Press Releases

Rep. Naughton Gets A+ on “Green” Report Card

The Environment Council of Rhode Island has given Rep. Eileen S. Naughton an “A+” for her environmental voting record during the General Assembly’s 2003 and 2004 sessions.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for something that’s so near and dear to my heart,” said Representative Naughton, who represents District 21 in Warwick. “I’ve been fighting for clean air, water and natural resources all my life, and I’m thrilled that the General Assembly has been recognized for its efforts in bringing environmental matters to the forefront. This was truly a banner year in terms of the environment.” (more—MSWord document)

Naughton Sees State's Future in the Ocean

Yesterday, Naughton had reason to believe the state and URI were on the cusp of becoming world leaders in oceanographic research.

Naughton said the announcement that URI has secured $2 million in federal and private funds for the technology to operate a proposed Inner Space Center and $2 million to $3 million from the National Geographic Society over the next five years to conduct archaeological explorations in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean had her “dancing.”

At an afternoon press conference at the Ocean Technology Center on URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus, marine explorer and URI Professor of Oceanography Robert Ballard announced several initiates to make the university “the global headquarters for exploring the world’s oceans.” (more)

New Law Gives Greater Health Care Access to Disabled Workers

Disabled workers will soon have greater access to affordable health care thanks to a new program approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor.

Known as “The Sherlock Act,” the measure will allow workers with disabilities who do not qualify for Medicaid health insurance coverage to “buy-in” to the program.

“People with disabilities want to work, but the previous system was actually discouraging them from doing so,” said Rep. Eileen S. Naughton, a member of the House Finance Committee and the law’s main sponsor. “This law will allow them to get good-paying jobs while preserving their health care benefits, income and independence all at the same time.” (more)

Students with Disabilities Demonstrate Leadership at State House Forum

Cameras and smiles flashed as a group of teal-shirted teenagers were given a tour through the State House yesterday, and then got a chance to mock debate on the House floor.

“Hi, I’m Justin Batista of Providence. Why is this bill called the Sherlock Act, and will the people with disabilities have to pay for the services?” Batista said into a microphone. He was one of eight delegates and five counselors with physical or learning disabilities attending the third annual Rhode Island Youth Leadership Forum.

Warwick District 21 Representative Eileen Naughton fielded the question. The act, which she introduced and was approved in the last session, is named for the late Paul Sherlock, a longstanding advocate of rights for those with disabilities. Naughton said persons with disabilities would benefit from the act, which allows them a door into the workforce and the ability to have healthcare coverage, she said. Rhode Island is the last New England state to approve the legislation and is the 35th state to do so, she said. (more)

School Dept. Awarded $2,000 for Math and Science Curriculum

At a time when education reform is a huge issue on all levels – city, state and federal – the Warwick School Department was happy to receive a $2,000 legislative grant from the Rhode Island General Assembly to improve its math and science curriculum.

The funding, which was presented last Friday by State Representative Eileen Naughton (D-Dist. 21) to Superintendent Robert Shapiro and Science and Math Supervisor Russell Rapose, will be used by the city to implement new strategies in presenting and assessing students’ achievements in the two subjects. (more)

Commission on Visually Impaired Children Releases Interim Report

After meeting for more than a year, the Special House Commission to Promote and Develop a Comprehensive System of Education for Visually Impaired Children today released its interim report.

The 102-page report calls for changes that will form – for the first time - a comprehensive system of specialized educational programs and support services for every eligible child or young adult in the state. (more—MS Word doc)

Unique partnership to seed future for RI shellfishermen

Efforts to revitalize and expand the shellfishing industry in Rhode Island won’t be viewed as a success for another two to three years when people see a distinct red marking across little necks and cherrystones.

Tuesday morning on the dock at Greenwich Bay Marina West, officials, shellfishermen, members of the media and university professors gathered to witness the unveiling of the first step in the Shellfish Restoration Project. A partnership of the Rhode Island Shellfisherman’s Association (RISA), Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA), Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), Roger Williams University and the University of Rhode Island’s Sea Grant is working on the project. CRMC Chair Michael Tikoian feels “aquaculture will be great for Rhode Island” and called the project “a unique use of resources.” (more)

From Rubble Rises Hope for Homeless

Demolition of an old recreation center in Conimicut, which will make way for a subsidized apartment to house four homeless single women, began on Tuesday morning with Warwick city and state officials on hand to celebrate the occasion.

