Issues to watch at end of General Assembly session
By The Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) _ The Rhode Island House has unanimously approved a budget and the Senate is expected to pass it, but there’s still a lot of work to be done before the final gavel next week.
The governor’s proposal for a new toll on large commercial trucks to fund bridge repairs has been one of the session’s most hotly-contested issues.
A bill to allow for more limited truck tolling has been introduced in both chambers.
The legislature may also decide whether to restrict charter schools, and whether to legalize hemp cultivation.
Both chambers have approved phasing out cesspools. And, the American burying beetle still has a chance to become the official state insect.
Neither chamber plans to consider public funding for a proposed new stadium for the Pawtucket Red Sox before the session ends.
© The Associated Press / WLNE-TV 2015
