Rhode Island Politics

Unemployed Rhode Islanders can now collect jobless benefits for up to 99 weeks. President Barack Obama on Friday signed a $24 billion economic stimulus bill into law that gives 14 more weeks of benefits to the unemployed, and an additional 20 weeks of benefits to people out of work in high-unemployment states like Rhode Island. The state Department of Labor and Training says more than 16,000 people who receive federal or state benefits in Rhode Island may be eligible once their current unemployment insurance benefits run out. Rhode Island had an unemployment rate of 13 percent in September, third worst in the country. The ... Read Full Story

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri has signed legislation closing a loophole that made indoor prostitution legal and allowed more than 30 suspected brothels to operate around the state. The bills signed Tuesday end Rhode Island's status as the only state that allowed indoor prostitution statewide. The practice is legal in parts of Nevada. The new law took effect immediately. Carcieri praised the new law as a step forward and said it ended Rhode Island's "terrible" distinction. Rhode Island lawmakers inadvertently created the loophole in 1980 when they passed a law cracking down on prostitutes and their customers who operated in public. But it was ... Read Full Story

The Providence Arcade was once the heart of the capital city's downtown. Built in 1828, it was a bustling commercial center with a skylight-topped center atrium surrounded by three levels of shops and offices. It's also a nationally important example of Greek Revival architecture, boasting 12 massive granite Ionic columns and elaborate iron railings lining walkways that ring its upper floors. The oldest enclosed shopping center in the country, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1976. But while the building is striking to look at, it was built for another time. It has now stood empty for months, casualty of the financial ... Read Full Story

By Ray Henry Associated Press Writer PROVIDENCE, R.I.— Police could start targeting some of the more than 30 suspected brothels operating across Rhode Island after Gov. Don Carcieri signed legislation Tuesday banning indoor prostitution in the only state where it was legal besides parts of Nevada. The new law, which took effect immediately, makes prostitution a misdemeanor crime regardless of where it occurs. Prostitutes will face up to six months in prison for a first offense, while customers and prostitutes convicted of a subsequent offense could be punished by a maximum one-year sentence. State officials hope the new law will help drive the brothels ... Read Full Story

Rhode Island would close a loophole allowing prostitutes to ply their trade indoors under new legislation approved by state lawmakers. The bill approved Thursday would make prostitution a misdemeanor offense regardless of where it occurs. Prostitutes would face a maximum six-month prison sentence for a first offense, while their customers could face up to a year. Gov. Don Carcieri (kuh-CHEHR'-ee) supports closing the nearly 30-year-old loophole allowing indoor prostitution and was expected to sign the legislation. Rhode Island is the only state, besides parts of Nevada, that now allows indoor prostitution. Trying to crack down on outdoor solicitations, the General Assembly passed a 1980 ... Read Full Story