The single-story apartment complex at 159 Winter Ave. is slated to open at the end of August and has been designed with a peaked roof to help it fit into the neighborhood. It will include four single bedrooms as well as a living room and kitchen to be shared by all four occupants. The women will be selected by the House of Hope and will contribute 30 percent of their income to rent each month. (more)

Sea Grant Community Service Award cites Rep. Naughton as aquaculture visionary

When good things happen in Rhode Island’s aquaculture industry, Eileen Naughton’s name usually comes up. Naughton, state representative from Warwick and chair of the Rhode Island Legislative Commission on Aquaculture, has devoted much of her legislative career to promoting aquaculture and related marine businesses as a viable force in Rhode Island’s economy. (more)

Rhode Island Aquaculture Conference & Expo goes international

There will be more than shrimp, scallops and oysters on the plate at this year’s Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Expo (NACE- RI).

The main course will be a newly brokered economic deal between Rhode Island and South Australia that could possibly send Ocean State aquaculture products halfway across the globe and that has state officials buzzing with excitement. (more)

Rep. Naughton Bill to Require More Accountability for Slater Centers Comes Before House Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is scheduled to hear testimony tomorrow on legislation Rep. Eileen S. Naughton (D-Dist. 32) has submitted to establish more openness and accountability to a state-funded program meant to incubate home-grown technology development and commercialization in Rhode Island.

The bill (2002-H 8106) would move the Samuel Slater Technology Fund out of the control of the non-statutory Economic Policy Council (EPC) and put it into the hands of the statutory Economic Development Corporation (EDC). (more)

Legislator Outraged by Cut in Entrepreneurial Centers

Start-up capital for technology firms is scheduled to be cut from the state budget this year as Governor Almond seeks to merge four entrepreneurial centers into two, but a Warwick legislator has petitioned him to keep all four centers open with reduced funding. Almond asked the Economic Policy Council last week to vote by fax to ratify the consolidation of the centers, but the council’s vote is not binding.

Rep. Eileen Naughton (D-Dist. 32) wrote to Almond, calling his request “grossly misplaced.” Yesterday, she said the six Slater Centers are non-profit corporations and that Almond cannot consolidate them without the approval of their individual boards. The governor’s proposed cut of the centers’ budget from $4.5 million to $4 million does not have to result in consolidation, she said. (more)

WACTC team wins first prize in national competition

Rep. Eileen Naughton (D-Dist. 32) is proud to announce that a duo of Warwick Area Career and Technical Center (WACTC) students took home top honors in the 2002 National Automotive Technology Competition.

WELL-DESERVED CONGRATULATIONS - Warwick Area Career and Technical Center (WACTC) seniors placed first in the national automotive competition held April 2 and 3 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. The achievement garnered them a slew of prizes for themselves and their school, as well as praise from Representative Naughton, who recently visited them and their coach, WACTC teacher Vincent Fittante, to congratulate them. (more)

House Creates Commission to Improve Education for Blind

The House of Representatives yesterday approved a resolution (2002-H 7925) submitted by Rep. Eileen S. Naughton (D-Dist. 32) to create a commission to develop a comprehensive education system for the visually impaired in Rhode Island.

Educational services for the visually impaired are something that has been overlooked for a very long time in Rhode Island," said Representative Naughton, whose district is in Warwick. "Although this is still the beginning of what will no doubt be a long process to get all the necessary services in place, it is a victory for the family of every visually impaired child in the state." (more)

New, Largest Ever Aquaculture Conference to Hit Rhode Island Shores

For the first time, Rhode Island is poised to sponsor the largest aquaculture conference ever held in the New England area when it plays host to the Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Expo this November.

Slated for Nov. 15-16 at the Crown Plaza at the Crossings in Warwick, the conference will draw together local, national and international exhibitors, experts, educators and fish farmers to discuss issues and trends in the region’s aquaculture industry. It will mark the first time that the states of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, New York and New Jersey have joined together for such an event. (more)

Ocean State Center for Independent Living honors Rep. Naughton

The Ocean State Center for Independent Living (OSCIL) has given Rep. Eileen S. Naughton its 2001 Legislative Award for her efforts to enhance the lives of Rhode Islanders with disabilities. (more)

Rep. Naughton participates in NOAA Constituent Workshop in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Eileen S. Naughton, the Warwick state legislator who chairs the House Committee on Environment Accountability, visited Washington, D.C., last week to participate in the 2001 Constituent Workshop of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

"In sponsoring an annual Constituent Workshop NOAA seeks to reach out to interested parties around the country to gather feedback on its current and future efforts," said Representative Naughton, who represents District 32. "The workshop sessions, which were attended by about 300 people, dealt with such issues as marine transportation, underwater mapping, coastal surveys, and protected species." (more)

Senator Reed and Rep. Naughton head back to school for science class

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and state Rep. Eileen Naughton visited the Hoxsie Elementary School in Warwick Tuesday (April 10) to view firsthand an innovative program that brings science to life in the classroom.

