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Rhode Island Port Infrastructure Bonds, Question 5 (2016)
| Rhode Island Question 5 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2016 | |
| Topic Bond issues | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Bond issue | Origin State Legislature |
| 2016 measures |
|---|
 |
| November 8 |
| Question 1 |
| Question 2 |
| Question 3 |
| Question 4 |
| Question 5 |
| Question 6 |
| Question 7 |
| Polls |
| Voter guides |
| Campaign finance |
| Signature costs |
Rhode Island Port Infrastructure Bonds, Question 5, was on the November 8, 2016, ballot in Rhode Island as a legislatively referred bond question. It was approved.
| A "yes" vote supported issuing $70,000,000 in general obligation bonds to fund port infrastructure projects. |
| A "no" vote opposed issuing $70,000,000 in general obligation bonds to fund port infrastructure projects. |
Election results
| Question 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 264,056 | 63.29% | ||
| No | 153,132 | 36.71% | ||
- Election results from Rhode Island Board of Elections
Overview
Allocation
Question 5 was designed to issue $70,000,000 in general obligation bonds and allocate it in the following way:[1]
| Question 5 Allocation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Project | Amount | Item |
| Port of Davisville Infrastructure at Quonset | $50,000,000 | For infrastructure modernization of Port of Davisville at Quonset (including Pier 2) |
| Port of Providence Infrastructure | $20,000,000 | For the acquisition of up to 25 acres of land located between Allens Avenue in the City of Providence and the Providence River and any infrastructure improvements associated with the acquisition |
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:
| “ |
5. Port Infrastructure Bonds - $70,000,000[2] |
” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary was as follows:
| “ |
For port infrastructure projects, to be allocated as follows: (a) Port of Davisville Infrastructure at Quonset $50,000,000 (b) Port of Providence Infrastructure $20,000,000[2] |
” |
Support
R.I. Ports Coalition led the support campaign for Question 5.[3]
Supporters
Legislators
The following legislator sponsored HB 7454:[1]
- Rep. Marvin Abney (D-73)
R.I. Ports Coalition board of directors
R.I. Ports Coalition listed the following board of directors on its campaign website:[4]
- Gavin Black, President, Moran Shipping
- Kevin Barry, Treasurer, Quonset Development Corporation
- Justin Miranda, Secretary, NORAD
Endorsements
R.I. Ports Coalition listed the following endorsements on its campaign website:[4]
- Providence Journal
- Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce
- Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce
- GrowSmart
- The AFL-CIO
- Providence Business News
- Propeller Club, Port of Narragansett Bay
Opposition
Opponents
The following legislators voted "nay" on HB 7454 during its final reading in the Rhode Island State Senate:[5]
- Sen. Mark Gee (R-35)
- Sen. Nicholas Kettle (R-21)
- Sen. Elaine Morgan (R-34)
Background
Previous bond questions
In 2014, Rhode Island voters decided on four bond issues: Question 4, Question 5, Question 6, and Question 7. All four measures were approved. The official designation for the 2014 measure, Question 4, was identical to 2016's Question 4, and both addressed higher education related bonds. The topics for Question 7 from 2014 and Question 6 from 2016 were also identical.
Between 1950 and 2015, eight bond issues relating to pier and beach facility infrastructure were presented to voters in Rhode Island. Three of these measures specifically addressed pier rehabilitation at Quonset Point/Davisville, as Question 5 did. Voters approved five of the eight measures, and defeated three. One of the defeated measures addressed Quonset Point/Davisville.
Rhode Island voters decided on at least one bond issue during all but one even-numbered election year between 1950 and 2015. Voters were not presented with a bond issue in 1994.
Campaign finance
As of February 15, 2017, the support campaign for Question 5 featured one ballot question committee, the RI Ports Coalition, that received a total of $439,654.80 in contributions. The committee spent $426,882.76.[6]
No ballot question committees registered to oppose Question 5.[6]
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $439,654.80 | $0.00 | $439,654.80 | $426,882.76 | $426,882.76 |
| Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $439,654.80 | $0.00 | $439,654.80 | $426,882.76 | $426,882.76 |
Support
The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committees in support of the measure.[6]
| Committees in support of Question 5 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
| RI Ports Coalition | $439,654.80 | $0.00 | $439,654.80 | $426,882.76 | $426,882.76 |
| Total | $439,654.80 | $0.00 | $439,654.80 | $426,882.76 | $426,882.76 |
Donors
The following were the top donors to the committee.[6]
| Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Atlantic Distribution, Inc. | $150,000.00 | $0.00 | $150,000.00 |
| Bruce Waterson | $100,000.00 | $0.00 | $100,000.00 |
| Ray Meador | $100,000.00 | $0.00 | $100,000.00 |
| Deepwater Wind | $10,000.00 | $0.00 | $10,000.00 |
| Northeast Marine Pilots Association | $10,000.00 | $0.00 | $10,000.00 |
| Providence and Worcester Railroad Company | $10,000.00 | $0.00 | $10,000.00 |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Rhode Island Constitution
HB 7454 was introduced in the Rhode Island State Legislature on February 3, 2016. The bill was approved by the Rhode Island House of Representatives on June 15, 2016, and was approved by the Rhode Island State Senate on June 18, 2016.[5][7]
House vote
June 15, 2016
| HB 7454 House Vote | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 69 | 100% | ||
| No | 0 | 0% | ||
Senate vote
June , 2016
| HB 7454 Senate Vote | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 32 | 91.43% | ||
| No | 3 | 8.57% | ||
State profile
| Demographic data for Rhode Island | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,055,607 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 1,034 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 81.1% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 6.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 3.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.8% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 13.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 86.2% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 31.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $56,852 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 17.3% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Rhode Island. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
Rhode Island voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Rhode Island, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[8]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Rhode Island had one Boomerang Pivot County, 4.00 percent of all Boomerang Pivot Counties.
More Rhode Island coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Rhode Island
- United States congressional delegations from Rhode Island
- Public policy in Rhode Island
- Endorsers in Rhode Island
- Rhode Island fact checks
- More...
Related measures
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Rhode Island Bond Question 2016. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
External links
Support
See also
- Rhode Island 2016 ballot measures
- 2016 ballot measures
- Rhode Island Legislature
- List of Rhode Island ballot measures
- Rhode Island state budget and finances
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtext - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ R.I. Ports Coalition, "Home," accessed November 4, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 R.I. Ports Coalition, "About Us," accessed November 4, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Rhode Island Legislature, "Rhode Island Senate Sequence No. 656," June 18, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Rhode Island Board of Elections, "ERTS," accessed November 3, 2016
- ↑ Rhode Island Legislature, "Rhode Island House of Representatives Sequence No. 404," accessed September 13, 2016
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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