Table Of Content■ The Rhode Island State Constitution
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Th e Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States
G. Alan Tarr, Series Editor
Professor G. Alan Tarr, Director of the Center on State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers
University, serves as General Editor for this important new series which in its entirety will cover
each of the 50 states. Each volume of Th e Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of
the United States contains a historical overview of the state’s constitutional development, plus a
section-by-section analysis of the state’s current constitution. Other features included in the
volumes are the text of the state’s constitution, a bibliographic essay, table of cases, and index.
Th is series provides essential reference tools for those investigating state constitutional
development and constitutional law.
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The Rhode Island
State Constitution
Patrick T. Conley
and
Robert G. Flanders, Jr.
the oxford commentaries on the state
constitutions of the united states
G. Alan Tarr, Series Editor
1
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1
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Copyright © 2011 by Patrick T. Conley and Robert G. Flanders, Jr.
Previously published in 2007 by Greenwood Press
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Conley, Patrick T.
The Rhode Island state constitution / Patrick T. Conley and Robert G. Flanders, Jr.
p. cm. — (The Oxford commentaries on the state constitutions of the United States)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-977871-3 ((hardback) : alk. paper)
1. Constitutions—Rhode Island. 2. Constitutional law—Rhode Island. I. Flanders,
Robert G., Jr. II. Rhode Island. Constitution (1986) III. Title.
KFR4011986.A6 C665 2011
342.74502—dc22 2010054191
______________________________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
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■ C O N T E N T S
S eries F oreword by G. A lan T arr xi
Pr eface xiii
A cknowledgments xv
PART ONE ■ Rhode Island Constitutional Development, 1636–2006
Th e Colonial Era: to 1763 3
Th e Revolutionary Era: 1764–1790 15
Th e Early National Period: 1790–1840 19
Th e Dorr Rebellion and Its Aft ermath: 1841–1854 24
Th e Republican Ascendancy: 1854–1935 28
Th e Bloodless Revolution and Its Aft ermath: 1935–1939 34
Th e Democratic Ascendancy: 1940–1985 36
Th e Modern Era: 1986–2006 42
PART TWO ■ The Rhode Island Constitution and Commentary
Constitution of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations 51
Preamble 51
Article I: Declaration of Certain Constitutional Rights and Principles 53
Section 1. Right to make and alter the constitution—
Constitution obligatory upon all 54
Section 2. Laws for good of the whole—Burdens to be
equally distributed—Due process—Equal
protection—Discrimination—No right to
abortion granted 56
Section 3. Freedom of religion 63
Section 4. Slavery prohibited 69
Section 5. Entitlement to remedies for injuries and
wrongs—Right to justice 71
Section 6. Search and seizure 75
Section 7. Requirement of presentment or indictment—
Double jeopardy 76
Section 8. Bail, fi nes, and punishments 78
Section 9. Right to bail—Habeas corpus 81
Section 10. Rights of accused in criminal cases 84
v
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vi ■ contents
Section 11. Relief of debtors from prison 88
Section 12. Ex post facto laws—Laws impairing the
obligation of contract 89
Section 13. Self-incrimination 91
Section 14. Presumption of innocence—Securing
accused persons 94
Section 15. Trial by jury 96
Section 16. Compensation for taking private property
for public use—Regulation of fi shery rights
and shore privileges not a public taking 99
Section 17. Fishery rights—Privileges of the shore—
Conservation of natural resources—
Preservation of the natural environment 109
Section 18. Subordination of the military to civil authority 118
Section 19. Quartering of soldiers 120
Section 20. Freedom of the press 121
Section 21. Right to assemble and petition—Freedom
of speech 122
Section 22. Right to bear arms 123
Section 23. Rights of victims of crime 124
Section 24. Rights not enumerated—State rights not
dependent on federal rights 126
Article II: Of Suff rage 129
Section 1. Persons entitled to vote 129
Section 2. Nominations, voter registration, and
voting procedures 135
Article III: Of Qualifi cation for Offi ce 139
Section 1. Civil offi ce—Qualifi ed electors 139
Section 2. Disqualifi cation upon conviction or plea
of nolo contendere—Requalifi cation
following sentence, probation, or parole 141
Section 3. Oath of general offi cers 144
Section 4. Oath of General Assembly members, judges,
and other offi cers 144
Section 5. Method of administering the oath of offi ce 144
Section 6. Holding of offi ces under other
governments—Senators and representatives
not to hold other appointed offi ces under
state government 145
Section 7. Ethical conduct 148
Section 8. Ethics commission—Code of ethics 148
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contents ■ vii
Article IV: Of Elections and Campaign Finance 151
