State House News - updated during the General Assembly session

Legislation and Politics

NEA Rhode Island advocates the interests of education and labor before the General Assembly and state agencies. NEARI President Larry Purtill, Executive Director Robert A. Walsh, Jr., and lobbyists work with these groups to insure NEARI members are well represented.

The Legislative Commission develops the organization’s legislative agenda, and reviews over 400 General Assembly bills annually to determine their significance to NEARI’s goals and objectives.

The political action arm of the association is the NEARI Political Action Committee for Education (NEARI-PACE). It is a voluntary, non-incorporated, non-profit organization formed in the 1970s to recommend candidates who believe in the organization’s goals. NEARI-PACE is funded through member contributions, not dues dollars.

The National Education Association Fund for Children and Public Education is the political action arm of NEA nationwide, and allows the organization to participate in federal elections. It is also funded through member contributions, not dues dollars.