Providence-On the first day of returning to the state legislature, legislators will vote on more than $100 million in new federal subsidies, six new judges and magistrates, and possible veto power.

But no one can guess where the Senate will meet after the first day. 

Dominick Ruggerio, the 72-year-old Senate Speaker, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Friday: “I just don’t think it’s safe to be in this building. I think in terms of the ventilation system here. , This is absolutely terrible."

He stated that the Senate is "fully interested" to hold meetings in the state assembly, but the staff is working with Rhode Island College and may return there for negotiations sometime after the new meeting starts on January 4, and then only talk to Romania every week. Tokushima Academy holds a meeting. The first month.

Rugerio said that the senators who met during the 2021 RIC meeting may return to Smith Hill, while the plexiglass barrier-which was removed at some point-was reinstalled between their desks.

"We want to see what happens," he said of the increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations.

"It depends on science. It depends on what happens after Christmas and after the New Year. You have a New Year party or something... [So] we are arranging where we can choose," he said of RIC Say.

But "obviously, the building will issue a mask order, and I will encourage all my colleagues to wear masks... I don't think this is a big requirement."

In the next hour, he and Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey previewed their positions on some of the major issues facing legislators when they returned, from the legalization of marijuana to voting reform.

They expect early action on the compromise bill to legalize marijuana in Rhode Island and provide funding and "social justice to minorities and others who may be excluded from multibillion-dollar businesses due to lack of funding." license".

"We are working on a financing plan," McCaffrey said. "We want to encourage people to enter this industry, not just let big people with a lot of money enter this industry."

The crux of the House of Representatives’ negotiations with the Senate is who will control this huge new industry: the State Department of Business Regulation controlled by the governor, or a committee appointed by the Senate.

McCaffrey said the negotiators were "very close." He envisioned a compromise to reflect the “New York model. We rely on DBR to do certain things, but we think it’s important to have an independent agency to oversee the industry.”

Their own list of priorities includes the possibility of developing student loan relief programs for people in public universities who want to enter targeted occupations with severe shortages.

Terms: They must commit to working in these industries for at least five years.

Citing the high burnout rate of frontline nurses in the past two years, McCaffrey said: "We may have to encourage people to enter the nursing profession.

"And stay here, maybe in the form of retaining the bonus," Rugelio said. 

They mentioned professional teaching branches such as mathematics, science and special needs teaching as a second example. 

Given the reported shortage of nursing homes across the state, Ruggerio said that legislators may need to review the new minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes.

In the 2020 elections, the minimum staffing bill is particularly important because the International Service Employees Union actively promotes any state legislator who is unwilling to commit to fulfilling their duties, including the then Speaker of the House of Representatives Nicholas Mattiello (Nicholas Mattiello).

"We understand what they are going through," Rugelio said on Friday. "Maybe we can relax the restrictions for a period of time."

A year ago, after progressives made significant progress in the 2020 general election, Rugerio was open to this idea, but he said: "I don't see this this year. We have money."

And “I don’t think it’s a good idea to levy more taxes on high-income people, who are largely job producers.”

Rugerio said that as more people work remotely, “I don’t want to see richer people move out of the state and take away their money.”

On the other hand, he disagrees with the new Senator Cynthia Mendes, who is a candidate for lieutenant governor, criticizing the inaction of the General Assembly and expressing his appreciation for the initiative of Governor Dankey to provide hundreds of sheltered beds for the homeless.

"This is the best political drama," Rugerio said of Mendes and governor candidate Matt Brown leading 16 days of "sleep" outside the State Capitol.

"As a senator, Senator Mendes does not support any type of housing legislation, [and] did not vote for the budget," which includes a source of income dedicated to affordable housing. "When someone talks about it but doesn't do anything, I have a problem."

To help children catch up after the pandemic, Senate leaders hope to spend up to $100 million in five years to provide free preschool classes for all 3- and 4-year-olds.

Rhode Island has developed a strategic plan to expand free preschool education services, but only adds about 400 seats per year, when 12,000 seats were needed. The current rate will provide universal preschool education within 28 years.

"We want to accelerate this situation," Rugelio said. "I know it will cost some money, but I think that with the loss of learning and what is happening, children must start their education as soon as possible at this time." Rugerio said.

Rugerio said he expects Congress to approve pre-kindergarten funding as part of President Joe Biden’s "Rebuild Better Plan," and the state must match it.