[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6612696,"mediaKeyId","2888887-13f45bcb6f42fa1bc38cf5242f7fe835","parentId",2888887,"title","Supporters urge constitutional right to an adequate education; opponents warn of judicial budget control","audioSeconds",133,"startMs",443000,"endMs",576000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2888887-13f45bcb6f42fa1bc38cf5242f7fe835&start=443&end=576","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2888887-13f45bcb6f42fa1bc38cf5242f7fe835/thumbnail_443000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6612696/Rhode-Island/Supporters-urge-constitutional-right-to-an-adequate-education-opponents-warn-of-judicial-budget-control","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6612696-8cf74add8eebd592c9ff6a64b59002bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770618835&Signature=hcSOPXjfq~fvgFO4X3bTUqHVXtlMShJNmPpm5PPDsujlx8FSNhgkpaKpUat3~ac8gN2ajSJPy81PiNIW8OKOgG5u3obr7lSZ4528ZLat3rsiTx7eOKHBNGI4SGSg17chXUjN4ZPuQSHcwDK5Ko8nPJevH1KhR84EAK4Y2Wl9Zmknh1x-SYwn3L8Rkf7P3pQsx2tzm3vkdN-A4~DTkiaOUj~58RuJVnCVGLcqzQBtiTDVYngRVfpfeMIB~mF4LsAaBHCFDIO5sK5pQCiGWxCis0jsoQmNico3LC~GuvSOHu-MUj0S5lEeQCyXglTs3Y5tvYE7~eWo5Kt9FWg125xeIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Rhode Island","date","2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","article","Sponsor (name not specified in the transcript) introduced House Resolution 5459, a proposed constitutional amendment to guarantee Rhode Island residents an \"adequate, equitable, and meaningful\" education with judicial enforcement.

Tim Duffy, executive director of the Rhode Island Association of School Committees, testified the association has promoted a constitutional amendment for roughly two decades and argued that state courts' current reliance on federal precedent prevents judges from providing remedies. \"In a 5-4 ruling, they said that, it wasn't a federal right,\" Duffy said, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision in San Antonio v. Rodriguez. He recited a string of Rhode Island cases and federal litigation, saying courts have repeatedly expressed \"regret that they can't do more\" because the constitutional right to education is not currently enforceable in the state.

Representing the National Education Association of Rhode Island, Eric Hasselhurst told the committee that public education is \"the foundation of our democracy\" and urged support for an amendment to guarantee a \"quality education regardless of their race, their gender, or their zip code.\"

Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, also urged approval and said the proposed amendment supplies a remedy the courts have told litigants they lack. \"What is the point of a right like this without a remedy?\" Brown asked.

Several testifiers stressed the amendment would be decided by voters, since an amendment requires popular ratification. League of Women Voters representative Donnie McGee said judicial enforcement would provide \"accountability\" and \"puts backbone behind this right to an adequate and equitable education.\"

Opponents on the committee voiced concerns about the amendment's enforceability. Representative Newberry said his opposition stems from the possibility of later litigation that could require courts to set or limit state education budgets. \"Someone's gonna file a lawsuit that's gonna end up having a judicial enforced, basically a judge controlling our state budget,\" Newberry said, adding that entrusting budget decisions to courts would be \"an abdication of our responsibilities as elected officials.\"

Why it matters: The amendment would expand the state constitution and create a private right of action to seek judicial enforcement of educational adequacy; supporters say it would address funding disparities, while opponents caution about judicial involvement in fiscal decisions.

Status: The sponsor asked for committee consideration; testimony was taken from multiple stakeholders and further action was noted on the legislative calendar.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee on State Government & Elections: 4-3-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Witnesses and advocates testified in favor of House Resolution 5459, a proposed constitutional amendment that would guarantee an adequate education and permit judicial enforcement; some legislators warned the clause could cede budget authority to courts in future lawsuits.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature RI, Rhode Island","taxId",77689,"location","Rhode Island","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6612700,"Committee rapidly approved a slate of House bills and voted to hold five items for further study",2826,1909000,4735000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2888887-13f45bcb6f42fa1bc38cf5242f7fe835&start=1909&end=4735","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2888887-13f45bcb6f42fa1bc38cf5242f7fe835/thumbnail_1909000.jpg","/articles/6612700/Rhode-Island/Committee-rapidly-approved-a-slate-of-House-bills-and-voted-to-hold-five-items-for-further-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6612700-6e1e785bbdddf952c13a1209cbe683ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1770618835&Signature=SJRH2ho5fECnUjStAxX-jsNcanx27t67YTyNX-AMqi-OhESSgINHD6XRda0kAzWCa0lxb~Q-jBsnCjpgVifwfnW2cwZ-F8dBMzfDGqdNRQqvpJZ2oZSf~yAFqXfXXcXSnwmJT8LouwgC9cU-fWXXuFFpYRaHLnDJQGFsFtA~FbwQR5sxwWQMSFcgqM58qJlTLOTKjpzuZgW62o2xBgguB4q9KVEGhe6uboTKXfsbLCxcutcwCkuRjPhbHH7go91fhpVXg0kxm8W8FnepY8b4NaXBjZiJMWsF9czSXzCUW2tG1mPRx1yL76lmyLjKa554jQAL1PhZyEdw5B7sqT5XWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House State Government & Elections Committee opened the hearing with a string of procedural votes, advancing several bills and recording a formal motion to hold five additional measures for further study.

Chairwoman called for a motion \"to hold the bills for further study,\" explaining the motion was procedural and intended only to give the committee time to review testimony and written materials. Representative Kazarian made the motion and it was seconded; a subsequent roll recording by Representative Shanley showed 10 recorded affirmative votes on the motion to hold the listed items for further study.

Committee members then moved and seconded passage of a series of House bills in rapid succession. The transcript records motions \"I'd like to move passage\" and a series of \"Second\" and \"Aye\" responses for bills identified on the record as House Bill 5,084; House Bill 5,311/5,312 (numbers read aloud in the hearing); House Bill 5,312 (by Representative Carson); House Bill 5,384; House Bill 5,514; House Bill 5,517; House Bill 5,518; House Bill 5,709; House Bill 5,710; and others that were taken up by motion. Several members individually asked to have their negative vote recorded for specific bills (for example, Representative Newberry asked to be recorded opposed on 5,312 and Representative Clark asked to be recorded opposed on 5,084).

The committee paused its agenda after those procedural actions and proceeded to public testimony on multiple bills.

Why it matters: These early procedural votes affected the committee's docket and which items would receive immediate debate or be reserved for future consideration. The \"hold for further study\" vote establishes that, for the five bills listed at the start of the hearing, the committee will accept further testimony and review before taking final action.

Votes and procedural outcomes recorded on the transcript are reported in the committee record; where specific vote tallies for individual bill passages are not read aloud in the transcript, this report notes that votes were taken but the transcript did not specify final counts for each motion.","The House State Government & Elections Committee took a series of procedural votes at the start of its hearing, moving multiple bills to passage and voting to \"hold for further study\" five other measures to allow time for testimony and staff review.","actionData","errors"]

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Supporters urge constitutional right to an adequate education; opponents warn of judicial budget control

Committee rapidly approved a slate of House bills and voted to hold five items for further study