Representative Teresa Tanzi has announced that she will be seeking re-election to a second term in the House of Representatives from District 34, which includes portions of southern Narragansett, Peace Dale and Wakefield.
“I am so honored and proud to serve the people of South County,” said Rep. Tanzi. “It has been a great learning experience and I feel like I am hitting my stride at both the State House and in helping the people of my district. There is so much more work that needs to be accomplished and I am humbly asking for the voters’ support for a second two-year term.”
Rep. Tanzi, a Democrat, said she has focused on improving the state’s economy, assisting the fishing industry, and protecting the quality of life interests that are so important to South Count residents.
She was the House sponsor of legislation that has been signed by Governor Chafee called “Jason’s Law.” Named for Jason Foreman, who was killed in 1975 in South Kingstown, the law will prevent those serving time for particularly serious crimes from earning time off their sentences unless they actively participate in their own rehabilitation. It was introduced in response to the early release last year of Jason Foreman’s convicted killer.
On behalf of the fishing industry, Rep. Tanzi secured House passage of a bill this year to ban pair trawling in Rhode Island waters. The practice, which involves two fishing vessels dragging a single enormous net between them, is non-existent in nearby states. She said she will continue to work with the Department of Environmental Management to make sure the local fishing industry is not hurt by the practice by out of state boats if it is allowed to continue.
Rep. Tanzi is working closely with those in the commercial seafood and fishing industries by authoring legislation that created an 11-member Port of Galilee Task Force, which she chairs. “We are working to identify ways the state can strengthen the fishing industry and the Port of Galilee for long-term stability, particularly as more people recognize the advantages of locally sourced food,” said Rep. Tanzi.
She said she also plans to re-introduce legislation that would enable local winegrowers to sell their products at farmers markets, a practice allowed in other New England states which has proven to be beneficial to open space preservation and economic development. The bill she co-sponsored passed the House, but it stalled in the Senate this year.
Rep. Tanzi was successful last year in having legislation that she offered be included in the state budget to address the issue of combined reporting. This is a practice which enables multi-state corporations to avoid paying taxes on profits earned in Rhode Island. These companies are now required to submit reports to the Division of Taxation, which will study the issue for two years. The closure of this loophole, if adopted, would level the playing field for small, local businesses who compete with large, out of state corporations.
In addition to her involvement in many issues at the State House, she has also been active in many local causes, including the Johnnycake Center Hunger Task Force and as a member of the Healthy Places by Design working group, which has been studying ways to improve the overall health infrastructure in South Kingstown.
She was honored earlier this year as a “rising political star” at the Women Holding Office Celebration by the YWCA of Northern Rhode Island.
Rep. Tanzi is married to Dr. Eric Buchbaum and they are parents of a 6-year-old daughter, Delia who will be attending first grade at Wakefield Elementary School in the fall.
Rep. Tanzi will be kicking off her re-election campaign with an event at Woodhouse Fire N Coal Pizza, 402 Main Street, Wakefield, on Thursday, June 28, at 7 p.m., and encourages her supporters to attend.
