PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- State lawmakers will return to Smith Hill on Monday for what could be the next-to-last day of the legislative session, packed House and Senate calendars and hanging questions about what -- if any -- bold economic development moves they will make this year.
As of 8:20 p.m. on Friday, the Senate had a relatively spare nine-bill calendar, including a bill to raise the state's minimum wage by 25 cents to $8 an hour.
But eight Senate committees were also queued up for last-lap hearings and votes, on myriad bills. One would allow a "Choose Life" license plate.
Another would allow the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and Brown University to negotiate leases with the developer of the vacant South Street Power Station in Providence known familiarly as the Dynamo House.
And that's just the beginning. The House raced through a 131-bill calendar on Friday night, including a highly controversial bill to require the state to negotiate reimbursement rates, benefits and "other economic matters" with newly unionized child-care workers, working work out of their own homes. Should they hit an impasse, the legislation requires mediation.
The vote prompted this tweet by Local 1199 of the Service Employee International Union: "One step closer to Raising Up RI with quality child care! House passes Quality Family Child Care Act 56-11." The bill is now winding its way to the Senate.
The House resumes at 2 p.m. Monday, and the Senate at 3 p.m.