The legislators observed fifth-grade students in the Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Program, which teams graduate students in marine and environmental sciences at the University of Rhode Island together with elementary school children throughout the state. (more)

Representative Naughton Appointed to Genetic Testing Commission

Rep. Eileen S. Naughton (D-Dist. 32) of Warwick has been appointed to serve on a commission that will study privacy issues and patients’ rights concerning genetic testing.

"Genetic testing is a relatively new field that holds a wealth of promise for patients and the entire medical community," said Representative Naughton. "But with this new technology comes an unprecedented set of rules concerning a patient’s privacy and whether the results of a genetic test should be shared with insurance companies and health maintenance organizations." (more)

Representative Naughton applauds $60M bond issue that will upgrade wastewater treatment plants

Rep. Eileen S. Naughton (D-Dist. 32) of Warwick is pleased that a $60-million bond referendum to curb water pollution and upgrade wastewater treatment plants will go before voters in November.

Included in the $2.4 billion budget (2000-H 7862Aaa) recently signed by Gov. Lincoln Almond, Question 2 would allocate $60 million to the Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency, which would in turn offer no-interest loans to the state’s 39 municipalities to improve water quality. (more)

Boost Funding, Research Positions at the University of Rhode Island

Rep. Eileen S. Naughton of Warwick (D-Dist. 32) has submitted two pieces of legislation that would boost state funding for environmental programs at the University of Rhode Island and "unfreeze" research positions funded by outside sources.

The first bill (2000-H 7081) would require the state to match money received by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund Land Grant programs at URI. Rhode Island currently ranks 52nd in state funding out of 54 Land Grant programs throughout the nation. (more)

Funds to Replenish Depleted Fish and Shellfish Populations

To help bolster the finfish and shellfish population in Rhode Island's waters, Rep. Eileen S. Naughton (D-Dist. 32) of Warwick has introduced legislation that would allocate funds towards fishery enhancement.

Under the bill (2000-H 7854), money collected from recreational and commercial fishing license fees would be used exclusively to enhance fisheries within the state. The funds would be used to protect and increase the number of finfish, lobsters and shellfish in Rhode Island waters. The money would also be used to transplant shellfish from closed areas. (more)

Representative Naughton Welcomes USDA official to Ocean State

Rep. Eileen S. Naughton of Warwick recently hosted a U.S. Department of Agriculture official during his visit to the Ocean State to discuss the agency's new organic standards program.

During Wednesday's (May 3) meeting in the State House, Mark Keating of the USDA met with Representative Naughton, state Department of Environmental Management representatives, farmers, and aquaculture firm owners to promote the agency's new proposal for national standards for organic food labeling. Rhode Island was just one of three states (including Alaska and Alabama) visited to gain information on how to create organic standards for aquatic animals such as shellfish and finfish. (more)

Representative Naughton urges all to "think green" this Earth Day

Rep. Eileen S. Naughton is urging her constituents and everyone throughout the state to think globally, act locally, and above all, think "green" this weekend in celebration of Earth Day.

Saturday, April 22, is the 30th anniversary of Earth Day and Representative Naughton (D-Dist. 32) of Warwick wants all Ocean State residents to take part in the events and enjoy the state’s abundant natural resources. (more)

Rep. Naughton Praises Rhode Island's "Green Industry"

Rep. Eileen S. Naughton, the Warwick legislator who is a strong supporter of Rhode Island agriculture, called attention today to the state's booming "green industry."

