Rhode Island General Assembly
| Rhode Island General Assembly | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| Session start: | January 7, 2025 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Valarie Lawson (D) |
| House Speaker: | K. Joseph Shekarchi (D) |
| Majority Leader: | Senate: Frank Ciccone (D) House: Christopher Blazejewski (D) |
| Minority Leader: | Senate: Jessica de la Cruz (R) House: Michael Chippendale (R) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 38 (Senate), 75 (House) |
| Length of term: | 2 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Art VI, Section 2, Rhode Island Constitution |
| Salary: | $19,037/year |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Redistricting: | Legislature-dominant |
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 Representatives and the Rhode Island State Senate with 38 Senators.
The General Assembly meets at the Rhode Island State House in Providence.
Rhode Island has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Senate
The Rhode Island State Senate is composed of 38 Senators, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve.
As of the 2020 Census, Rhode Island state senators represented an average of 28,899 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 27,770 residents.
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 33 | |
| Republican Party | 4 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 38 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
Democrats won control of the Rhode Island State Senate in 1958. In 2024, they won a 34-4 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Rhode Island Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Rhode Island State Senate election results: 1992-2024
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 | '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 44 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 |
| Republicans | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
House of Representatives
The Rhode Island House of Representatives is composed of 75 Representatives, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Rhode Island General Assembly does not have term limits.
As of the 2020 Census, Rhode Island state representatives represented an average of 14,642 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 14,070 residents.
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 64 | |
| Republican Party | 10 | |
| Other | 1 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 75 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
Democrats won control of the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1940. In 2024, they won a 64-10-1 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Rhode Island House following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Rhode Island House of Representatives election results: 1992-2024
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 | '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 85 | 84 | 84 | 86 | 85 | 63 | 59 | 60 | 69 | 65 | 69 | 63 | 64 | 66 | 65 | 65 | 64 |
| Republicans | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Elections
2026
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.
Elections for the Rhode Island House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.
2024
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was September 10, 2024. The filing deadline was June 26, 2024.
Elections for the Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was September 10, 2024. The filing deadline was June 26, 2024.
2022
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for September 13, 2022. The filing deadline was July 15, 2022.
Elections for the Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for September 13, 2022. The filing deadline was July 15, 2022.
2020
Elections for the office of Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for September 8, 2020. The filing deadline was June 24, 2020.
Elections for the office of Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for September 8, 2020. The filing deadline was June 24, 2020.
2018
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2018. A hybrid primary election took place on September 12, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018.[1] The candidate filing deadline was June 27, 2018.[2]
Elections for the Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2018. A hybrid primary election took place on September 12, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018.[3] The candidate filing deadline was June 27, 2018.[4]
2016
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on September 13, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 29, 2016.
Elections for the Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on September 13, 2016, and a general election would have taken place on November 8, 2016, if no candidate had won a majority of votes in the primary. The candidate filing deadline was June 29, 2016.
2014
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on September 9, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 25, 2014.
Elections for the Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on September 9, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 25, 2014.
2012
Elections for the office of Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on September 11, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was June 27, 2012.
Elections for the office of Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on September 11, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was June 27, 2012.
2010
Elections for the office of Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on September 14, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was May 28, 2010.
Elections for the office of Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on September 14, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was May 28, 2010.
Sessions
Article VI of the Rhode Island Constitution establishes when the General Assembly is to be in session. Section 3 of Article states that the General Assembly is to convene its regular session on the first Tuesday of January in each year.
2025
In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 7, 2025, and adjourn on June 30, 2025.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 2, 2024, and adjourn on June 14, 2024. 2023In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 3, 2023, and adjourn on June 16, 2023. 2022In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2022, and adjourn on June 23, 2022. 2021In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 5, 2021, and adjourn on July 1, 2021. 2020In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 7, 2020, and adjourn on August 30, 2020.
Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. 2019In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2019. 2018In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 2, 2018, through June 25, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017
In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 3, 2017, through June 30, 2017. Session reconvened September 19, 2017, over the budget and vetoes.
2016
In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 5 through June 18. Major issues in 2016Major issues during the 2016 legislative session included truck tolls to fix the state's bridges, drivers' licenses for undocumented immigrants, gun control, and gambling.[15][16] 2015
In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 6 through June 25. Major issues in 2015Major issues during the 2015 legislative session included a budget deficit estimated at $200 million, social security tax reform, a structural deficit expected to reach $400 million by 2019, education funding, and ending homelessness among the state's veterans.[17] 2014
In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 7 through June 23. Major issues in 2014Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included a budget deficit estimated at $100 million, pension reform, raising the minimum wage, reducing corporate income taxes, and raising bridge tolls.[18][19] 2013
In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 1 to July 5. Major issues in 2013Major issues in the 2013 legislative session included a budget deficit estimated at $69 million, legalization of same-sex marriage, gun control, and economic development.[20] 2012
In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 3 through June 13. Major issues in 2012The legislature had to address a $120 million budget deficit. Legislators wanted to cut spending to close the gap while Governor Lincoln Chafee (I) pushed for a tax raise. Major issues also included reducing municipal pension costs and reducing regulations to spur economic growth.[21] 2011
In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 4 to July 1. The legislature held a special session in October 2011 over the pension crisis. 2010
In 2010, the legislature was in session from January 5 to June 11.[22] |
Role in state budget
- See also: Rhode Island state budget and finances
Rhode Island on 
|
The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[23]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in July of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year.
