2023 -- S 0147
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LC000913
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
AMENDMENT TO THE CON STITUTION OF THE STATE (GOVERNOR AND
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TO APPEAR JOINTLY ON THE BALLOT)
Introduced By: Senators Picard, and Pearson
Date Introduced: February 01, 2023
Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
RESOLVED, That a majority of all members elected to each house of the general 1
assembly voting therefor, the following amendment to the Constitution of the State be proposed 2
to the qualified electors of the state in accordance with the provisions of Article XIV of the 3
Constitution for their approval and that, if approved, it take the place of Article IV Section 1 4
which is hereby amended to read as follows: 5
SECTION 1. Election and terms of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, 6
attorney general, general treasurer, and general assembly members. – The governor, lieutenant 7
governor, secretary of state, attorney general and general treasurer shall be elected on the Tuesday 8
after the first Monday in November, quadrennially commencing A.D. 1994, and every four (4) 9
years thereafter, and shall severally hold their offices, subject to recall as provided for herein, for 10
four (4) years from the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election and until their 11
successors are elected and qualified. No person shall serve consecutively in the same general 12
office for more than two (2) full terms, excluding any partial term of less than two (2) years 13
previously served. 14
Commencing with the general quadrennial election in A.D. 2026, all candidates for the 15
offices of governor and lieutenant governor shall form joint candidacies in the manner prescribed 16
by law, in order that each voter shall cast a single vote for a candidate for governor and a 17
candidate for lieutenant governor running together. In primary elections, candidates for the office 18
of governor may choose to run without a lieutenant governor candidate. 19
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The senators and representatives in the general assembly shall be elected on the Tuesday 1
after the first Monday in November, biennially in even numbered years, and shall severally hold 2
their offices for two (2) years from the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election and 3
until their successors are elected and qualified. 4
Recall is authorized in the case of a general officer who has been indicted or informed 5
against for a felony, convicted of a misdemeanor, or against whom a finding of probable cause of 6
violation of the code of ethics has been made by the ethics commission. Recall shall not, 7
however, be instituted at any time during the first six (6) months or the last year of an individual's 8
term of office. 9
Such a recall may be instituted by filing with the state board of elections an application 10
for issuance of a recall petition against said general officer which is signed by duly qualified 11
electors equal to three percent (3%) of the total number of votes cast at the last preceding general 12
election for that office. If, upon verification, the application is determined to contain signatures of 13
the required number of electors, the state board of elections shall issue a recall petition for 14
circulation amongst the electors of the state. Within ninety (90) days of issuance, recall petitions 15
containing the signatures of duly qualified electors constituting fifteen percent (15%) of the total 16
number of votes cast in the last preceding general election for said office must be filed with the 17
state board of elections. 18
The signatures to the application and to the recall petition need not all be on one sheet of 19
paper, but each such application and petition must contain an identical statement naming the 20
person to be recalled, the general office held by said person, and the grounds for such recall set 21
forth in a statement of one hundred (100) words or less approved by the board of elections. Each 22
signatory must set forth his or her signature as it appears on the voting list, the date of signing, 23
and his or her place of residence. The person witnessing the signatures of each elector on said 24
petition must sign a statement under oath on said sheet attesting that the signatures thereon are 25
genuine and were signed in his or her presence. 26
If the requisite number of signatures are not obtained within said ninety (90) day period, 27
the recall effort shall terminate. Upon verification of the requisite number of signatures, a special 28
election shall be scheduled at which the issue of removing said office holder and the grounds 29
therefor shall be placed before the electors of the state. If a majority of those voting support 30
removal of said office holder, the office shall be immediately declared vacant and shall be filled 31
in accordance with the constitution and laws of the state. The person so removed shall not be 32
eligible to fill the unexpired portion of the term of office. The general assembly shall provide by 33
statute for implementation of the recall process. 34
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RESOLVED, That this amendment shall take, in the Constitution of the State, the place 1
of Section 1, Article IV of the Constitution; 2
It is further 3
RESOLVED, That the said proposition of amendment shall be submitted to the electors 4
for their approval or rejection at the next statewide general election. The voting places in the 5
several cities and towns shall be kept open during the hours required by law for voting therein for 6
general officers of the state; and be it further 7
RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause the said proposition of amendment to 8
be published as a part of this resolution in the newspapers of the state prior to the date of the said 9
meetings of the said electors; and the said proposition shall be inserted in the warrants or notices 10
to be issued previous to said meetings of the electors for the purpose of warning the town, ward, 11
or district meetings, and said proposition shall be read by the town, ward, or district meetings to 12
be held as aforesaid; and be it further 13
RESOLVED, That the town, ward, and district meetings to be held aforesaid shall be 14
warned, and the list of voters shall be canvassed and made up, and the said town, ward, and 15
district meetings shall be conducted in the same manner as now provided by law for the town, 16
ward, and district meetings for the election of general officers of the state. 17
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LC000913
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
AMENDMENT TO THE CON STITUTION OF THE STATE (GOVERNOR AND
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TO APPEAR JOINTLY ON THE BALLOT)
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This joint resolution would provide for submission to voters of a constitutional 1
amendment at the next statewide general election requiring that the governor and lieutenant 2
governor form a joint candidacy (a single ticket) for statewide general elections, commencing in 3
the year 2026. 4
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LC000913
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