Raimondo’s five-point «protecting possibility for working families» platform draws from high-profile present legislative initiatives, including a gender equity legislation and crackdown on payday lenders, that the overall Assembly’s modern lawmakers haven’t been in a position to pass.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Working to battle a main challenge on her remaining flank, Gov. Gina Raimondo on Monday endorsed a slate of modern financial proposals, including expanding the earned tax credit plus the state’s premium household leave legislation.
Raimondo’s five-point «protecting possibility for working families» platform attracts from high-profile current legislative initiatives, including a sex equity legislation and crackdown on payday lenders, that the overall Assembly’s modern lawmakers haven’t been in a position to pass. Raimondo additionally would like to do more to get and discipline employers whom break state work legislation.
“Hardworking Rhode Islanders should have the pay they deserve while the workplace freedom they should take care of by themselves and their loved ones,» Raimondo stated in a campaign news launch. «we ought to additionally make sure protections that are strict unethical companies and loan providers who is able to benefit from Rhode Island’s many susceptible.»
Earned Income Tax Credit: If she actually is reelected this season, Raimondo proposes increasing their state’s earned tax credit from 15 % of this tax that is federal to 20 per cent. In 2016, Raimondo backed, additionally the General Assembly authorized, hiking the taxation credit from 12.5 per cent towards the rate that is current.
Moving from a 15-percent to credit that is 20-percent believed to price $9 million per year, Raimondo campaign spokeswoman Emily Samsel told The Journal. Raimondo’s plan doesn’t incorporate a funding that is specific to cover the expansion.
Temporary Caregiver Insurance: beginning in 2014, Rhode Islanders could actually just just take a month of time faraway from work to look after someone you care about or relationship by having a child that is newborn receiving Temporary Disability Insurance benefits.
Raimondo proposes enabling Rhode Islanders as much as six months off work under TCI, which year that is last 6,224 claims and settled $12 million in advantages, in accordance with the Department of Labor and Training.
She additionally proposes raising the utmost regular advantage that employees making around minimum wage can get while making a graduated contribution system where lower-wage employees add less towards the TDI investment than higher-income employees. Workers spend in to the TDI investment through payroll deductions.
Pay equity: she hopes to back legislation like the bill that passed the state Senate aimed at eliminating the gender wage gap as she did this year, Raimondo said next year.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Gayle Goldin, D-Providence, could have prohibited companies from asking employment prospect’s income history or preventing employees that are existing speaking about whatever they make with each other. Your house passed an even more version that is business-friendly numerous feminine state lawmakers referred to as watered down and senators rejected. Goldin additionally spearheaded the push that is original short-term caregiver insurance coverage.
Payday financing: for a long time, the lending that is payday has effectively fought down efforts to lessen the attention they charge Rhode Islanders on short-term loans.
Samsel stated Raimondo supports providing Rhode Island usury laws and regulations that could cap interest like those in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Wage theft: «In her 2nd term, Governor Raimondo is going to work with work businesses, advocates, as well as the company community to explore and help legislative and administrative changes to discipline companies wage that is committing — not spending employees for the hours they’ve worked, or spending sub-minimum wages,» the campaign stated in a news launch.
Maybe interestingly, Raimondo’s «working families» platform doesn’t add any proposal for a rise in their state’s minimum wage. Their state’s $ 10.10-per-hour minimum wage is set to go up to $10.50 in January, but no increases are planned from then on.
«Governor Raimondo could be the very very first Rhode Island Governor to ever propose a wage that is minimum each year and she remains devoted to keep increasing it,» composed Samsel, although she would not say whenever or just how much Raimondo would like to raise the minimal wage next.
Matt Brown, Raimondo’s opponent into the Democratic primary for governor, is campaigning on increasing their state minimum wage to $15 an hour or so by 2022.
«From ab muscles starting, Matt Brown has dedicated to bold solutions that provide working families and then leave no body behind, like raising the wage that is minimum expanding Medicaid money and developing a universal medical care system, significantly expanding affordable housing and producing good jobs that spend well,» Brown campaign spokeswoman Juliet Barbara stated in a contact. «He’s been dealing with these tangible actions from the start and certainly will fight which will make them take place as governor.»
Brown has proposed Rhode that is creating Island own medical health insurance system modeled regarding the federal Medicare system, as well as on Monday it came up whenever the Republican Governors Association attacked Democrats around the world on the single-payer health-care plans.
«Democrat prospects operating for governor are adopting a вЂMedicare for several’ health care system that could need trillions in brand new spending and historic income tax hikes,» the RGA stated in a news launch, which highlighted Brown’s state plan and Raimondo’s help almost this past year for car title loan MS a single-payer system that is federal.
Expected whether she supports either a state «Medicare for all» plan or single-payer that is federal Samsel would state just that the «Affordable Care Act is doing work in Rhode Island.»