State Referendum: Question 1: STATE CONSTITUTIONAL APPROVAL - Tiverton Casino

Approval of an act authorizing state-operated casino gaming at “Twin River-Tiverton” in the Town of Tiverton
 Section 22 of Article VI of the Constitution

Pro: Yes on the Tiverton Casino

Con: No Tiverton Casino!
         Save Tiverton
         No Casino RI
         R.I. Progressive Democrats


Pros and Cons for the Tiverton Casino - What Each Side Says
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
GoLocalProv News Team

Five Big Issues Being Debated About the Tiverton Casino
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
GoLocalProv Business Team

Rhody Votes '16: Tiverton Residents Consider Twin River Casino Proposal
By JOHN BENDER • NOV 2, 2016
Rhode Island Public Radio

EDITORIAL: Question #1, Expansion of Gambling is a Business Decision
Sunday, November 06, 2016
EDITORIAL GoLocalProv


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State Referendum: Question 2: AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE - Ethics Commission

Restoration of ethics commission jurisdiction over General Assembly members
 Section 8 of Article III and Section 5 of Article VI of the Constitution

Approval of Question 2 would restore ethics panel oversight of R.I. Assembly
By Alisha A. Pina
Journal State House Bureau
Posted Sep 25, 2016 at 11:41 PM 
Updated Sep 25, 2016 at 11:41 PM

Pro: Yes on 2 - Coalition for Ethics Reform

Con: ACLU of Rhode Island Position Paper on Question 2, the Ethics Commission Constitutional Amendment

From the Commissioner's Memo to Friends of Education 9/28/2016

RI-CAN issues annual report on R.I. education

For your information, RI-CAN has issued its annual report, The State of R.I. Public Education, which contains information on student demographics, the teaching corps, K-12 achievement, postsecondary education, finances, and other aspects of public education in Rhode Island.

Education Week Research Center issues report on teachers' perspectives

The Education Week Research Center has issued a report, Mindset in the Classroom: A National Study of K-12 Teachers. The report is based on a survey that was designed to examine teachers' perspectives, professional development and training, and classroom practices.

State Referendum: Question 6: GREEN ECONOMY BONDS – $35,000,000

For environmental and recreational purposes, to be allocated as follows:
 (a) Historic State Park Development Program $4,000,000
 (b) State Land Acquisition Program $4,000,000
 (c) State Bikeway Development Program $10,000,000
 (d) Brownfield Remediation and Economic Development $5,000,000
 (e) Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program $3,000,000
 (f) Local Recreation Development Matching Grant Program $5,000,000
 (g) Local Land Acquisition Matching Grant Program $4,000,000

For information in support of The Green Economy Bond:
http://www.yeson6ri.com/

Green space could sprout in R.I. cities
Green Economy Bond would clean up brownfields, create bike paths, parks  
  By Alex Kuffner Journal Staff Writer

Information against: RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity

WPRI: Here are the lowest-scoring bridges in the state

By Tim White
Published: September 22, 2016, 9:55 pm  |  Updated: September 23, 2016, 4:59 pm

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — There are 18 bridges across Rhode Island that have a lower “sufficiency rating” than the Huntington Avenue Viaduct Bridge, which state officials have declared needs urgent and immediate repairs, a Target 12 review of state transportation data found...

Target 12 requested the sufficiency rating of all bridges statewide and found there were 19 spans – including the Huntington – that scored a 19 or below...

Full Story

Watch the Providence City Council

All meetings of the Providence City Council are live streamed
http://www.providenceri.com/city-clerk/live-council-meetings

All meetings of the Providence City Council are also taped and later shown on PEG Access Channels 17 on Cox and 39 on Verizon Thursday from 7-9pm and Sunday from 5-7pm.

Or viewed on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/openprovidence

For meeting dates and agendas
http://www.providenceri.com/city-clerk/council-meetings

New Voting Machines!

Voting equipment is Democracy’s infrastructure and tomorrow you will see new voting machines at your polling location. As seen in this video, the process of voting will be the same. You will still cast your vote using a paper ballot. The only difference is that instead of connecting an arrow, you will fill in an oval.

When you are finished filling out your ballot, you will insert it into the new ballot tabulator and be notified instantly that your vote was counted

Video

September 13, 2016 is primary day in Rhode Island!

Rhode Island Voter Information Center

Register to vote, check your voter registration information, contact your local board of canvassers, view sample ballots for upcoming elections, find out where your polling place is located and find out who your elected officials are.

https://vote.sos.ri.gov/

GoLocalProvidence: Providence Schools’ Million Dollar Bus Battle

Monday, September 12, 2016
Kate Nagle, GoLocal News Editor

Providence schools currently spend over $1.5 million annually on RIPTA bus passes for students - now parents and officials are questioning recent route changes. 

