A Superior Court judge on Dec. 16 upheld Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s order to evict homeless individuals camped outside the Statehouse in protest to what they say is a lack of access to adequate shelter.
McKee saw the encampment as a safety and security issue for the state and said there is safer, warmer shelter available for the unhoused in Providence.
Federal and State Nursing Home Staffing Mandates
Staffing has always been an ongoing challenge in the long-term care industry. However, since the…
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The encampment was removed on Dec. 18 despite the concerns of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island Inc. that the decision violated the unhoused group’s right to public protest.
R.I. Superior Court Associate Justice R. David Cruise disagreed, however, noting, “Plaintiffs can still communicate their message to defendants and to the state without having to sleep overnight at the Statehouse.”
The ACLU also felt the court ruling violates a 2012 “Homeless Bill of Rights” state law intended to provide broad protections from discrimination for the unhoused.
“There are a lot of lofty ideals [in the law], but we did not receive any protections for our case,” said Lynette Labinger, a cooperating attorney with the ACLU.
