Home : News : Politics : Local Politics :

Also on WPRI.com

Cicilline introduces student loan bills

U.S. Rep. David Cicilline is co-sponsoring three bills designed…

Bill to increase min wage heads to Sen

The Rhode Island Senate Labor Committee approved an amended …

Unemployment rate in Rhode Island declines to 8.8%

Unemployment rate in RI falls to 8.8%

Rhode Island's unemployment rate fell to 8.8% in April, the …

Almonte to run for treasurer, not gov

Former Auditor General Ernie Almonte announced Thursday that he…

RI conservative reacts to IRS scandal

The IRS has recently been slammed by people across the nation …

RI lawmakers report for duty in 2013

24 new members will take oath in House and Senate

Updated: Monday, 31 Dec 2012, 8:38 PM EST
Published : Monday, 31 Dec 2012, 8:38 PM EST

Reporting by Nneka Nwosu

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - With the holiday season coming to a close, Rhode Island lawmakers are getting ready to return to work.

The General Assembly will kick-off its new session at 2:00 PM on New Year's Day, when Secretary of State Ralph Mollis administers the oath of office.

The House will welcome 16 new members, and new Senators will fill 8 seats.

Eyewitness News had a chance to speak with House Majority Leader Nicholas Mattiello (D-Cranston) about the new staff. "I'm looking forward to working with them, " he said. "They're good people, they're smart, they're committed to the state, and they have the support of their constituents."

Some of the hot topics on the agenda include gun control, same-sex marriage, and a high unemployment rate.

Ground rules for posting comments: No profanity or personal attacks. Please comment on the subject of the story itself. If you do not follow these rules, we will remove your post. Keep it civil, folks!

Our commenting section is powered by IntenseDebate. If you registered for an account but didn't receive a verification e-mail, check your spam folder or click here for more information. For additional technical help, click here.