More than 20 Democratic state lawmakers expressed support Thursday for a four-part plan — dubbed the “Fair Shot Agenda” — that they say will expand economic opportunities for middle-class Rhode Islanders.
State Rep. Gregg Amore (D-East Providence) introduced the proposal as a response to President-elect Donald Trump’s win in November and “decades of economic policy that has continually tilted the scales toward the wealthy and large corporations.”
“The stark reality,” Amore continued during an afternoon news conference in the House Lounge, “is that many Rhode Islanders who work hard, play by the rules, seem to be running in place, or even worse, losing ground.”
The four planks of the “Fair Shot Agenda” are: requiring workers to receive seven paid sick days a year; raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years; modernizing outdated school buildings; and giving middle class taxpayers a break on the car tax, at the expense of more affluent taxpayers. Some details have not yet been spelled out, including the extent of envisioned school construction and the income categories that would be used for the proposed car tax cut.
Nonetheless, supporters anticipated likely opposition from business groups by touting elements of their proposal as good for all Rhode Islanders.
Speaking on the gradual hike in the minimum wage to $15, Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell (D-Providence) said, “It’s a win-win for the local economy. It helps family by increasing the quality of their lives. It also helps small businesses. The more money that families earn and have to spend, the more money that they spend in their local neighborhood.”
Rep. Aaron Regunberg (D-Providence) said that while many workers take paid sick days for granted, other workers do not receive the benefit. “When folks have a little more money in their pocket, they can put it into the local economy,” he said. “When people are able to take a day off when they’re sick, they’re happier in their jobs, they’re more productive, it helps with turnover, which is a big issue with business.”
While progressives and other lawmakers turned out to support the agenda, the prospects for the proposal to pass the General Assembly remain uncertain.
Amore said House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, who did not attend the news conference, “is open to this agenda. He wants to learn more. He wants to see the specific bills.”
