Senator Paul E. Moura

Vice Chair, Constitutional and Regulatory Issues;
Finance;
Government Oversight

Dear Friends,

There is no more noble calling than public service, and I have always put the interests of my constituents above all else.  I am proud to serve the residents of East Providence in Senate District 18.

As a member of the General Assembly, I am a strong advocate for economic development initiatives, affordable and accessible prescription drug coverage, and an alternative energy policy to reduce energy costs for the citizens of our state.

As always, I will work closely with the other members of the East Providence General Assembly delegation and our local elected officials to maintain and improve the quality of life in our city.

I  sincerely and whole-heartedly thank you for your electing me, and I look forward to addressing any needs or concerns that you may have. 

 Sincerely,

 Paul E. Moura    

Latest News

A reception for Senator Paul Moura is being held Monday, March 31 at Cattails in East Providence. The event is from 6-8 P.M. Tickets are $50.00. ****************************** Senators decry bill changing minority-business status Portuguese would no longer be considered minorities; change could impact their ability to secure portion of state contracts STATE HOUSE – Four State Senators have announced their strong opposition to legislation they see as nothing short of discriminatory. Sen. David E. Bates (R-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol), Sen. Walter S. Felag Jr. (D-Dist. 10, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton), Sen. Paul E. Moura (D-Dist. 18, East Providence) and Sen. Daniel Da Ponte (D-Dist. 14, East Providence, Pawtucket) say they will vote against the bill if it reaches the Senate floor, but they will work to make sure it never gets that far. The legislation that has raised their strong indignation was introduced by Sen. Harold M. Metts (D-Dist. 6, Providence) and Sen. Juan M. Pichardo (D-Dist. 2, Providence). It would change state law dealing with minority-owned businesses – required to make up 10 percent of state purchasing and construction spending -- leaving off women and individuals of Portuguese descent as qualified minorities. The bill does carve out a special category for women-owned businesses, requiring those businesses get an additional 10 percent of the state work. But women and the Portuguese would no longer be allowed to consider themselves minorities in attempting to benefit from the law. While proponents of the bill say business owners of Portuguese descent could still qualify for the special status if they meet U.S. Small Business Administration guidelines for an economically and socially disadvantaged enterprise, Senators Bates, Felag, Moura and Da Ponte say there is no reason to make Portuguese small business-owners jump through another hoop. “I believe Portuguese businesses are being arbitrarily disadvantaged by this proposal,” said Senator Da Ponte. Senator Felag called it “insulting and insensitive, and fairly presumptuous of some individuals to dictate who is and who is not a minority. What numbers are they using? What criteria are they following? Why change a good law – that exists to try to help minority business owners – by eliminating the opportunities for some?” “I don’t take this legislative proposal as a personal affront, but I am disturbed about its potential negative affect on Rhode Island business owners who share my Portuguese heritage, who are working hard and living within the laws of our state,” said Senator Moura. “The current law offers them a chance to succeed, and the bill that has been introduced takes that chance away from them, for no apparent good reason that I can see.” The Metts-Pichardo bill, (2008 - S2651), is currently before the Senate Committee on Finance. Other changes proposed in the bill would include replacing “Black” and “Hispanic” with “African American” and “Latino American.” Also, individuals of Brazilian descent, now considered Portuguese, would be considered Latino Americans and people with Cape Verdean origins, where Portuguese is the official language, would be considered African Americans. “It is no individual’s, no group’s entitlement to rewrite the rules just because they think their way is better,” said Senator Bates. “The proponents of this bill are arbitrarily rearranging ethnic labels as they see fit, effectively harming some people that they’ve decided don’t fit. That’s a dangerous path to start down.” ****************************** Senate approves Moura proposal to study port development The Senate last week passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Paul E. Moura (D-Dist. 18, East Providence) that would form a commission to study the economic benefits of port development in the state. The 10-member joint legislative commission will be comprised of five members of the House of Representatives and five members of the Senate, and must provide the General Assembly with a preliminary report in the coming months. “I’m pleased that my colleagues in the Senate recognize the importance of this economic development issue, and I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to act quickly on this legislation,” said Senator Moura. “There is great opportunity in Rhode Island to expand upon our present maritime activities, and we need to begin examining all of these possibilities immediately.” Senator Moura said the areas the commission will primarily focus on include Quonset Point/Davisville and waterfronts in Providence and East Providence.

Paul, his wife Regina and Little Paul and Nina