Section 1. Election and terms of governor, lieutenant
governor,secretary of state, att orney general,
general treasurer, and General Assembly
members—Recall 151
Section 2. Election by plurality 153
Section 3. Filling vacancy by the General Assembly
when elected offi cers cannot serve—Election
when there is no plurality 155
Section 4. Temporary appointment to fi ll vacancies in
the offi ce of secretary of state, att orney general,
or general treasurer 156
Section 5. Special elections to fi ll General Assembly vacancies 156
Section 6. Elections in grand committ ee—Majority
vote—Term of elected offi cial 157
Section 7. Elections in grand committ ee—
Quorum—Permitt ed activities 158
Section 8. Voter registration lists 158
Section 9. Reports of campaign contributions and expenses 159
Section 10. Limitations on campaign contributions—
Public fi nancing of campaign expenditures
of general offi cers 159
Article V: Of the Distribution of Powers 161
Article VI: Of the Legislative Power 171
Section 1. Constitution the supreme law of the state 171
Section 2. Power vested in the General Assembly—
Concurrence of houses required to enact
laws—Style of laws 178
Section 3. Sessions of the General Assembly—
Compensation of General Assembly members
and offi cers 181
Section 4. Restriction on General Assembly members’
activities as counsel 183
Section 5. Immunities of General Assembly members 188
Section 6. Election and qualifi cation of General Assembly
members—Quorum and organization of houses 190
Section 7. Rules of the houses—Contempt 191
Section 8. House journals 191
Section 9. Adjournment of houses 192
Section 10. Residual powers (repealed in 2005) 193
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viii ■ contents
Section 11. Vote required to pass local or private appropriations 197
Section 12. Property valuations for tax assessments 200
Section 13. Continuance in offi ce until successors qualify 201
Section 14. General corporation laws 201
Section 15. Lott eries 204
Section 16. Borrowing power of the General Assembly 206
Section 17. Borrowing in anticipation of receipts 210
Section 18. Redevelopment powers 211
Section 19. Taking of property for highways, streets,
places, parks, or parkways 213
Section 20. Local off -street parking facilities 214
Section 21. Emergency powers in case of enemy att ack 214
Section 22. Referendum on the expansion of gambling 215
Article VII: Of the House of Representatives 217
Section 1. Composition 217
Section 2. Offi cers—Presiding member during organization 221
Article VIII: Of the Senate 223
Section 1. Composition and apportionment 223
Section 2. Lieutenant governor to be presiding offi cer
until 2003 228
Section 3. Presiding offi cer in absence of lieutenant
governor (repealed) 228
Section 4. Secretary of state to be secretary of the
senate (repealed) 229
Article IX: Of the Executive Power 231
Section 1. Power vested in the governor 231
Section 2. Faithful execution of laws 232
Section 3. Captain general and commander in chief of
military and navy 233
Section 4. Reprieves 234
Section 5. Powers of appointment 234
Section 6. Adjournment of the General Assembly 236
Section 7. Convening of special sessions of the
General Assembly 237
Section 8. Commissions and the state seal 237
Section 9. Vacancy in the offi ce of the governor 237
Section 10. Vacancies in offi ces of both the governor
and lieutenant governor 238
Section 11. Compensation of the governor and
lieutenant governor 239
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contents ■ ix
Section 12. Powers and duties of the secretary of state,
att orney general, and general treasurer 239
Section 13. Pardons 242
Section 14. Veto power of governor—Veto overrides
by General Assembly—Acts eff ective
without action by the governor 243
Section 15. State budget 244
Section 16. Limitation on state spending 244
Section 17. Budget reserve account 246
Article X: Of the Judicial Power 247
Section 1. Power vested in the courts 247
Section 2. Jurisdiction of the supreme and inferior
courts—Quorum of the supreme court 252
Section 3. Advisory opinions by the supreme court 257
Section 4. Judicial selection 260
Section 5. Tenure of supreme court justices 262
Section 6. Compensation for justices of the supreme court 263
Section 7. Wardens and justices of the peace 263
Article XI: Of Impeachments 2 65
Section 1. Power of impeachment by the House 265
Section 2. Impeachment trial by the senate 265
Section 3. Governor, executive offi cers, judges liable
to impeachment—Grounds
for impeachment 265
Article XII: Of Education 269
Section 1. Duty of the General Assembly to promote
public schools and public libraries and to
secure opportunities for education 269
Section 2. Perpetual school fund 269
Section 3. Educational donations 269
Section 4. Implementation of this article—Diversion
of funds prohibited 269
Article XIII: Home Rule for Cities and Towns 277
Section 1. Right of self-government in local matt ers 277
Section 2. Local power to adopt home rule charter in
conformity with reserved powers of the
General Assembly 277
Section 3. Every city and town shall have a
legislative body 277
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