GPCC Legislative Forum - House Minority Leader Blake A Filippi

2/9/2021

Media

Yesterday's GPCC Legislative Forum covered the budget deficit, education reform, increasing the minimum wage, proposed tax increases, legalizing marijuana and more.

Echoing the business community's concerns, House Minority Leader Blake A. Filippi warned: "People are going to be voting with their feet more and more ... We are fighting against Florida's weather as it is, and they don't have an income tax."

If the legislature moves in that direction anyway, Filippi — who leads the 10-member Republican bloc within the 75-member House — said lawmakers should at least reinstate itemized deductions that were eliminated as a tradeoff for reduced rates a decade ago.

But Filippi — whose family is in the hotel-restaurant-bar business on Block Island — said Rhode Island needs to appeal to people's "desires,'' which he defined as quality-of-life issues, as well as their wallets.

"People like to go out. Why are our bars shut? We have a lower (COVID) transmission rate now than the last time the bars were open,'' he said.

The Providence Journal

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In 1636, Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, established the first working model of Democracy after being banished from Massachusetts for his “extreme views” concerning freedom of speech and religion. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams publicly acknowledged Williams as the originator of these concepts, along with the freedom of public assembly, in the First Amendment in the United States Constitution. Today, Rhode Island House Republicans uphold the liberties designed by our Founders and preserved in our Constitution, and are the primary legislative body promoting lean government, fighting for lower taxes, and advocating for initiatives and policies that improve the economy and in turn, the lives of Rhode Islanders. As members of a part-time assembly, we are small business owners, retired educators, community activists, lawyers, farmers, military service veterans, volunteers, former local officials, retired social workers, coaches, musicians, churchgoers and board directors -- bringing these community engagement and professional experiences to our work, on your behalf, at the Rhode Island State House.