Media Center

ACCESS/RI, a coalition of groups working for open government in Rhode Island, sent a letter to Governor Daniel McKee urging him to issue an executive order that would allow public bodies to once again hold online meetings and require public bodies to provide remote access for members of the public. The coalition made the request in light of the current wave of infections caused by the Delta variant of Covid-19.

Rhode Island’s political spending transparency rules have been upheld by a federal appeals court, which held that “a well-informed electorate is as vital to the survival of a democracy as air is to the survival of human life.”

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau will release population data from the 2020 Census in an easy-to-use format for Americans who want to advocate for fair maps in this year’s redistricting cycle. The new format of the data will be made available to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and will be key to increasing participation in the ongoing redistricting efforts.

Today, a coalition of more than 20 community organizations sent a letter to the state’s Reapportionment Commission outlining a list of demands to achieve a fair and transparent redistricting process.

We are advocating for a process that prioritizes opportunities for meaningful public input, public access to the redistricting data used by mapmakers in Rhode Island, and a mapmaking process conducted in the public interest.

The Rhode Island Voting Access Coalition announced new polling showing strong bipartisan support for measures that expand access to the ballot for Ocean State voters.