The Providence Public School District (PPSD) pays more than $1.5 million a year for RIPTA passes for high school students living more than two miles from their school  -- and parents and officials are calling out RIPTA for cutting bus routes in the new school year with earlier start times.

Currently, PPSD has a memorandum-of-understanding (MOU) with RIPTA in which it purchases 2,500 monthly passes for students for a non-discounted rate of $70 a month. Now, following route reductions to Classical High School, Providence City Councilman Sam Zurier is submitting a resolution which alleges that RIPTA is in violation of its agreement with PPSD.
Full Story

Reminder:Council seeks public comment on proposed regulations on educator certification; hearing scheduled for September 22

The Council on Elementary and Secondary Education is seeking public comment on amended regulations intended to provide more flexibility to school districts as well as to eliminate barriers when school districts are seeking qualified teachers for school-district positions. On June 28, the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education approved for public comment for the proposed draft revisions to the Board of Education Regulations governing the certification for educators in Rhode Island.   

The proposed changes would:

• eliminate the Substitute Permit and the accompanying yearly fee, which would make the process more feasible for those interested in working in districts as substitute teachers. The revenue lost would be at the expense of the General Fund, not RIDE;
• eliminate the Athletic Coach Permit, which would not lower the standards for coaches being hired by school districts. The Interscholastic League requires that coaches hold valid CPR and First Aid certification and that they complete the Foundations of Coaching and concussion courses. RIDE would require the same process for Athletic Coach Permit eligibility. This change would move the responsibility to the district, ensuring that Athletic Coaches meet the eligibility requirements set by the Interscholastic League, and this change would remove the redundancy of coaches' having to repeat these assurances to RIDE, the Interscholastic League, and the school district; and
• change the Career and Technical Certification, which would move the current one-year preliminary certificate to a six-year preliminary certificate. This change would allow the Career-Technical Education (CTE) experts and CTE professionals to transition into the field of teaching and work toward full certification over a six-year period of time, without coming to RIDE on a yearly basis. This requirement has been a barrier for many who are moving from their technical fields in to the field of education.

The proposed draft regulations are available for public inspection in person at the RIDE, 255 Westminster Street, Providence, you can request a copy by contacting at Angela.Teixeira@ride.ri.gov or 222-8435.

A public hearing on the proposed draft regulations will take place on Thursday, September 22,at 5:30 p.m., at the Shepard Building (Room 501), 80 Washington St./255 Westminster St., Providence.

Reminder: RIDE accepting comment through September 15 on Secondary School Regulations; 1 more hearing on calendar

The current draft of Secondary School Regulations, which the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education gave preliminary approval to on May 17, are now undergoing the formal process for recording public comment. Public comment will be open through September 15. All interested parties are invited to participate in the public hearings and submit written comments concerning the proposed regulations from through September 15.

You can find draft Secondary School Regulations and other supporting documents can be found at:

http://sos.ri.gov/documents/archives/regdocs/holding/DESE/Board%20of%20Education%20Secondary%20Regulations%20-%20Public%20Notice.pdf

We have scheduled the final public hearing on the proposed regulations:
•Monday (September 12), at 5:30 p.m., at the University of Rhode Island, Providence Campus, Room 501;, 80 Washington Street/255 Westminster Street
The hearing location is accessible to those with disabilities, and interpreter services for those with hearing impairment will be provided if requested 48 hours before the hearing. Requests for this service can be made in writing or by calling Sonya Barbosa, at 222- 8463 or RI Relay (800) 745-5555.

Written comments may be submitted to Sonya Barbosa, at the R.I. Department of Education, 255 Westminster Street, Providence, R.I. 02903 or at Secondary@ride.ri.gov or by fax, to 222-6178.

Summit Neighborhood Association - September 21

Please join the Summit Neighborhood Association Wednesday, September 21st from 6:30-8:00 at Summit Commons.
 
Guest speakers:
      Diana Burdett, Executive Director of PICA, a private charitable nonprofit which runs the     largest food pantry in RI, provides intensive case management for the homeless. Diana is also part of the Downtown Improvement District
      Linda Katz, co-founder and Policy Director, Economic Progress Institute
      Rabbi Alan Flam, Executive Director Helen Hudson Foundation for Homeless America
      Jeffrey Dana, City Solicitor (City of Providence) (or another representative from the city).
 
 The event is hosted by Summit Neighborhood Association.
 Neighbor Gayle Gifford will moderate, with assistance from Rep. Aaron Regunberg.