Tagged: same-sex marriage

If hundreds of people offer heartfelt arguments over 12 hours to lawmakers whose minds are mostly made up on the controversial issue of same-sex marriage, does it make any difference?

"I don't know," says Senator Lou Raptakis (D-Coventry), one of the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that held a marathon hearing on the subject from 5 pm Thursday to 5 am Friday.

Raptakis says 9 of 10 committee members stuck it out to the end.

A Senate committee is scheduled to hear testimony on two competing bills regarding same-sex marriage.  Two lawmakers want to offer in-state tuition rates to all in-state residents, including those which do not have documented status.  These stories and more on the RIPR Morning News Podcast.
Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? Please email us, we'd like to hear from you.  news@ripr.org

Critics say a bill calling for a statewide referendum on same-sex marriage would expand discrimination in Rhode Island.

A state Senate bill being filed Wednesday by Senator Frank Ciccone (D-Providence) calls for a statewide referendum to offer an up or down vote on same-sex marriage.

The bill is cosponsored by 10 other senators: Lou DiPalma (D-Middletown0; Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio; William Walaska (D-Warwick); Nicholas Kettle (R-Coventry); James Doyle (D-Pawtucket); Lou Raptakis (D-Coventry); Judiciary Chairman Michael McCaffrey (D-Warwick); Frank Lombardi (D-Cranston); Walter Felag (D-Warren); and David Bates (R-Barrington).