The 2017-2018 session of the Rhode Island General Assembly is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the 75 members of the House of Representatives and the 38 members of the Senate are sworn into office. The membership includes 12 new representatives and four new senators.
The opening-day session of both the Senate and the House of Representatives will begin at 4 p.m. Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea will deliver the oath of office in separate ceremonies in the two legislative chambers.
As part of the opening day proceedings in the House, Rep. Nicholas A. Mattiello (D-Dist. 15, Cranston) is expected to be re-elected for his second full two-year term as Speaker of the House. Mattiello, who was first elected Speaker on March 25, 2014, will address House members following the vote.
The Senate, as part of its opening day activities, is expected to re-elect Sen. M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown) as President of the Senate for the new session. Following that formal vote, she will address Senate members.
The opening day House session will be broadcast live by Capitol TV (Channel 15 for Cox Communications and Full Channel, Channel 1013 for Cox HD and Channel 34 for Verizon), with the Senate session set to air immediately afterward.
The House of Representatives, with its 12 new members, will be comprised of 64 Democrats and 11 Republicans. The Senate, with its four new members, will be made up of 33 Democrats and five Republicans.
Those who will be inaugurated into their first term in their respective chamber are:
- Representative-elect Moira J. Walsh (D-Dist. 3, Providence).
- Representative-elect Marcia Ranglin-Vassell (D-Dist. 5, Providence).
- Representative-elect Ramon Perez (D-Dist. 13, Providence, Johnston).
- Representative-elect Camille Vella-Wilkinson (D-Dist. 21, Warwick).
- Representative-elect Evan Shanley (D-Dist. 24, Warwick).
- Representative-elect Julie Casimiro (D-Dist. 31, North Kingstown, Exeter).
- Representative-elect Robert Quattrocchi (R-Dist. 41, Scituate, Cranston).
- Representative-elect Alex Marszalkowski (D-Dist. 52, Cumberland).
- Representative-elect Helder Cunha (D-Dist. 64, East Providence).
- Representative-elect Jason Knight (D-Dist. 67, Barrington, Warren).
- Representative-elect Susan Donovan (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth).
- Representative-elect Kenneth J. Mendonça (R-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown).
- Senator-elect Ana B. Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence).
- Senator-elect James A. Seveney (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol, Tiverton).
- Senator-elect Thomas J. Paolino (R-Dist. 17, Lincoln, North Providence, North Smithfield)
- Senator-elect Jeanine Calkin (D-Dist. 30, Warwick).
Source: Larry Berman, Communications Director for the Office of the Speaker