2020 -- H 8156

========

LC005639

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

____________

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

THANKING THE HONORABLE SPEAKER NICHOLAS A. MATTIELLO FOR HIS

FOURTEEN YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF RHODE

ISLAND AND HOUSE DISTRICT 15 IN CRANSTON

     Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Filippi, Casimiro, and Kazarian

     Date Introduced: December 14, 2020

     Referred To: Placed on the House Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello was born on May 16, 1963, and is a life-long

Rhode Islander. He attended La Salle Academy, graduating in 1981, Boston College, graduating

with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in 1985, a 1988 graduate of the Suffolk

University School of Law and is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association. Speaker

Mattiello is the devoted husband of Mary Ann and is the proud father of two sons, Nicholas and

Anthony; and

     WHEREAS, Speaker Mattiello was first elected to the Rhode Island House of

Representatives in 2006, to represent the Cranston constituents of House District 15. Speaker

Mattiello was chosen by his colleagues in February of 2010 to serve as the House Majority

Leader and in March of 2014, was elected Speaker. He was subsequently re-elected Speaker in

January of 2015, 2017 and 2019; and

     WHEREAS, Under his leadership and guidance, Speaker Mattiello's focus was on

growing the Rhode Island economy, improving the job climate in our State, and providing tax

relief to our hard-working citizens. In recognition of his hard work in reducing the State's Car

Tax, the Tax Foundation in October of 2018, presented him with the Outstanding Achievement in

State Tax Reform Award; and

     WHEREAS, During Speaker Mattiello's tenure, the Rhode Island corporate tax rate was

reduced to the lowest rate in the Northeast; the income tax was eliminated for many Social

Security recipients and other retirees; and the sales tax was eliminated on utility bills previously

paid by businesses; and

     WHEREAS, Under Speaker Mattiello's leadership, the minimum wage has been raised

four times, and Rhode Islanders will receive sick-leave benefits for the first time. Speaker

Mattiello has always been a strong supporter of public education, and thanks to his guidance, the

State increased its support of school construction, career and technical education, all-day

kindergarten, pre-kindergarten, and higher education; and

     WHEREAS, The budgets passed during Speaker Mattiello's tenure increased support for

the developmentally disabled community, hospitals and nursing homes. In recognition of Speaker

Mattiello's tireless support and advocacy on behalf of medically fragile Rhode Islanders, the RI

Partnership presented him with its 2018 Legislative Champion Award; and

     WHEREAS, Thanks to support from Speaker Mattiello, a Rhode Island Constitutional

Amendment was passed restoring jurisdiction of the Ethics Commission over the Rhode Island

General Assembly. In addition, many other good government laws were passed under Speaker

Mattiello's leadership including the elimination of the "Master Lever", campaign finance lobbying

reform laws, and the posting of all financial disclosure statements of public officials online; and

     WHEREAS, Speaker Mattiello also worked tirelessly to address the Opioid crisis, to

strengthen school safety measures, and to take away guns from domestic abusers and from those

persons deemed to be a danger to themselves and others. He sponsored a law to create threat

assessment teams in schools to identify potentially threatening behavior, and was honored by the

Coalition Against Domestic Violence for the creation of a permanent funding stream that

addresses domestic and dating violence; and

     WHEREAS, Speaker Mattiello is well-known by his colleagues for his love of animals

and his passionate support for laws to greater protect them. He has been honored by the Humane

Society and the Providence Animal Shelter for his leadership and hard work in ensuring the

passage of stronger laws to protect animals; and

     WHEREAS, Speaker Mattiello is a member of the St. Mary's Feast Society and the

Oaklawn Grange. He received the 2017 Man of the Year Award from the Italo-American Club.

He previously coached baseball in the Cranston Western Little League and the Cranston-Johnston

Regional Catholic Middle School; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives hereby thanks Speaker Nicholas A.

Mattiello for his fourteen years of honorable and distinguished service to the citizens of Rhode

Island and the Cranston constituents of District 15. Speaker Mattiello's tenure as Speaker from

2014 to 2020 will be long-remembered for its many accomplishments. We wish Speaker

Mattiello good health, happiness and continued success in all his future endeavors; and be it

LC005639 - Page 2 of 3

further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Honorable Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello.

========

LC005639

========

LC005639 - Page 3 of 3