To the editor:

In a recent Providence Journal interview Senate President Dominick Ruggerio reported that like past years, in 2024 no vote will be held on an assault rifle ban, banning smoking in casinos and a common sense bill to enable more affordable housing.

The national non-partisan organization Common Cause rates Rhode Island 49th of 50 states for the democratic practices of our legislature. Here, the legislature votes with the leadership 99.5% of the time. RI is also rated among the three worst states in terms of the concentration of political donations going to the legislative leaders.

There is a reason our democracy functions poorly. Other New England states require that legislation is voted on by the full legislative body. In RI, the leadership subvert our democracy, wielding an autocratic cudgel blocking the votes of our elected representatives. In other words, no substantive bills move to vote in Committee or on the floor of the legislature without the express approval of the House Speaker or Senate President and they are often influenced by personal priorities and special interest groups.

Two bills stalled for over a decade provide examples. A bill to cap the interest charged on “Payday Loans” was introduced in 2006. Last session, it passed the house by a 66-2 margin, yet the Senate did not hold a hearing or a vote. Similarly, the bill to Ban Assault Weapons has been in “study” in the Judiciary Committee for 11 years, with no vote taken.

Voters in Senator Ruggiero’s district strongly support these bills, yet he has repeatedly blocked a vote.

We call on the leadership to open the legislative graveyard by allowing the vote of the full legislature on these and other bills that have been blocked. Our votes should not be canceled by these men. 2024 is an election year.

Make your voices heard.

Our representatives should be allowed to vote on the record allowing us in turn to make an informed vote.

As citizens we don’t get to vote for the leadership or the statehouse rules; our representatives do that. Therefore, we should also press our representatives to place democracy above party and reform the rules of the legislature.

The process and the leaders should be changed.

You can learn more by attending a free educational session sponsored by Common Cause RI on Jan. 27. Information and registration here: https://www.commoncause.org/rhode-island/events/.

Steve and Kathy Kloeblen
Bristol