For 121 years, the Rhode Island General Assembly has discussed, debated and passed laws in nameless chambers of the Rhode Island State House.
Senate President Valarie Lawson wants to change that.
Lawson, an East Providence Democrat, has proposed naming the Senate chamber after her predecessor, the late Senate President Dominick Ruggerio. Ruggerio died on April 21, ending a four-decade career as a state lawmaker, including seven years as Senate president.
“As the Dean of the Senate, and the longest-tenured member of the General Assembly, Senate President Ruggerio left an indelible mark at the State House,” Lawson said in a statement. “Honoring his incredible record of service to his constituents, the Senate, and the state of Rhode Island through the naming of the President Dominick J. Ruggerio Senate Chamber is an appropriate tribute to our dear friend.”
Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone, Senate Majority Whip David Tikoian and Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, among others, have signed on to the bill to rename the room “President Dominick J. Ruggerio Senate Chamber.”
Lawson’s bill is slated to get a first hearing before the Senate Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs Tuesday afternoon. If advanced out of committee, it could come before the full chamber Wednesday, Greg Paré, a Senate spokesperson, said. If approved, the designation will likely include a plaque outside the Senate chamber noting its new name.
Across the rotunda, the House of Representatives chamber remains nameless. There is no record of attempts to designate the room for someone, Larry Berman, a House spokesperson, said. However, other State House rooms have been named in remembrance of deceased lawmakers, including Senate room 212, named for former Rhode Island Senator Roger Badeau, a Woonsocket Democrat who died in 2008.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
