Voting results in the Republic of Ingushetia: voters reject the constitutional convention

Rhode Island voters on Tuesday soundly rejected a decennial constitutional convention but approved all four ballot questions authorizing government borrowing.

Question 1: Constitutional Convention

Rhode Island’s constitution will remain unchanged after voters rejected the first state constitutional convention in the United States since 1986. 1986 Convention was, of course, in Rhode Island.

Since the last convention, Ocean State’s governing Democrats have successfully mobilized against assembling a panel to consider potential changes to the founding text of state government, and this year is no exception.

Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, speaker The Senate President and Senate President opposed the first question, as did powerful Democratic interest groups led by organized labor rights and abortion advocates.

The state GOP endorsed Issue 1 late in the campaign and didn’t put much effort into it.

On the eve of the election, RI Citizens for Responsible Government spent $175,000 campaigning against Question 1, largely on the grounds that it would allow special interest money to be used in politics.

The only spending to Question 1 at that time was $5,000 from former Republican National Committeeman Steve Frias.

The Constitution requires a statewide referendum on a constitutional convention every 10 years.

Question 2: $160 million for biomedical and cybersecurity facilities at URI, RIC

The latest in a series of bonds to finance new construction at public colleges received approval Tuesday. Voters approved borrowing $160.5 million, of which $87.5 million will go toward construction of a new URI Biomedical Sciences Building on the Kingston campus and $73 million will be used to transform Whipple Hall into a dedicated home for the Institute for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies at Rode. Island College.

Question 3: $120 million home lien

In the background housing affordability crisisVoters greenlighted $120 million in housing bonds. The loan funds $80 million for low- and moderate-income housing assistance, $10 million for community revitalization projects, $20 million for low-, moderate- and moderate-income housing for homeownership, $5 million for the acquisition of supportive housing sites , 4 million dollars. for housing infrastructure and $1 million for municipal planning.

Question 4: Green bonds to support the environment in RI

A $53 million environmental and economic development bond was passed.

It is expected that the following will be paid:

$3 million for the state open space program administered by the Department of Environmental Management.
$5 million for forest management
$5 million will go toward state farmland conservation program
$15 million to upgrade the Port of Davisville in the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, which will help support offshore wind development and other shipping activities.
$10 million for the Municipal Resiliency Program, which funds matching grants to cities and towns for efforts to strengthen protection against climate change-related floods and storms.
$5 million to clean up former industrial sites
$5 million for grants to communities to improve parks, athletic fields and other recreational facilities.
$3 million to help with hurricane damage Newport Cliff Walk
$2 million for grants to nonprofits to restore riparian and river habitats.

Question 5: $10 million pledge for arts development in Rhode Island

Voters approved $10 million to promote the arts, including three specific local organizations: Trinity Rep, Newport Contemporary Ballet and Tomaquag Museum.

$4 million will go to the Rhode Island State Arts Council for distribution.