East Bay legislator will chair Senate Judiciary Committee
Barrington resident looking forward to her role on the committee
Senator Cynthia A. Coyne, who represents District 32 in Barrington, Bristol and East Providence, will serve as chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee when the 2021 legislative session begins, …
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East Bay legislator will chair Senate Judiciary Committee
Barrington resident looking forward to her role on the committee
Senator Cynthia A. Coyne, who represents District 32 in Barrington, Bristol and East Providence, will serve as chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee when the 2021 legislative session begins, Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio recently announced.
Sen. Coyne, a Democrat who has served as a senator since 2015, has been a member of the Judiciary Committee since her second term began in 2017.
The Senate Judiciary Committee handles all legislation and matters that affect the penal code, judicial system, ethics, open meetings, access to public records and election laws. The committee is also responsible for advice and consent hearings for all judges appointed by the governor.
It is considered one of the busiest legislative committees, whose hearings on high-profile legislation sometimes stretch hours into the night.
“It is a tremendous honor to be given this new responsibility on the Senate Judiciary Committee,” Sen. Coyne said. “Our committee handles multifaceted matters that have tremendous impacts on people’s lives. Many of the issues before us are the ones that draw hundreds of Rhode Islanders to hearings, many with gripping personal stories, and each with passionate opinions about the way these concerns should be handled.
Sen. Coyne said she understands how important it is that the committee listens to those Rhode Islanders with an open mind.
"It’s hard work to identify common ground in many of these issues, and at all times we have to remain dedicated to creating laws that bring about real justice and better, safer lives for Rhode Islanders," she said. "I look forward to this new role and once again doing this hard and important work with my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee."
Sen. Coyne, a Barrington resident, is a former Rhode Island State Trooper who rose through the ranks to lieutenant before retiring in 2006. Sen. Coyne also serves as a commissioner on the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
