Government of Rhode Island

Government of Rhode Island
Seal of The State of Rhode Island
Polity type	Presidential Republic
Constitution	Constitution of Rhode Island
Legislative branch
Name	General Assembly
Type	Bicameral
Meeting place	Rhode Island State House
Upper house
Name	Senate
Presiding officer	Dominick J. Ruggerio, President
Lower house
Name	House of Representatives
Presiding officer	Joe Shekarchi, Speaker
Executive branch
Head of State and Government
Title	Governor
Currently	Daniel McKee
Appointer	Election
Cabinet
Leader	Governor
Deputy leader	Lieutenant Governor
Headquarters	State House
Judicial branch
Name	Judiciary of Rhode Island
Courts	Courts of Rhode Island
Rhode Island Supreme Court
Chief judge	Paul Suttell
Seat	Providence County Courthouse, Providence

The government of the state of Rhode Island is prescribed from a multitude of sources; the main sources are the Rhode Island Constitution, the General Laws, and executive orders. The governmental structure is modeled on the Government of the United States in having three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

Legislature

Pursuant to Articles VI, VII, and VIII of the Rhode Island Constitution, the legislature is vested in the Rhode Island General Assembly. The General Assembly is bicameral, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The House of Representatives has a total of 75 members currently. The Senate has 38 members. The General Assembly meets in the State House.

Executive branch

• Elected Executive Officials of Rhode Island
• 
  Governor
  Daniel McKee (D)
• 
  Lieutenant Governor
  Sabina Matos (D)
• 
  Attorney General
  Peter Neronha (D)
• 
  Secretary of State
  Gregg Amore (D)
• 
  General Treasurer
  James Diossa (D)

The state elects a governor, a lieutenant governor, a secretary of state, a general treasurer, and an attorney general. The governor appoints a Sheriff, who, unlike most other sheriffs, has statewide jurisdiction. The governor appoints many officers to act as commissioners, directors, or other officers.

The executive authority is vested in the governor, typically through various directors and commissioners. The lieutenant governor, though nominally in the executive branch, is a largely ceremonial position. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected on separate tickets by the electorate of Rhode Island. The governor's offices are located in the State House. Rhode Island is one of the few states that lacks a governor's mansion.

Departments and agencies

Rhode Island government has numerous departments, agencies, and divisions. The major ones are:

• Department of Administration
• Department of Business Regulation
• Department of Corrections
• Department of Education
• Department of Environmental Management
• Department of Labor and Training
• Department of Public Safety
  • State Police
  • Capitol Police
  • Division of Sheriffs
• Department of Revenue
  • Division of Motor Vehicles
  • Division of Taxation
• Department of Transportation
• Executive Office of Commerce
• Executive Office of Health and Human Services
  • Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals
  • Department of Children, Youths, and Families
  • Department of Health
  • Department of Human Services
• Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency
• Rhode Island National Guard
  • Army National Guard
  • Air National Guard

Judicial branch

The judicial branch of the state government consists of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the lower courts, which consist of the Superior Court, Family Court, District Court, Workers' Compensation Court and the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.

External links

• Rhode Island General Assembly
• Governor's Office
• State Website