Legislative Updates

Legislative Updates 3.9.26 Advocacy in Action Advocacy in Action March 9, 2026     This Week at the State House   Tuesday, March 10th     New Employer Tax Proposal   The companion bill to last week’s H.7965 is scheduled for hearing in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee at the Rise (approximately 4:30…

Legislative Updates 3.2.26 Advocacy in Action Advocacy in Action March 2, 2026     This Week at the State House   Tuesday, March 3rd   Tax Amnesty; Tax Rates   The House Finance Committee will convene at the Rise (approximately 4:30 p.m.) in Room 35.  The agenda includes the Governor’s tax amnesty program as well…

Legislative Updates 2.16.26 Advocacy in Action Advocacy in Action February 16, 2026     What is in the Governor’s Budget? In the coming editions of Advocacy in Action, we will highlight and summarize key articles of interest to the business community.     Article 8 – Relating to Medical Assistance https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/Article-008.pdf   Article 8 provides…

Legislative Updates 2.10.26 Advocacy in Action Last Week at the State House   The Chamber provided testimony on four bills last week.   Prohibiting Credit Card Surcharges – Opposed Passage H 7409 would make it a deceptive trade practice for any retail establishment to impose a surcharge fee on a customer for the use of…

Legislative Updates 2.2.26 Advocacy in Action Advocacy in Action February 2, 2026 What is in the Governor’s Budget? In the coming editions of Advocacy in Action, we will highlight and summarize key articles of interest to the business community. Article 2 – Relating to State Funds https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/H7127.pdf Article 2 provides for changes to certain state…

Legislative Updates 1.27.26 Advocacy in Action This Week at the State House   Tuesday, January 27th   Credit Card Fee Notification   The House Corporations Committee has on its agenda for Tuesday at the Rise (approximately 4:30pm) in the Room 101, two bills of interest.  H.7022 http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7022.pdf  requires any business that charges a fee to…

Legislative Updates 1.20.26 Advocacy in Action Governor McKee’s “Affordability for All” Agenda   In his 2026 State of the State Address last Tuesday, Governor Dan McKee laid out his vision for the year ahead, which was followed on Thursday by his Fiscal Year 2027 budget Proposal, comprised of H 7126 (FY26 Revisions), H 7127 (FY27…

Legislative Updates 1.12.26 Advocacy in Action 2026 Legislative Session Begins   The 2026 legislative session kicked off January 6th, with the House Speaker and Senate President addressing their respective members.  On the House side, the Speaker stated, “Let’s buckle up and buckle down. It’s going to be a very challenging year.” He referenced the significant…

Legislative Updates 2026 Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce Policy Platform 2026 Policy Platform Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce Introduction The Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce represents businesses across Newport County and works to strengthen our regional economy by advocating for pro-business policies, offering direct technical support to entrepreneurs, and providing critical data and insights on…

Legislative Updates Legislative Session Recap The General Assembly session recessed in the early morning hours of June 21. Over the last couple weeks of the session, legislators passed bills increasing the minimum wage, banning the sale of assault weapons, increasing funding for primary care, hospitals and nursing homes, measures to address housing development and affordability…