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Senator announces launch of 'Main Street Rhode Island'; Vanderbilt guests to brief Senate on child tax policy
Summary
Senator Erso told the Senate Feb. 3 that a three-year Main Street program, 'Main Street Rhode Island,' has launched immediately with first-year funding secured; two Vanderbilt University experts were introduced and will brief the body on prenatal-to-3 child tax policy and EITC.
Senator Erso told the Rhode Island Senate on Feb. 3 that a three-year Main Street coordinating program, now called "Main Street Rhode Island," has launched immediately and that funding has been secured for the program’s first year. The program, facilitated by Grow Smart Rhode Island, will train citizen cohorts in Main Street America’s four-point approach to community revitalization, she said.
"This program now called Main Street Rhode Island and facilitated by Grow Smart Rhode Island launched immediately," Senator Erso said, noting that 11 citizen cohorts have been formed across the state. She listed participating locations that include Downtown Pawtucket; Downtown Woonsocket; Central Falls; Trinity Square and Mount Hope neighborhoods in Providence; Rolfe Square, Knightsville, and Elmwood in Cranston; Oakland Beach and Kinnemicate Point in Warwick; Post Road in North Kingstown; historic Wakefield in South Kingstown; the Route 138/Wyoming corridor in Richmond; and Hope Valley and Ashaway in Hopkinton. Erso said she will advocate for a second year of funding to expand the program to more municipalities.
Earlier in the session, Chairman DePalma introduced two guests from Vanderbilt University, Cynthia Osborne and Corey Worrall, who were described as experts on child tax policy. "If you wanna talk to anybody about child tax credit or EITC, those are the experts," the introducer said, and the Senate was told the visitors will participate in a briefing on prenatal-to-3 child tax policy after the session.
The clerk read a communication from Senator Linda L. Ujifusa notifying the Senate she would be absent on Feb. 3, 2026, due to illness. Other routine announcements included a notice that the Act on Climate Commission will meet the following afternoon at 4 p.m. in Room 212 and a Finance Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday.
The brief session concluded when Whip DeCohen moved to adjourn; the motion was seconded by Leader Chacon and passed by voice vote. The Senate stood adjourned.
