| 1/1/2013 |
M. Teresa Paiva Weed reelected President of the Senate
William A. Walaska elected President Pro Tempore
STATE HOUSE, Providence – In their first order of business today, the newly inaugurated 2013-2014 Rhode Island Senate elected M. Teresa Paiva Weed to a third term as President of the Senate.
Rhode Island District Court Associate Judge Colleen M. Hastings administered the oath of office to President Paiva Weed, who then addressed the Chamber.
Speaking to her colleagues, she said, “I am deeply humbled by the honor you have bestowed upon me, and I will continue to do all I can to live up to the trust you have placed in me.”
Senator Paiva Weed (D – Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown) served as Senate Majority Leader from 2004 through 2008. First elected in 1992, she previously served as Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (1996-2000), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Finance Committee (2002-2004), and Chairwoman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Pubic Safety and the Environment (2000-2002).
Senator Paiva Weed is the first woman to serve as presiding officer in either chamber in Rhode Island history. She is also the first woman to serve as Majority Leader in either chamber, and the first woman to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee.
During her tenure as President of the Senate, which began during the most severe economic recession in the nation since the Great Depression, President Paiva Weed has presided over many historic reforms, including: enactment of the education funding formula; a restructure of the income tax to bring the top marginal rate from 9.9 percent to 5.99 percent, resulting in a tax cut for the vast majority of Rhode Islanders; passage of the Rhode Island Retirement Security Act; as well as numerous regulatory reforms and workforce development initiatives.
In 2013, President Paiva Weed noted, the Senate will address the factors that cause Rhode Island to rank poorly in national business-friendliness rankings.
“Working together, with our partners in the public and private sectors, we will focus on economic development with a renewed sense of urgency to ensure families financial security and prosperity. We will take steps this session to develop a long-term vision for economic success,” she said.
President Paiva Weed noted that the Senate will focus on initiatives to:
Better equip the workforce with the skills they need to success in today’s knowledge economy;
Reverse Rhode island’s reputation as an over-regulated state;
Improve education at all levels, from pre-kindergarten through higher education;
Encourage urban revitalization and bolster the construction industry through a targeted historic tax credit;
Further economic development through the arts;
Address budgetary challenges in a manner which preserves essential services while improving Rhode Island’s competitiveness; and
Improve the affordability, quality and transparency of Rhode Island’s health care system.
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Senator William A. Walaska was elected President Pro Tempore of the Senate today.
First elected in 1994, Senator Walaska is a small businessman who has focused much of his service on economic development issues. A member of the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1964-68, he graduated from the School of Commercial Banking and earned a B.A. in Economics from Providence College.
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Senator Walaska served as Deputy Majority Leader, Vice Chairman of the Environment & Agriculture Committee, and a member of the Judiciary Committee. He co-chaired the Joint Legislative Commission on Ports, which issued its final report and recommendations last year.
Senator Walaska (D – Dist. 30, Warwick) resides in Warwick with his wife, Marsha. They are the parents of Leslie, Ann Marie and William, Jr.
The President Pro Tempore presides over the Chamber in the absence of the President of the Senate.
Senator Dominick J. Ruggerio was unanimously reelected Majority Leader at a Democratic Caucus held on November 8. A father of two children, Charles and Amanda, Senate Majority Leader Ruggerio resides in North Providence and represents District 4, which includes portions of North Providence and Providence.
Majority Leader Ruggerio is the “Dean,” or most senior member, of the Senate. This is his second term as Senate Majority Leader.
Senator Dennis L. Algiere was reelected Minority Leader at a Republican Caucus, also held on November 8. He represents Senate District 38, which includes Westerly and portions of Charlestown and South Kingstown. Minority Leader Algiere resides in Westerly with his wife, Leigh.
Senator Algiere has served in the Senate since 1993, and as Minority Leader since 1997.
For more information, contact:
Greg Pare, Press Secretary for the Senate
State House Room 314
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 276-5558 |
LEGISLATIVE INFO
