Today, Majority Leader @repkazarian, Rep. Jenni Furtado, and @RepMSDawson joined colleagues from the @RISenate and others for a tour of the “Tiny Townies” pre-K hub currently under construction at the new Martin Middle School in East Providence.

House Majority Leader @repkazarian and @OBrien2024forRI participated in a State House event with @DecodDyslexiaRI to celebrate #DyslexiaAwarenessMonth. In recognition of this event, the State House was lit up in red.

Earlier today, Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Sam Azzinaro hosted the families of the Rhode Island IX at a memorial service at the Rhode Island IX memorial. The Rhode Island IX are the nine Rhode Island Marines who were killed in the Beirut bombing attack on October 23, 1983: Sgt. Timothy Giblin of North Providence; Lance Cpl. Thomas Julian of Portsmouth; Cpl. James Silvia of Middletown; Cpl. Stephen Spencer of Portsmouth; Cpl. David Massa of Warren; Cpl. Edward Soares, Jr. of Tiverton; Cpl. Rick Crudale of West Warwick; Cpl. Edward Iacovino, Jr. of Warwick; and Cpl. Thomas Shipp of Woonsocket.

From @projo: I know nothing about politics. So something that was very intimidating, I had to conquer. With the right guidance and the right steps, we got it passed in seven months, and it got signed by the governor on June 13, 2025. @SenatorCiccone and @MASSforRep were my two biggest supporters, and I owe everything to them. I just think it was something that was overlooked. People need to take in consideration that what's easy for them may not be so easy for somebody else. A basic haircut for a regular senator is just literally hopping in the car, going in the barber chair of the same guy for 40 years. But imagine, like, 15 years down the road and he's in a wheelchair, how easy would that be for him? Full story: providencejournal.com/story/…

The @ncscouts are hosting the largest food drive for the @RIFoodBank! On October 31, Scouts will be handing out door hangers in every community in Rhode Island asking for non-perishable food items. Place those items out by 9 am on Saturday, November 7 – a Scout will come by and pick them up. You can also donate to the Food Bank directly by going to scoutingforfood.org

The Special Legislative Commission to Study and Provide Recommendations on the Water Supply Planning for New Housing Developments in Rural Communities meets Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 3 p.m for presentations by experts from the @universityofri as well as representatives of the state Water Resources Board and the Charlestown Climate Resiliency Commission. The commission is led by @CotterforRI, who sponsored the legislation establishing it to ensure groundwater capacity is considered as part of the planning process as Rhode Island works to address its housing crisis. The meeting will be televised by @RICapitolTV and livestreamed at rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Page…, where a recording will be available to view on demand. More details: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

From @natlawreview: The State of Rhode Island – the smallest state in the nation – is not often thought of as a trendsetter for legal issues. But in July 2025, the Ocean State set off the latest trend in employment protections by becoming the first state to enact employment-related legislation meant to support women who experience menopause. (The legislation was sponsored in the House by Rep. Karen Alzate.) Since then, a number of jurisdictions have considered adopting laws that address menopause, perimenopause, and/or women’s health issues more generally. Full story: natlawreview.com/article/men…

Earlier today, Speaker @CBlazejewski hosted a special group of students for a State House visit: his son Liam's fourth-grade class from Vartan Gregorian Elementary School. The students met with Speaker Blazejewski in his office, then participated in a mock legislative session presided over by the Speaker and Liam. They debated several pieces of legislation, including whether all elementary schools should have a half-hour recess period and whether school uniforms should be mandatory.

Yesterday, Speaker @CBlazejewski spoke at the @RIPEC_'s 50th annual meeting, offering his thoughts on pressing issues for the upcoming legislative session, which opens in January.

Happy birthday to House Minority Whip @DavidPlace01!

Commentary in @projo by @CotterforRI: There is no question that developing more homes is imperative to address Rhode Island’s housing crisis. There is also no understating the importance of ensuring that every home, new or existing, has access to a consistent supply of the clean, healthy water its inhabitants need. Water capacity is readily available for areas served by public water systems. But in rural communities that rely on private wells, like those in my district, how do we know the impact new development will have on groundwater? And how do we plan and manage this critical resource as we develop the housing we desperately need? These are the questions I seek to answer with the new study commission I am chairing in the House. I sponsored the legislation to create the water supply planning commission because water capacity must be part of any serious conversation about housing growth. Full commentary: providencejournal.com/story/…

Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Sam Azzinaro (D-Dist. 37, Westerly) will be hosting the families of the Rhode Island IX at a memorial service on Friday, Oct. 23, at 11 a.m. at the Rhode Island IX memorial, located at Remembrance Park along the Providence River. The Rhode Island IX are the nine Rhode Island Marines who were killed in the Beirut bombing attack on October 23, 1983. Speakers at the event will include Chairman Azzinaro, Governor Daniel McKee, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressmen Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner, United States Marine Corps Colonel Timothy Scott and Michael Harris, a survivor of the attack in Beirut. The names of the fallen Rhode Island Marines are Sgt. Timothy Giblin of North Providence; Lance Cpl. Thomas Julian of Portsmouth; Cpl. James Silvia of Middletown; Cpl. Stephen Spencer of Portsmouth; Cpl. David Massa of Warren; Cpl. Edward Soares, Jr. of Tiverton; Cpl. Rick Crudale of West Warwick; Cpl. Edward Iacovino, Jr. of Warwick; and Cpl. Thomas Shipp of Woonsocket.

Rep. Sam Azzinaro participated in a dedication ceremony today at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter to honor Rhode Islanders who served during the Revolutionary War. As part of Rhode Island’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, the RI250 Commission planted a Liberty Tree at the cemetery, as it has in each Rhode Island municipality. The Liberty Tree in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery was planted alongside special interpretive signage recognizing Rhode Island’s Revolutionary War heritage, including the state’s role in advancing American independence through the Act of Renunciation and the Bill of Rights. The Liberty Tree is a lasting tribute connecting the service of Revolutionary War veterans with generations of Rhode Islanders who have served our state and nation. The event was organized by @RISecState, chair of the Rhode Island Semiquincentennial (RI250) Commission. Joining House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Azzinaro were Brigadier General Kenneth Wisniewski, Rhode Island National Guard; @RIVetsDirector; Keith Stokes, Rhode Island Historian Laureate, and the Pawtuxet Rangers and Varnum’s Regiment.

A new House study commission began meeting today to explore the potential sharing of services between school districts to address funding and operational challenges. The legislation (2026-H 8430Aaa) creating the commission was sponsored by @TerriCortvriend. “When our school districts are trying to stretch every dollar to be able to provide for our students, sharing the costs and benefits of certain services could really help,” said Representative Cortvriend. “There could be services like curriculum directors, financial services or staff development that could be shared by two or more districts to serve both at a lower cost to each. I’d like this commission to see how this sort of relationship can be established and maintained, and to explore ways to encourage districts to use it to their benefit.” Press release: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

A new House commission begins meeting this week to study the use and impacts of digital technology on children, public education and mental health. The Special Legislative Commission to Study the Use and Impact of Digital and Electronic Technology in Public Education and on Mental Health will hold an organizational meeting Thursday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m. in Room 101 on the first floor of the State House. No public testimony will be taken at this meeting. The legislation creating the commission (2026-H 8345A) combined concepts from several bills included in a package of legislation put forward by @Justine4RI, @CotterforRI and @TinaSpearsRI. The commission will address growing concerns around social media use and digital technology use by establishing new safeguards designed to reduce risks such as exposure to harmful content, exploitation and adverse mental health impacts among users, particularly children. Press release: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…