Filippi, Lone Independent at State House, Announces Reelection Bid

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI—The lone independent in the Rhode Island General Assembly has announced his intention to run for reelection.

Blake Filippi said Tuesday that he wants two more years representing House District 36, which encompasses portions of Charlestown, South Kingstown, Westerly and New Shoreham.

In a news release, Filippi said that he “wants to continue to advocate for South County values: an honest and strong business climate that rewards hard work and not insider dealings, lean and clean government, environmental preservation, local control of planning, and the protection of individual liberty.”

A farmer, lawyer and business owner, Filippi serves on the House Committee on Judiciary, the Committee on Municipal Government, the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources, and as Vice-Chair of the House Commission to Study Methods for Growing Tourism.

Here's his full release:

Block Island, R.I. – Independent State Representative Blake A. Filippi has announced that he will seek re-election to the District 36 seat serving Block Island, Charlestown, South Kingstown and Westerly. Filippi, an attorney, farmer and business-owner, currently serves on the Committee on Judiciary, the Committee on Municipal Government, the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources, and as Vice-Chair of the House Commission to Study Methods for Growing Tourism.
Filippi declared that he “wants to continue to advocate for South County values: an honest and strong business climate that rewards hard work and not insider dealings, lean and clean government, environmental preservation, local control of planning, and the protection of individual liberty.”
Said Filippi of this term’s highlights: “I advocated for the successful passage and placement on the ballot of the proposed Constitutional Amendment to reassert full Ethics Commission oversight of the General Assembly. We also helped to protect our Westerly and Charlestown neighbors by advancing landmark legislation to empower DEM to control fugitive dust from Copar Quarry. Tax reductions for our seniors were realized in the last two budgets. I was a lead opposition voice to the RhodeWorks tolling proposal and developed an alternative funding stream to fix our bridges with tax dollars already in the budget. I stood for reduced costs to small business and the elimination of the hated car tax. I fought the abuse-ridden legislative grant program and helped expose CommerceRI’s failed “Cooler and Warmer” campaign. We passed a critical bill to protect our privacy by requiring law enforcement obtain a warrant before accessing our cell phone location data -- with emergency exceptions. I also protected municipal sovereignty and opposed the onslaught of bills to undermine local self-governance in zoning and planning matters.”
“I have always been just a cell phone call away – and hope to continue working on behalf of our House District 36 for another two years,” said Filippi in closing.
More information can be found by visiting www.Blake36.com.