Providence Journal / Phil Marcelo
Re-elected Speaker of the R.I. House Gordon D. Fox, right, is joined on the rostrum by his longtime partner, Marcus lafond.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - House Speaker Gordon D. Fox was re-elected to the top leadership post in the Rhode Island House of Representatives during the New Year's Day session of the 2013-14 General Assembly. The vote was 66 for Fox and 6 for House Minority Leader Brian Newberry, with three abstentions.
His nomination by Rep. Joy Hearn, D-Barrington, was seconded by Rep. Thomas Winfield, who ran against Fox for Speaker two years ago.
"I have come to admire the Speaker's willingness to boldly lead the chamber in tackling difficult issues,'' Hearn said in her nominating speech. "He has the patience to invite differences of opinion, courage to lead the tough discussions and make the tough decisions on issues that have long been left untended.''
In his prepared remarks, Fox called the state's struggling economy the overriding concern, and early passage of same-sex marriage legislation a top priority.
"It is time,'' he said. "We can no longer be the only New England state without marriage equality. Rhode Island must be next in enacting this basic civil right to marry the one you love.
"As we embark on the new session,'' he said, "it is (also) time to enforce accountability to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
"Millions of dollars are budgeted annually for economic development, including tax credits, loan guarantees and workforce development programs. Are they being spent efficiently? We need to review programs that are in place now, fund the effective ones and eliminate the programs that are not producing results.''