House Finance Chair Gallison resigns, Abney to take finance comm. lead

HOUSE FINANCE Committee Chair Raymond E. Gallison Jr. has resigned from the General Assembly. / COURTESY R.I. GENERAL ASSEMBLY
HOUSE FINANCE Committee Chair Raymond E. Gallison Jr. has resigned from the General Assembly. / COURTESY R.I. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

(Updated, 4:49 p.m., 6:22 p.m.)
PROVIDENCE – House Finance Chairman Raymond E. Gallison Jr. informed legislative leaders today that he is resigning from his seat in the General Assembly “due to personal reasons.”
WJAR-TV NBC 10 said Gallison is part of a federal prostitution investigation.
Gallison, of Bristol, did not return calls for comment. He represents District 69 in Bristol and Portsmouth. He was elected in 2000. He officially announced his resignation in a two-line letter to House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello.
WJAR cited sources that said the investigation is a joint effort between the R.I. State Police and the FBI, and that Gallison is the focus. The FBI declined comment. The state police did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Late in the afternoon, Mattiello named Rep. Marvin L. Abney, D-Newport, to take Gallison’s seat as chairman of the influential House Finance Committee. Mattiello also appointed Rep. Patricia Serpa, D-West Warwick, to lead the House Oversight Committee. He also appointed Rep. Deborah Ruggiero, D-Jamestown, as chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee.
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo earlier today responded to questions about Gallison during a lunch with reporters, saying public officials must be held to the highest standard.
“If what you are reporting about these problems is true, it’s obviously deeply disappointing and unacceptable,” she said. “The public deserves to trust its elected officials.”
The lawmaker’s troubles come at a critical time for the governor, whose proposed 2017 budget is entering the phase during which the House Finance Committee conducts its review. For the budget to pass the Finance Committee is a key step toward passing the full House.
“The challenge is going to be that we have to work harder than ever to stay focused,” she said. “Yes, this is a distraction, there’s no doubt about it … but people are depending on us to work together to get things done – we just have to do that.”
Staff writer Eli Sherman contributed to this report.

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