2017-2018 LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD EDITION AUGUST 2018 Scores hold steady over the most recent General Assembly This is the thirteenth edition of the Common Cause Rhode Island Legislative Scorecard. It is a tool we provide for our members to highlight issues of importance to our organization over the course of the most recent Rhode Island General Assembly. Scores do not represent endorsements of candidates for office. The 2017-2018 General Assembly was a study in contrasts. In 2017, we saw a number of important reforms pass, while 2018 proved to be a graveyard for government reform, particularly in the House of Representatives. Our Legislative Scorecard cannot tell the stories of the numerous pieces of legislation that never received a vote. From early voting to the line-item veto, a variety of reforms were bottled up by legislative leadership in 2017-2018. The issues fall into five categories: Voting Rights, Campaign Finance, and Elections Open Government and Legislative Rules This is the area where Common Cause made the While major reforms to the Open Meetings Act did greatest gains in the last two years. In 2017, the General not pass, there were improvements made to the law Assembly passed automatic voter registration, a huge that enhance transparency. We saw minor setbacks with win for the modernization of our elections. It also passed yet another exception created in the Access to Public risk-limiting post-election audits, a priority of Common Records Act. Representative Jared Nunes (D-West Cause since 2013. In 2017 and 2018, the Assembly also Warwick, Coventry) led an ultimately unsuccessful made incremental improvements to our elections and fight in 2017 to make the House of Representatives campaign finance laws, as requested by the State Board more transparent through improvements to the rules of Elections and Secretary of State. Unfortunately, one of that body. On the Senate side, a process was created of our top priorities, creating a system of in-person early in the Senate rules for expelling members. This came voting, never received a vote. after Senator Nicholas Kettle (R-Scituate) was charged with numerous crimes and almost expelled from that Ethics chamber. While Common Cause believes that the Since voters overwhelmingly supported restoring the process could be even better, we supported the Senate full jurisdiction of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission in taking this step. over members of the General Assembly in November 2016, there has been little progress on ethics policy in Separation of Powers Rhode Island. In 2018, the House voted unanimously to Almost 15 years after voters ratified the Separation require that financial disclosure statements be posted of Powers Amendments, one of the final boards and online, but the Senate never took up the bill. The Ethics commissions was brought into compliance with our Commission has chosen to put them online state’s constitution when the Assembly passed changes administratively without waiting for legislation. to the enabling statute of the Coastal Resources Management Council. Common Cause was an amicus in Judicial Selection the 2018 Advisory Opinion to the Supreme Court when Common Cause has fought for years to include then-House Speaker Murphy tried to retain control magistrates as part of the merit selection process in over this important body. While the bill did not reflect Rhode Island. Although that reform has not passed, we our preferred language, it brought a chapter in the saw an effort to expand the ranks of magistrates in the Separation of Powers saga to a close. District Court fail in 2018. Representative Jay O’Grady (D-Lincoln, Pawtucket) led a fight to limit the expansion that caused one of the longest floor debates of the year, and highlighted the lack of diversity in the ranks of magistrates in Rhode Island. 2017-2018 Common Cause Rhode Island Legislative Scorecard Edition Our Mission Computing Votes Common Cause Rhode Island Noting Abstentions, Absences, and Consideration is a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to promote representative democracy Common Cause Rhode Island counted 22 House votes (weight equals by ensuring open, ethical, accountable, effective 34) and 20 Senate votes (weight equals 31) from the House and Senate government processes at Journals in this two-year scorecard. local, state, and national levels by educating and Our lobbying, testimony, printed communications, or emails laid out Common mobilizing citizens of Cause positions on most of the issues. In some cases, amendments proposed Rhode Island. on the floor of the House and Senate focused the issue more clearly than final State Governing Board votes, or complemented votes on the entire bill. To better draw distinctions Colin Murphy, President about which votes are most important to Common Cause, this scorecard utilizes Shawn Selleck, Vice President a three-point scale for ranking votes: Ford Sayre, Secretary Jill DeCoursey, Treasurer 1 Point - Routine pro-votes or anti-votes based on positions Eric Anderson, Valerie advocated by Common Cause Rhode Island; Castanteen, Jessica