Here's a quick note to let you know about some important hearings coming up this week. But first a note about how much I appreciate you, my constituents, and how we work together really well. I host regular community coffees (in person and outside coming soon!). This summer at one such zoom gathering, constituents gave me some homework: please decarbonize buildings, and also please look into whether or how to introduce a bill for ranked choice voting. I dug in and am really happy with the results. Stay tuned for more on the bill I introduced that will help our larger buildings set and meet decarbonization goals (and report on energy use); and I signed onto a bill that will ensure that we do not have new construction with gas hookups (that bill has a hearing on Tuesday). I also convened a workgroup of constituents and experts and constituent experts to consider what a ranked choice voting bill would look like in RI. Others have introduced different RCV bills over the years. The one our group decided on is here, a bill to institute RCV for primaries for the General Assembly as a way to start. (More information on RCV is here, from an RCV expert organization I've been working with, FairVote.) That's a long way to say, thank you dear constituents, I love working on collaborative legislative projects with you! I hope we keep coming up with good things together. 

Here's a list of some hearings this week I think you might be interested in knowing about:

Legalize cannibis: https://status.rilegislature.gov/documents/agenda-17886.pdf
Tuesday at the rise (probably around 5)
This is a solid bill that misses a key and important opportunity to automatically expunge prior marijuana convictions. I'm hoping if enough of us advocate for automatic expungement that we will be able to amend the bill before it comes up for a vote.

All Electric Building Act: https://status.rilegislature.gov/documents/agenda-17893.pdf
Tuesday at the rise (probably around 5)
This bill will prohibit gas hookups for new buildings.

Let RI Vote Act and Ranked Choice Voting (and other good voting bills too): https://status.rilegislature.gov/documents/agenda-17907.pdf
Thursday at the rise (probably around 5)

Legislating is definitely a team effort, and I am grateful to be working together with you to make RI even better! 

As always, please let me know what you think, by e-mail, phone or at my community conversation tomorrow at noon (see link above). Also, please follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or write to me at info@rebeccakislak.com. You can also call or text me at 401-400-2338. I look forward to hearing from you!