One-third of the 15 new reps are part of a group that opposes House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. But Mattiello used an upbeat tone in welcoming the new class of lawmakers. He said they’ll form lasting friendships. And their bills will have a better chance of advancing if they’re persistent and collaborate with other lawmakers.
“Learn to work to work with your colleagues. Learn where they come from, their community needs, their community interests,” Mattiello told lawmakers. “And if you do that, at the end of the day, after all our discourse and discussion, I think the final product is usually pretty good.”
When these freshmen lawmakers take office in January, the Rhode Island House will be more divided than it has been since Mattiello became speaker in 2014. The Rhode Island Senate plans to hold a separate orientation for its new members in the coming weeks.
