Senate. The Senate version has been sitting in Senate Judiciary since May 11th, 2017 waiting for a hearing date to be scheduled.
Gallo’s ineffectiveness to get this legislation through the Senate before the budget season is in full swing is nothing out of the ordinary. Senator Gallo has been absent from this issue since the beginning and it seems clear that she does not see our communities safety as a top priority. Also let’s not forget that summer is just around the corner and our children will be out of school making this legislation even more crucial. Jonathan Keith is urging Senator Gallo to make S0897 a top priority and have it voted on before this year's Budget is released.
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Huh? Raimondo Calls on General Assembly to Pass 38 Studios                                        Transparency Legislation

6/8/2017

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2017
CONTACT:

David Ortiz 
david.ortiz@governor.ri.gov
                                            401-447-5107
__________________________________________________________________________

               Raimondo Calls on General Assembly to Pass 38 Studios Transparency Legislation
Governor Also Announces Intention to Appeal Recent Court Ruling Blocking Release of Grand Jury Documents

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -  Governor Gina M. Raimondo called upon the General Assembly to take swift action and pass Representative Charlene Lima and Senator Frank Lombardi's bills that would compel the release of non-grand jury documents from the 38 Studios investigation. Governor Raimondo filed suit to allow for the release of the grand jury documents. Though the court denied the Governor's request, Governor Raimondo also announced today that she intends to appeal that ruling to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

"I was against 38 Studios from the very beginning and hold firm that Rhode Islanders deserve to know what happened. I urge the General Assembly to take swift action and send me legislation that will compel the release of all non-grand jury documents from the 38 Studios investigation. I will sign it as soon as it reaches my desk," said Governor Raimondo. "As Governor, I've pushed for the release of hundreds of thousands of pages of documents and encouraged the Rhode Island State Police to release documents in their possession unrelated to the grand jury. I've gone to court to release grand jury documents and will appeal the Court's decision to keep those records sealed."

The Governor has been the state's leading proponent for the release of all documents related to disastrous deal with Curt Schilling's failed company. Starting in 2015, Governor Raimondo oversaw the release of hundreds of thousands of pages of documents from the civil case and earlier this year, after the criminal case was closed, she urged the Rhode Island State Police and the Attorney General's Office to release non-grand jury documents in their possession. State Police released the majority of those documents in March and continue to make additional documents available as they are reviewed. 

Over the last three years, the Commerce Corporation has reached settlements with various parties involved with 38 Studios. In all, the State has achieved more than $60 million in settlements. 


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Trump Campaign Honcho Trillo Announces Run For Governor

6/7/2017

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Date: June 7, 2017
Contact: Former Representative Joseph A. Trillo
Phone: 401.486.1930
Email: reptrillo@aol.com
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Former State Representative of 16 Years, Joseph A. Trillo, to Host “Exploring Rhode Island’s Future” on June 27 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick
 
Providence, Rhode Island – Former State Representative and Honorary Chairman of the Trump for President Campaign, Joseph A. Trillo announces “Exploring Rhode Island’s Future” on Tuesday, June 27 at six o’clock at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. Call 401.826.9100, extension 1 or email office0800@aol.com for a complimentary ticket to attend this important event.
 
“I am giving serious consideration to running for Governor of our fine state in 2018.”
 
“Partisan politics, campaigning and pandering on taxpayers’ time, while giving away our state’s dwindling resources to large, successful corporations is corporate welfare and not good government or sound management of taxpayer money. Leaving our neediest to suffer, and our small businesses to struggle is unacceptable.”
 
“Since proudly serving my constituents for 16 years at the State House as a vocal advocate for taxpayers, I am uniquely poised to work with the House of Representatives and Senate to deliver high quality services correctly and efficiently to the hard-working taxpayers of Rhode Island.”
 
“After so many years at the State House, I understand how to manage the reality of politics while serving the needs of all Rhode Islanders and small business owners. During my term as State Representative I gained an understanding of the complexities and capabilities of state government including its limitations.”
 
“Riding both sides of the fence for political gain is not what Rhode Island needs. I was the only Rhode Island elected official, including Republicans, to support Donald Trump in July of 2015, when he was one of sixteen Republican candidates for President of the United States.” Taxpayers deserve a governor who is willing to stand up for his beliefs and walk the talk.”
 
“Fiscal responsibility and sound judgment are sorely lacking in our state Executive Branch. I believe the people of Rhode Island want that changed and are tired of the status quo.”
 
“I can provide Rhode Islanders with straight talk and straightforward solutions to the many issues that have beleaguered our statewide community.”

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Keep Rhode Island Beautiful Announces 3-day Hike Through The  Entire State Of Rhode Island On The 78-mile North-South Trail

6/3/2017

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Hike Aims To Raise Awareness Of The Destructive Potential Of Proposed Power Plant Construction

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