2026 Victories

The Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty, with its mission to advocate, organize, connect, and empower as a collective force on matters impacting the poor, the vulnerable and the disenfranchised, had several wins for the 2026 legislative session. Of our eight priorities, and working with partners and like-minded coalitions, we had seven wins. include:

  • Increased investment in the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, including funding for bus and bus shelter improvements CHAMPIONS: Rep. Cortvriend and Sen. Zurier

  • Reforming the criminal code by adjusting the misdemeanor max from one year to 364 days. This approval, at least six years in the making, protects immigrants from being detained or deported for minor offenses. It goes into effect on July 1, 2027. COALITION: Immigrant Coalition of RI (RI Interfaith serves on the Policy Committee) CHAMPIONS: Rep. Felix and Sen. Acosta

  • Additional protections for the safety of our immigrant neighbors, including:

    • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers cannot enter Rhode Island’s courthouses without a judicial warrant, nor can they be within 200 feet of any polling place in the state CHAMPIONS: Rep. Batista and Sen. Kallman

    • With a three-year statute of limitations, people are allowed to sue federal immigration officials in state courts for violating the U.S. Constitution CHAMPIONS: Rep. Potter and Sen. Ciccone

  • Improves equity for home healthcare aids for people with developmental disabilities to organize by giving them bargaining rights CHAMPIONS: Senators Thompson (and Mack and others); Representatives Shanley, Slater and others

  • Replaces some lost revenue caused by federal funding reductions and eliminations with state funding, including allocating $26 million to hospitals for uncompensated care as people lose health insurance and providing $20 million to help Rhode Islanders purchase health insurance through HealthSourceRI by partially replacing federal Affordable Care Act subsidies that Congress allowed to expire. CHAMPIONS: Rep. Speakman and Sen. Lauria; Rep. Donovan and Sen. DiPalma

  • Creating more tax fairness by phasing in over three years a three-percent surtax on millionaires. While a tax on the top one percent (income over $640,000 rather than $1 million) would have yielded more, critically needed revenue, this is a win and step in the right direction.  COALITION: Revenue for Rhode Islanders Coalition (RI Interfaith serves on the Steering Committee) CHAMPIONS: Rep. Alzate and Sen. Murray

  • Investing in affordable, safe and permanent housing with the approval of the Rhode Island Housing Bond (Question 2). More than 61 percent of the state’s voters agreed to the $120 million bond that included $85 million for redevelopment, new construction, property acquisition, and infrastructure improvements; $25 million for production of housing for homeownership; and $10 million to to support public housing development programs.

Additional wins for all Rhode Islanders that RI Interfaith supported included:

  • Increasing support – from $1 million to $3 million - to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank CHAMPIONS: Rep. Slater and Sen. Mack

  • Expanding eligibility for child care assistance Rlght from the Start Coalition CHAMPIONS: Rep. Diaz and Sen. Vargas and

  • More money for RI Works families CHAMPIONS: Rep. Handy and Sen. Murray

  • Creating the state’s first Child Tax Credit that provides a refundable $330 tax credit per child CHAMPIONS: Rep. Tanzi and Sen. Vargas

All of these will aid in our efforts in reducing poverty and increasing stability for all and our economy.

Our advocacy for establishing a statewide “healthy school meals for all” universal school breakfast and lunch program in Rhode Island public schools will continue. Legislation to phase in such a program over three years, which was a RI Interfaith priority, did not get approved. 

“We may be a small nonprofit, but we have far-reaching, mutli-faith partners and residents helping us each day,” said RI Interfaith Director and Lead Organizer Alisha A. Pina reflecting on her first year in this role. “This work is year-long and God-approved, and I am excited to do even more together in the months and years to come.”