Senate Bill 329, also known as "Revenue for Rhode Islanders," sponsored by Senator Melissa Murray
What this bill does:
This bill would raise income taxes on the top 1% of income-earners in RI (people who make more than $625,000 a year), resulting in an additional $190 million of potential funding for social services such as Medicaid, affordable housing, RIPTA, and education annually.
You can read the full bill text here.
---------------------------------------------
Why this bill matters:
Trump and Musk’s aggressive reconciliation package that passed in the U.S. House last week will result in huge cuts to the services Rhode Islanders depend on. If legislators don’t act now, we will be unable to maintain current funding for our schools, healthcare, roads and bridges, and much more.
For years, hardworking Rhode Islanders have been paying more than our fair share in taxes, while the wealthy pay less and less. The top 1% of highest earners in the state, whose average income is over $2 million per year, currently pay an average of 8.6% of their household income in state and local taxes. Meanwhile, the rest of us pay an average of 10.2%, with the lowest-income earners paying over 13%. We need to re-balance Rhode Island's upside-down tax system now!
By passing the Revenue for Rhode Island bill, we can create a new revenue stream of over $190 million annually that will ensure our state’s most important, lifesaving programs will be funded, despite Trump and Musk’s cuts.
---------------------------------------------
This form will guide you as you submit testimony in support of this bill. RI Working Families Power staff will format your submission into a letter and send it to the administrators of the Senate Finance Committee, who will include it in the packet of materials that committee Senators use to review each bill before its hearing.
Thank you for your support, and thank you to the RIWFP volunteers who helped create this form!