- Agencies submit their budget requests to the governor by October 1.
- Agency hearings are held in November and December.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in January. A newly elected governor has until the first Thursday in February.
- The legislature typically adopts a budget in June. The fiscal year begins July 1.
In Rhode Island, the governor has no veto authority over the budget.[23]
The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.[23]
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the Rhode Island General Assembly. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[24]
An 18-member advisory commission established in 2011 can recommend congressional and state legislative redistricting plans to the state legislature. The legislature may "adopt, modify, or ignore the commission's proposals." The composition of the commission is as follows:[24]
- The majority leader of the Rhode Island State Senate chooses four commissioners who are state legislators and three who are not, for a total of seven commissioners.
- The majority leader of the Rhode Island House of Representatives chooses four commissioners who are state legislators and three who are not, for a total of seven commissioners.
- The minority leader of the Rhode Island State Senate chooses two commissioners who are state legislators.
- The minority leader of the Rhode Island House of Representatives chooses two commissioners who are state legislators.
The Rhode Island Constitution requires that state legislative districts be compact.[24]
State statutes require that congressional and state legislative districts meet the following criteria:[24]
- Districts should be contiguous.
- Districts should "reflect natural, historical, geographical, and municipal and other political lines, 'as well as the right of all Rhode Islanders to fair representation and equal access to the political process.'"
- "The lines of state House, state Senate and congressional districts [should] coincide–or at least, if they do not overlap completely, they should avoid creating voting precincts with distinct ballot options where the precinct has fewer than 100 people."
2020
Rhode Island enacted new legislative district boundaries on February 16, 2022, when Gov. Dan McKee (D) signed redistricting legislation approved by the General Assembly. The State House of Representatives passed the new maps by a vote of 57-6 and the State Senate approved them, 29-9, on February 15, 2022. In a press release issued after Gov. McKee signed the legislation, State Representative Robert Phillips (D), co-chair of the state's legislative Reapportionment Commission, said, "It was an honor and pleasure to work with such a dedicated group of individuals on this commission. I’m particularly proud of the fact that we obtained so much input from citizens around the state, holding our meetings in several cities and towns to make it more accessible to everyone. Reapportionment can be daunting and complex, but I’m glad we took everyone’s concerns into account and came up with a fair and equitable system of reapportionment.”[25][26][27][28]
The Providence Journal's Patrick Anderson and Katherine Gregg wrote "Although some district boundaries changed a lot, the new maps did not put any incumbent General Assembly members in the same district, forcing them to run against each other. But the maps did draw some would-be challengers out of their current districts, potentially protecting incumbents from a tough reelection battle.[29] Edward Fitzpatrick of the Boston Globe wrote that "critics have said both Democratic and Republican incumbents were allowed to shape their districts during private meetings with the state’s long-time redistricting consultant."[30]
2010
Rhode Island received its census data on March 23, 2011. The state had a growth rate of 0.4 percent, which was below the national average of 9.7 percent. The five counties ranged from -3.0 to 2.8 percent growth. The population change rate of its five most populous cities were as follows: Providence grew by 2.5 percent, Warwick decreased by 3.7 percent, Cranston grew by 1.4 percent, Pawtucket decreased by 2.5 percent, and East Providence decreased by 3.4 percent.[31]
On February 1, 2012, the Senate and House passed a proposal that the commission had released and approved in December 2011. Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I) signed the maps into law on February 8, 2012.
Legislators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[32] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $19,037/year | No per diem is paid. |
When sworn in
Rhode Island legislators assume office the first Tuesday in January.[33]
District maps
State Senate
State House
Veto overrides
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Rhode Island are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Three-fifths of members in both chambers.
| Three-fifths of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 45 of the 75 members in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and 23 of the 38 members in the Rhode Island State Senate. Rhode Island is one of seven states that requires a three-fifths vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
Authority: Article IX, Section 14 of the Rhode Island Constitution.
| "Every bill, resolution, or vote (except such as relate to adjournment, the organization or conduct of either or both houses of the general assembly, and resolutions proposing amendment to the Constitution) which shall have passed both houses of the general assembly shall be presented to the governor. If the governor approve it the governor shall sign it, and thereupon it shall become operative, but if the governor does not approve it the governor shall return it, accompanied by the governor's objections in writing to the house in which it originated, which shall enter the governor's objections in full upon its journal and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, three-fifths of the members present and voting in that house shall vote to pass the measure, it shall be sent with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall likewise by reconsidered, and if approved by three-fifths of the members present and voting in that house, it shall become operative in the same manner as if the governor had approved it, but in such cases the votes of both houses shall be determined by ayes and nays and the names of the members voting for and against the measure shall be entered upon the journal of each house, respectively." |
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
Rhode Island State Senate: During every year from 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Rhode Island State Senate. The Rhode Island State Senate is 1 of 16 state senates that was Democratic for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013.
Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.
Rhode Island State House of Representatives: During every year from 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Rhode Island State House of Representatives. The Rhode Island House of Representatives is one of 18 state Houses that was Democratic for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013.
Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island State Senate and the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
.PNG)
SQLI and partisanship
- To read the full report on the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI) in PDF form, click here.
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Rhode Island state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Rhode Island had a Democratic trifecta in the early years of the study, from 1992-1994, but after that maintained a divided government. The state's best SQLI ranking, finishing 26th, occurred in 2002. In more recent years of the study, Rhode Island's ranking fell, finishing in the bottom-10 at 41st in both 2009 and 2011.
Joint legislative committees
Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.
- Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
- Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
- Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.
Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Rhode Island General Assembly has three permanent joint committees:
Constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods in which the Rhode Island Constitution can be amended:
There are two paths by which the Rhode Island Constitution can be changed: the legislatively referred constitutional amendment and the constitutional convention. Rhode Island residents do not have the power of initiated constitutional amendments.
Legislature
A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Rhode Island State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 20 votes in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and 38 votes in the Rhode Island State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to section 2 of Article XIV of the Rhode Island Constitution, a simple majority vote in one legislative session is required for the state legislature to place a constitutional convention question on the ballot. A simple majority vote of the electorate is required to call the convention. The state constitution also requires that a state constitutional convention question is provided to voters at least 10 years after the prior question. Rhode Island is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.
The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:
| State | Interval | Last question on the ballot | Next question on the ballot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 10 years | 2014 | 2024 |
See also
| Elections | Rhode Island State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Rhode Island Board of Elections, "Upcoming elections," accessed September 1, 2017
- ↑ Rhode Island Department of State, "Candidates," accessed September 1, 2017
- ↑ Rhode Island Board of Elections, "Upcoming elections," accessed September 1, 2017
- ↑ Rhode Island Department of State, "Candidates," accessed September 1, 2017
- ↑ The Westerly Sun, "Guest commentary: Senate budget will protect Rhode Island taxpayers," July 6, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Providence Journal, "My Turn: Nicholas A. Mattiello: Senate’s last-minute shenanigans hurt R.I.," July 8, 2017
- ↑ Rhode Island Public Radio, "RI Budget Impasse Could End With Senate Vote As Soon As Next Week," July 19, 2017
- ↑ WPRI, "Governor signs RI budget after month-long standoff," August 3, 2017
- ↑ Rhode Island Public Radio, "Analysis: Statehouse Frittata Leaves RI State Budget In Limbo," July 5, 2017
- ↑ WPRI, "RI House approves $9.2B new state budget," June 22, 2017
- ↑ U.S. News, "RI Governor to Lawmakers: 'Do Your Job' and Pass Budget," July 5, 2017
- ↑ U.S. News, "Rhode Island Struggles to Eliminate Hated Car Tax," April 2, 2017
- ↑ Providence Journal, "GOP, NRA gain unexpected ground when R.I. lawmakers end session in standoff," July 1, 2017
- ↑ Providence Journal, "Tolls, drivers' licenses among issues greeting R.I. lawmakers as they reconvene," accessed January 7, 2016
- ↑ Providence Journal, "On tap for R.I.'s General Assembly in 2016: Tolls, gambling, gun control," accessed January 7, 2016
- ↑ Providence Journal, "Top R.I. lawmakers Mattiello, Paiva Weed pledge cooperation with new governor," accessed January 22, 2015
- ↑ www.providencejournal.com/, "R.I. General Assembly fields more than 30 pieces of legislation, touching on minimum wage, corporate tax," accessed January 10, 2014
- ↑ boston.com, "Pensions, budget, tolls on 2014 legislative agenda," accessed January 10, 2014(Archived)
- ↑ Coventry Patch, "This week at the General assembly," January 6, 2013
- ↑ Boston.com, "Issues to watch in 2012 RI session," January 2, 2012
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 19, 2014(Archived)
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 All About Redistricting, "Rhode Island," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ State of Rhode Island General Assembly, "Bill to reapportion House, Senate, congressional districts signed into law," accessed February 18, 2022
- ↑ State of Rhode Island General Assembly, "2022 House Journals - February 15th," accessed February 18, 2022
- ↑ State of Rhode Island General Assembly, "House Floor Votes for 2/15/2022," accessed February 18, 2022
- ↑ State of Rhode Island General Assembly, "Legislative Status Report - Senate Bill No. 2162 SUB A as amended," accessed February 18, 2022
- ↑ The Providence Journal, "Redistricting maps: General Assembly approves new Rhode Island political boundaries," February 15, 2022
- ↑ Boston Globe, "Assembly votes for final House, Senate, congressional maps," February 15, 2022
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Rhode Island's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," March 23, 2011
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Rhode Island Constitution, "Article VI, Section 3," accessed February 3, 2023
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