It’s no secret that across the board, costs have risen for Rhode Island families and businesses. From the grocery store to the gas pump and beyond, added expenses are straining budgets and bank accounts.
We are working in the Senate to find ways to provide relief. To provide relief to year-round Newport residents, in coordination with Representative Lauren Carson, I was proud to sponsor a law that allows the city to set a lower tax rate on owner-occupied properties. Working with Representative Alex Finkelman, I sponsored legislation to enable Jamestown to establish a program would provide members of the Jamestown Volunteer Fire Department with up to $2,000 of property tax relief.
This year, we suspended the gross receipts tax on electricity and natural gas bills for this coming winter - providing $35 million in relief for residents and businesses from high energy costs - and increased the state Earned Income Tax Credit to provide needed additional support for Rhode Island’s working families. I continue to work on expanding opportunities for renewable energy to help provide a more diverse energy supply into the region in an effort to stabilize and drive down costs in the long term.