Cigna, Ed Fitzpatrick, Alan Flink, 2 Points - Votes that uphold or attack long-standing, clearly Kevin Flynn, Brian Heller, enunciated Common Cause principles; and Brian McGuirk, Adam Myers, Ellen O’Hara, David Pellegrino, Santiago Posas, Jed Thorp 3 Points - Votes on legislation or resolutions initiated by Common Cause, or on issues of critical importance to government reform. State Advisory Board Susan Belles, David A. Brown, Joseph L. Dowling, Thomas It’s important to note that Common Cause takes positions on issues based Ewens, Fred J. Franklin, on concerns for process rather than issues of substantive public policy. The Patricia Fuller, Sheila Hughes, votes selected for this scorecard reflect that emphasis. Our State Governing Natalie Joslin, Jim Miller, Board, elected by the membership of Common Cause Rhode Island at our Kenneth Newman, Nancy Annual Meeting each fall, established our positions. Rhodes, Bruce Ruttenberg, Daniel Siegel, Richard Silverman, Charles Sturtevant, The votes are divided into issue areas, including: Voting Rights, Campaign Rob Walker, Richard Worrell Finance, and Elections; Ethics, Judicial Selection, Open Government and Rules; and Separation of Powers. Within these issue areas, the number of pro-votes John Gardner Fellows Alan Hassenfeld, Natalie C. is divided by the total possible in that area (e.g. 3 pro-Common Cause votes Joslin, James C. Miller, John out of 4 results in a 75%). On some occasions, lawmakers recuse themselves Sapinsley (1922-2012), from voting because of potential conflicts of interest. In instances of recusal Lila Sapinsley (1922-2014), legislators are required by law to note the reason for the recusal in the House Henry D. Sharpe, Jr. and Senate Journals. Staff John Marion, The formula used to calculate the final score is: Executive Director (Pro-votes)/((Pro-votes + Anti-votes) + (Non-voting/2)) = Final Score Christina Morra, Assistant Director Common Cause never endorses candidates for any public office. This Common Cause Rhode Island scorecard reports only how members of the General Assembly vote on 245 Waterman Street particular bills and resolutions of concern to Common Cause. Scoring Suite 400A does not constitute opposition or endorsement. Providence, RI 02906 T: 401.861.2322 F: 401.331.9676 In the following section, we provide brief descriptions of the votes we scored along with the Common Cause position on the vote. For example: www.commoncauseri.org twitter.com/commoncauseri • Year - Chamber Bill Number (Primary sponsor) Final disposition of legislation facebook.com/commoncauseri Plain language description of the vote. Explanation of Common Cause support or opposition for the legislation. (Number of points allotted) Voting Rights, Campaign Finance, and Elections [House: 9 votes for 14 points /Senate: 11 votes for 17 points] Common Cause has been involved in the modernization of Rhode Island elections. Afer years of stagnation, we are making great gains in modernizing and securing our elections more, with policies like automatic voter registration and post-election audits passing. • 2017 - H 5448 (Jay Edwards) Signed by Governor • 2017 - H 5709 Sub A (Joseph Shekarchi)/S 806 Sub A (Erin Lynch Changes the maximum age of a minor who may accompany a parent Prata) Signed by Governor into a voting booth from 13 to 18 years old. Common Cause supports Clarifies what happens to the funds remaining in a campaign efforts to teach civic participation. (1 point) account when a candidate dies. Common Cause supports making our campaign finance laws clearer. (1 point) • 2017 - H 5699 Sub A (Grace Diaz)/S 792 Sub A (Erin Lynch Prata) Signed by Governor • 2017 - H 5947 (Susan Donovan)/S 808 (Erin Lynch Prata) Clarifies that the law allows more than one vote tabulator in a precinct. Signed by Governor Rhode Island’s new vote tabulators are slower and precincts with high Closes a loophole in Rhode Island campaign finance laws that turnout may need more than one to avoid lines. Common Cause legalized straw donations. Common Cause supports strict supports efforts to reduce lines at polling places. (1 point) enforcement of our campaign finance laws. (2 points) • 2017 - H 5701 (Joseph Solomon)/S 794 (Erin Lynch Prata) • 2017 - S 834 Sub A (Erin Lynch Prata) No vote in House Signed by Governor Allows the Board of Elections to withhold ballot access for candidates Removes the requirement that each city and town have a vote who owe outstanding fines. Common Cause withdrew its support tabulator as a demonstration unit, freeing up 39 machines for use on after amendment resulted in change that would undermine effort to election day. Common Cause supports efforts to reduce lines at polling strengthen auditing by the Board of Elections. Common Cause places. (1 point) supports strict enforcement of our campaign finance laws, but only if they are effective. (1 point) • 2017 - H 5702 Sub A (David Coughlin)/S 770 Sub A (Gayle Goldin) Signed by Governor • 2018 - H 7522 (Arthur Corvese)/S 2440 (Stephen Archambault) Automatic voter registration registers eligible voters, or updates their Signed by Governor address information, unless they expressly decline to do so.