According to a study recently released by the New England Nursery Association, the state's environmental horticulture industry raked in $279 million in 1998. "Green" industries include wholesale nurseries and greenhouses, retail garden centers, landscape design and installation, florists, sod farms and retail stores such as The Home Depot. Not included in the study are fruit and vegetable sales or other edible farm crops. (more)

House Approves Legislation to Establish Legal Infrastructure for Electonic Commerce

Legislation designed to facilitate and promote secure electronic commerce by defining and by giving legal standing in Rhode Island to such terms as electronic record and electronic signature has been approved unanimously by the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

Called "The Rhode Island Electronic Commerce Security Act", the legislation adds a new Chapter 47 to the "Commercial Law - General Regulatory Provisions" section of the Rhode Island General Laws. It was introduced by Rep. Eileen S. Naughton (D-Dist. 32) of Warwick.

"Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is the new world economy and it is definitely booming," said Representative Naughton. "This legislation will begin to establish in Rhode Island the legal infrastructure for conducting business electronically in the most secure manner, especially on the internet. Electronic commerce is one of the most exciting business opportunities in the history of civilization, but it is uncharted territory." (more)

Sportfishing to be discussed at Aquaculture Conference

Recreational and commercial sportfishing as well as other environmental and marine interests will be featured at the 3rd Annual Rhode Island Aquaculture Conference scheduled for October 8-9, 1998 at the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, in Cranston. The Conference's goal is to strengthen the importance of the ocean and Narragansett Bay, further educating the public's awareness of the benefits that are derived from aquaculture.

" 'Recreational Sportfishing and Aquaculture: Co-exsistence' will be the panel theme and is certain to produce lively and healthy debate among the panelists and conference attendees," says Rep. Eileen Naughton, the Warwick legislator who chairs the General Assembly's Aquaculture Commission, the principal sponsor of the conference. (more)

Speaker Harwood appoints Rep. Naughton to Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Rep. Eileen S. Naughton, the Warwick Representative who chairs the General Assembly's permanent Aquaculture Commission, has been appointed by House Speaker John B. Harwood as Rhode Island's legislator member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

"Representative Naughton will make an excellent ASMFC Commissioner," said Speaker Harwood. "Her hard work and dedication over the past three years in educating Rhode Islanders on the importance of the fisheries make this appointment a perfect fit. I have the greatest confidence that she will serve with the same enthusiasm and distinction that she brings to all her legislative endeavors." (more)

Naughton resolution to name 1998 "Year of The Ocean" passes House

The Rhode Island House of Representative last week approved a House Resolution that proclaims that the year, 1998, will be called the "Year of the Ocean" in Rhode Island. It was introduced by Rep. Eileen S. Naughton, who recently returned from the nation's first-ever National Ocean Conference in Monterey, California.

"Dedicating 1998 as the Year of the Ocean is an important first step at local, national, and international levels to preserve the ocean's health, to protect the marine environment, and to properly manage the rich resources of our world's oceans," said Representative Naughton. "It is fitting that Rhode Island make this proclamation since we have long recognized the importance of the oceans and call ourselves the 'Ocean State'." (more)

Dr. Ballard, discoverer of Titanic, visits R.I. General Assembly

Dr. Robert D. Ballard, the world-famous oceanographer and explorer who discovered the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic, joined today with an informal partnership of Rhode Island legislators, businesses, media, students, and educators in promoting the live interactive satellite and statewide cable television broadcasts later this month of Dr. Ballard's 1998 JASON Project Expedition IX ( "Oceans of Earth and Beyond" ( at the University of Rhode Island and throughout the state.

"The ocean theme of JASON IX is so appropriate for Rhode Island because we are indeed the 'Ocean State'," said Rep. Eileen S. Naughton, the Warwick legislator who is a passionate advocate for aquaculture and improved marine science education in Rhode Island. "Today is also a homecoming because Dr. Ballard is one of our own. He received his Ph.D. in marine geology and geophysics from the University of Rhode Island and has had a long personal and scientific relationship with our state university." (more)

Aquaculture teachers hold third meeting in Bristol

The Rhode Island Aquaculture Teachers Network, which grew out of a regional two-day workshop for aquaculture educators sponsored last November in New Bedford and Woods Hole by the New England Board of Higher Education, will hold its third meeting Thursday, February 12, at 4 p.m. on the campus of Roger Williams University in Bristol.

"The network of teachers who are interested in bringing aquaculture into middle and secondary school classrooms of Rhode Island is growing," said Rep. Eileen S. Naughton, the Warwick state legislator who chairs the General Assembly's Aquaculture Commission. "From our initial group of 14 teachers, we have grown to 54 talented and motivated persons. It's exciting to watch this group of aquaculture educators interact and share ideas." (more)