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H8633 2026 -- H 8633 ======== LC006123 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N HONORING REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT E. CRAVEN SR. FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND Introduced By: Representatives Blazejewski, Kazarian, McEntee, Chippendale, Fellela, Ajello, Caldwell, Dawson, Morales, and Corvese Date Introduced: June 11, 2026 Referred To: House read and passed 1 WHEREAS, It is with great respect and appreciation that this House bids farewell to our 2 good friend and colleague, the Honorable Robert E. Craven Sr., who is not seeking reelection in 3 2026 after more than a decade of devoted public service to the citizens of District 32 in North 4 Kingstown and the people of the State of Rhode Island; and 5 WHEREAS, The Honorable Robert E. Craven Sr. has served with honor and distinction 6 as the State Representative from District 32 since his first election in November 2012, 7 representing his constituents with integrity, diligence, and a steadfast dedication to public service; 8 and 9 WHEREAS, Representative Craven has been a longstanding member of the House 10 Judiciary Committee, the House Innovation and Technology Committee, and the House Small 11 Business Committee, and served as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 through 12 2025, providing leadership and thoughtful guidance on legal and public policy issues facing the 13 State; and 14 WHEREAS, During the 2025 legislative session, Representative Craven sponsored and 15 enacted legislation that protects employees’ rights in the workplace concerning political and 16 religious matters, establishing a civil action with potential damages and attorneys’ fees, and 17 sponsored legislation granting the Rhode Island Family Court concurrent jurisdiction over 18 juvenile cases arising on military bases and installations located in Rhode Island; and 19 WHEREAS, Representative Craven also sponsored two laws as part of Speaker K. 1 Joseph Shekarchi’s 2025 housing package: one requiring municipalities to provide for village or 2 mixed-use zoning to allow residential use in commercial zoning districts, and another to ease 3 barriers to necessary housing production based on comprehensive stakeholder feedback; and 4 WHEREAS, In 2024, Representative Craven sponsored laws designed to spur housing 5 production in Rhode Island and introduced legislation to simplify the process of changing an 6 individual’s name in municipal probate court while updating statutory language to be gender 7 neutral and more inclusive; and 8 WHEREAS, During the 2023 legislative session, Representative Craven sponsored a law 9 increasing penalties for wage theft and introduced legislation addressing subdivision and land 10 development standards to promote needed housing opportunities; and 11 WHEREAS, In 2022, in response to the pandemic’s economic effects on small 12 businesses, Representative Craven sponsored a law creating a temporary non-liquidating 13 receivership program to assist small businesses experiencing significant revenue loss due to 14 emergency declarations; and 15 WHEREAS, Born on November 19, 1955, Representative Craven graduated from La 16 Salle Academy in Providence in 1974, earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode 17 Island in 1978, and received his Juris Doctor from New England Law | Boston in 1983; and 18 WHEREAS, In addition to his legislative service, Representative Craven is an attorney at 19 Robert E. Craven & Associates in North Kingstown, and serves as Assistant Solicitor in 20 Charlestown, Probate Judge for the Town of Charlestown, Solicitor for the Exeter West 21 Greenwich Regional School District, Solicitor in New Shoreham, and Assistant Solicitor in 22 Westerly, demonstrating his deep commitment to law and community service; and 23 WHEREAS, Representative Craven’s distinguished record of public service also includes 24 roles as Solicitor for the Town of Foster, Assistant Solicitor for the City of East Providence, 25 Legal Counsel to the Rhode Island Board of Elections, Assistant Attorney General including 26 Chief of the Rhode Island Public Corruption Unit, and Town Councilor in North Kingstown, as 27 well as service as an adjunct professor at the Community College of Rhode Island from 1983 to 28 2002; and 29 WHEREAS, Representative Craven resides in Saunderstown with his wife Susan, and is 30 the proud father of two sons, Robert and Joseph; now, therefore be it 31 RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 32 honors and thanks Representative Robert E. Craven Sr. for his many years of dedicated and 33 meaningful service to his constituents and to the State, and extends its best wishes for health, 34 happiness, and success in all his future endeavors; and be it further LC006123 - Page 2 of 3 1 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 2 transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Honorable Robert E. Craven Sr. ======== LC006123 ======== LC006123 - Page 3 of 3
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