Rhode Islanders faced hardship in 2022 because of failure by Congress to protect proven anti-poverty policies enacted during pandemic

Black and Latino Rhode Islanders most impacted by Congressional lack of action September 14, 2023 PROVIDENCE, RI – Nationally, the overall poverty rate and child poverty rate rose by the largest amount on record in more than 50 years, according to new US Census data released this week. The data also reveal that too many Rhode Islanders — over 113,000, …

FY2024 Budget and 2023 General Assembly Session in Review

2023 Session in Review Rhode Island’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget – authorizing $14.0 billion in total expenditures, including $5.43 billion in state General Revenue – along with other legislation enacted during the 2023 General Assembly session, substantial investments were made in Rhode Island and Rhode Islanders, while leaving on the table important proposals. Our review of the 2023 session highlights …

An Equity Review of the Proposed FY2024 Rhode Island State Budget

Budget Equity Review Rhode Island’s annual state budget is the most important piece of legislation proposed, debated, and enacted each year. The budget is a statement of our values and priorities and has been called a moral document. As residents of this state, we are obligated to understand whether the budget, in its many expenditures and investments, elevates our identified …

FY2023 Budget and 2022 General Assembly Session In Review

Rhode Island’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget makes some substantial investments in Rhode Island and Rhode Islanders, while leaving on the table some important proposals. EPI has just released its in-depth review of the FY23 Budget and 2022 General Assembly session. This major report takes an in-depth look at legislative priorities that affect the lives of everyday Rhode Islanders. The report …

Ten Wins in 2022 Legislative Session

The Economic Progress Institute celebrates all of the organizations, advocates and legislators who helped to bring about these ten key wins to promote equity and economic security for all Rhode Islanders during the 2022 Legislative Session. Investments in Children and Families 1. More families eligible for child care assistance; better pay for providers. The RIght from the Start Campaign, co-led …

EPI Report details four transformative and equity-centered ways Rhode Island can invest ARPA funding

UpRise RI As Rhode Island lawmakers are engaged in final negotiations over the FY2023 state budget, the Economic Progress Institute (EPI) has published a report outlining how Rhode Island can shift expenditures of some American Rescue Program Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Funds (SFRF) as proposed in the Governor’s recommended budget to items that both embrace transformation and center equity. …

Four Transformative and Equity-Centered Ways to Expend ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Funds

INTRODUCTION As policymakers negotiate a final budget for FY2023 and institute a plan for spending the entirety of Rhode Island’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Funds (SFRF), we find ourselves at a critical juncture. If nothing changes, we are likely to spend the state’s ARPA SFRF in a scattershot manner, funding lots of small projects, but spreading …

RI has resources to lift children from extreme poverty

Elizabeth Lange Special to Providence Journal (Print Edition) The time to act is now to lift more than 5,000 children in Rhode Island out of extreme poverty. The measure commonly used to define poverty is the federal poverty level (FPL), and equates to $1,919 per month for a family of three. Extreme poverty is defined as half of FPL — …