Bad Bills 2019

Are state lawmakers helping to make Rhode Island a better or worse place to raise a family and build a career? Already ranking a dismal 47th on the Jobs & Opportunity Index, and with the worst business climate in America, the Center’s takes a position on the bills listed below with this in mind.

Below you will find a tracking tool for legislation being evaluated by the Center. The list of legislation is preliminary and will be adjusted throughout the General Assembly Session. Check back on this page often for updates.

If Rhode Island were to work towards a pro-growth, lower tax and regulatory business climate, there is no reason to believe our state could not share in the same dynamic economic growth that we are now seeing across America. With national jobless claims at 40 year lows, with record low African American unemployment, and with Hispanic unemployment also approaching historic lows, it is a win-win situation for Rhode Island to consider meaningful tax cuts and regulatory reforms. In the real world, free-market forces, not overly burdensome government regulations, are the best way to ensure that Rhode Island becomes a place where families can prosper.