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Rhode Island Mass Transit Hub Infrastructure Bonds, Question 6 (2014)
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The Rhode Island Mass Transit Hub Infrastructure Bonds, Question 6 was on the November 4, 2014 ballot in Rhode Island as a legislatively referred bond question, where it was approved. The measure approved the issuance of $35 million in bonds to fund enhancements and renovations to mass transit hub infrastructure throughout Rhode Island. The funds, provided to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, were intended to improve access to multiple intermodal sites, key transportation, healthcare and other locations.[1]
Election results
Below are the official, certified election results:
| Rhode Island Question 6 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 175,160 | 60.2% | ||
| No | 116,028 | 39.8% | ||
Election results via: Rhode Island Board of Elections
Text of measure
Ballot title
The official ballot text appeared as follows:[1]
| “ |  [2]
|
” |
Ballot summary
The official ballot summary was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Approval of this question will allow the State of Rhode Island to issue general obligation bonds, refunding bonds, and temporary notes in an amount not to exceed thirty-five million dollars ($35,000,000) to fund enhancements and renovations to mass transit hub infrastructure throughout the State of Rhode Island to improve access to multiple intermodal sites, key transportation, healthcare, and other locations.[2] |
” |
Support
Supporters
- Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce[3]
HB 7133 "Yes" votes
The following members of the Rhode Island General Assembly voted in favor of placing this measure on the ballot.[4][5]
- Note: A yes vote on HB 7133 merely referred the question to voters and did not necessarily mean these legislators approved of the stipulations laid out in Question 6.
House
The following representatives voted in favor of HB 7133:
- Marvin Abney (D-73)
- Mia Ackerman (D-45)
- Edith Ajello (D-1)
- Joseph Almeida (D-12)
- Gregg Amore (D-65)
- Samuel Azzinaro (D-37)
- David Bennett (D-20)
- Christopher Blazejewski (D-2)
- Dennis Canario (D-71)
- John Carnevale (D-13)
- Stephen Casey (D-50)
- Maria Cimini (D-7)
- Elaine Coderre (D-60)
- Arthur Corvese (D-55)
- Gregory Costantino (D-44)
- Robert Craven (D-32)
- John DeSimone (D-5)
- Grace Diaz (D-11)
- John Edwards (D-70)
- Deborah Fellela (D-43)
- Frank Ferri (D-22)
- Linda Finn (D-72)
- Gordon Fox (D-4)
- Raymond Gallison, Jr. (D-69)
- Scott Guthrie (D-28)
- Arthur Handy (D-18)
- Raymond Hull (D-6)
- Robert Jacquard (D-17)
- Raymond Johnston Jr. (D-61)
- Katherine Kazarian (D-63)
- Cale Keable (D-47)
- Brian Patrick Kennedy (D-38)
- Donald Lally, Jr. (D-33)
- Charlene Lima (D-14)
- Jan Malik (D-67)
- Kenneth Marshall (D-68)
- Peter Martin (D-75)
- Joseph McNamara (D-19)
- Helio Melo (D-64)
- Mary Messier (D-62)
- Michael Morin (D-49)
- Eileen Naughton (D-21)
- Jared Nunes (D-25)
- William O'Brien (D-54)
- Jeremiah O'Grady (D-46)
- J. Patrick O'Neill (D-59)
- Thomas Palangio (D-3)
- Peter Palumbo (D-16)
- Robert Phillips (D-51)
- Deborah Ruggiero (D-74)
- William San Bento, Jr. (D-58)
- Patricia Serpa (D-27)
- K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-23)
- Agostinho Silva (D-56)
- Scott Slater (D-10)
- Lisa Tomasso (D-29)
- Joseph Trillo (R-24)
- Stephen Ucci (D-42)
- Larry Valencia (D-39)
- Donna Walsh (D-36)
- Anastasia Williams (D-9)
- Thomas Winfield (D-53)
- Nicholas Mattiello (D-15)
Senate
The following state senators voted in favor of HB 7133:
- Maryellen Goodwin (D-1)
- Juan Pichardo (D-2)
- Gayle Goldin (D-3)
- Dominick Ruggerio (D-4)
- Paul Jabour (D-4)
- Harold Metts (D-6)
- James Doyle (D-8)
- Adam Satchell (D-9)
- Walter Felag (D-10)
- Christopher Ottiano (R-11)
- Louis DiPalma (D-12)
- M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D-13)
- Daniel Da Ponte (D-14)
- Donna Nesselbush (D-15)
- Elizabeth Crowley (D-16)
- William Conley (D-18)
- Ryan Pearson (D-19)
- Roger Picard (D-20)
- Steve Archambault (D-22)
- Paul Fogarty (D-23)
- Frank Lombardo III (D-25)
- Frank Lombardi (D-26)
- Hanna Gallo (D-27)
- Joshua Miller (D-28)
- Michael McCaffrey (D-29)
- William Walaska (D-30)
- Erin Lynch (D-31)
- David Bates (R-32)
- Catherine Cool Rumsey (D-34)
- James Sheehan (D-36)
- V. Susan Sosnowski (D-37)
- Dennis Algiere (R-38)
Opposition
Arguments
According to a study by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, the four approved bond questions on the 2014 general election ballot could actually cost taxpayers approximately $400 million when interest payments are accounted for. Interest payments on the four bond proposals, which together total $248 million, could cost taxpayers an additional $117 to $150 million over a 20-year period, assuming an estimated interest rate of 4 to 5 percent.[6] The full study can be read here.
