Raimondo's Roundup
July 3, 2015

Good afternoon,

 

My family and I are getting ready to celebrate the Fourth of July. Before we all turn our attention to barbecues, parades, going to the beach, and spending time with loved ones, I wanted to update you on some of the work we've been doing to turn Rhode Island around.

 

I wake up every day focused on expanding opportunity so that every family can "make it in Rhode Island." There's still a lot of work left to do, but in just six months, we've made great first steps to lay the groundwork to set our state on a path of opportunity. I am feeling more optimistic than ever and believe we have momentum on our side.  

 

This week I signed the budget into law. The budget is focused on creating jobs by putting shovels in the ground, making it easier and less expensive to do business in Rhode Island, and building the skills Rhode Islanders need to compete in our economy. We know families are struggling now, so we provided immediate help, too: we increased the minimum wage, expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit, and exempted Social Security benefits from taxes for low- and middle-income Rhode Islanders.

 

From the start, Speaker Mattiello, Senate President Paiva Weed, and I agreed that our number-one priority had to be jump starting our economy and helping people get back to work. I'm grateful that they, the members of the House and Senate Finance Committees, and everyone in the General Assembly worked so hard to get this done.

 

Make no mistake, we have a lot of work left to do. Our problems weren't created overnight, and they won't be solved with one budget. Everyone has a role to play and this budget is proof that we can work together to put Rhode Island on a brighter path.

 

Thank you,  

 

Gina 

Signing the Rhode Island Jobs Budget

 

Our FY2016 budget sets us on a long-term path to our comeback by focusing on three things:

  • Helping people build the skills they need to compete in our economy
  • Putting shovels in the ground
  • Making it easier and less expensive to do business in our state

These three principles - and an unwavering focus on creating jobs and expanding opportunity - guided our every decision.

 

Click here to learn more about the Rhode Island Jobs Budget and here to watch the FY2016 Budget Signing Ceremony. 

Promoting Leadership Among Women and Girls 

 

In honor of Women's History Month, and in an effort to encourage leadership among women and girls, the Governor invited middle-school age girls in Rhode Island to participate in a  "Governor for a Day" essay contest. In April, contest winner Khatima Bulmer served as Governor for a Day.

 

The Governor welcomed Governor for a Day essay writers to the South Lawn of the State House recently to thank them for their participation. Khatima Bulmer emceed the event that included remarks from the Governor, Health and Human Services Secretary Elizabeth Roberts, and Cathy Sparks of the Department of Environmental Management. The Governor told the girls that if there was one lesson they took away from this, it's that they can be anything they want to be, and she made them promise that they would go after their dreams and never let anyone tell them they can't achieve them.

 

Boosting Wages for Rhode Island Families: Raising the Minimum Wage

 

 

The Governor believes that no one who works full time should have to raise their family in poverty. Recently, she signed a bill to raise Rhode Island's minimum hourly wage from $9 to $9.60 effective January 1, 2016. Putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Rhode Islanders will give a boost to our economy and provide much-needed help to families who are struggling.     

In This Issue

The minimum wage for tipped workers will be increasing on Jan. 1, 2016 from $2.89 to $3.39 and then to $3.89 on Jan. 1, 2017.

 

Real Jobs RI - Rhode Island will strengthen, expand job training with a new $5.25 million federal grant