HB 7133 "No" votes
The following members of the Rhode Island General Assembly voted against placing this measure on the ballot.[4][5]
- Note: A no vote on HB 7133 meant that a legislator did not want to refer the question to voters and did not necessarily mean these legislators disapproved of the stipulations laid out in Question 6.
House
The following representatives voted against HB 7133:
- Michael Chippendale (R-40)
- Doreen Marie Costa (R-31)
- Spencer Dickinson (D-35)
- Antonio Giarrusso (R-30)
- Joy Hearn (D-66)
- John Lombardi (D-8)
- Karen MacBeth (D-52)
- Michael Marcello (D-41)
- James McLaughlin (D-57)
- Patricia Morgan (R-26)
- Brian Newberry (R-48)
- Teresa Ann Tanzi (D-34)
Senate
The following state senators voted against HB 7133:
- Marc Cote (D-24)
- Dawson Hodgson (R-35)
- Nicholas Kettle (R-21)
- Edward O'Neill (I-17)
- Leonidas Raptakis (D-33)
Media editorial positions
Support
- The Providence Journal said,
| “ | Of course, young newcomers are not the only people who would benefit. Longtime residents deserve an attractive, more reliable system. The planned enhancements would encourage more Rhode Islanders to leave their cars at home, cutting congestion and pollution. They would also help residents struggling to make ends meet in a challenging economy, and who vitally need public transportation. A yes vote on Question 6 will help the state capitalize on improvements already under way, and better position Rhode Island for economic progress.[2] | ” |
| —Providence Journal[7] | ||
Path to the ballot
Question 6 was introduced into the Rhode Island Legislature as House Bill 7133. The bill was related to appropriations in general and also included acts authorizing Questions 4, 5 and 7.[8] Therefore, Rhode Island Question 4, 5, 6 and 7 were all included on the general election ballot following the passage of HB 7133. The bill was approved in the Rhode Island House of Representatives on June 13, 2014, and in the Rhode Island Senate on June 16, 2014. The governor signed the bill on June 19, 2014.[9]
House vote
June 13, 2014 House vote[10]
| Rhode Island HB 7133 House Vote | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 63 | 84.00% | ||
| No | 12 | 16.00% | ||
Senate vote
June 16, 2014 Senate vote[5]
| Rhode Island HB 7133 Senate Vote | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 32 | 86.49% | ||
| No | 5 | 13.51% | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rhode Island Secretary of State, "Rhode Island Voter Information Handbook 2014," accessed September 24, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, "Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce to Support RI Bond Measures," September 19, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 OpenStates.org, "House Vote on HB 7133 (Jun 13, 2014)," accessed October 21, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Rhode Island Legislature, "Senate Vote," accessed September 24, 2014
- ↑ WPRI.com, "Study: Bond questions could cost RI nearly $400M," October 14, 2014
- ↑ Providence Journal, "Yes on Question 6 - public transportation," October 29, 2014
- ↑ Rhode Island Legislature, "House Bill 7133," accessed September 24, 2014
- ↑ Rhode Island Legislature, "HB 7133 Bill History," accessed September 24, 2014
- ↑ Rhode Island Legislature, "House Vote," accessed September 24, 2014
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