REVENS

WARWICK — Sen. John C. Revens Jr., a Warwick Democrat who began his State House career as a House page in 1965 and then won his first legislative election in 1968 while he was a Providence College junior, is leaving Smith Hill.

In a statement issued yesterday — two days after the General Assembly closed up shop for the year — Revens announced that he will not be running for reelection after close to 40 years as a state lawmaker, first as a member of the House of Representatives (1969-74) and then as a senator.

His nearly four decades on Smith Hill was interrupted only briefly by his unsuccessful 1988 bid to become state treasurer. After two years out of office, he reclaimed his seat in 1990 after defeating the one-term Democratic incumbent, Ralph E. Walsh, a retired fire captain, in a primary.

From 1983 through 1988, Revens served as Senate majority leader, which at the time was the highest office in the Senate.

He currently serves as president pro tempore of the Senate, which means he presides over Senate sessions when the Senate president is unable to do so.

A statement announcing his departure noted the many pieces of legislation he introduced or championed “that helped to shape Rhode Island government over the decades.” Among them: the law that established the Department of Children Youth and Families and the Office of the Child Advocate. He sponsored the constitutional amendment to reduce the size of the General Assembly. He also sponsored the first domestic-violence prevention legislation in the state, the law that allows abuse victims to get a restraining order without having to hire a lawyer.

Asked what the future holds, Revens, a lawyer, said in the statement that “he was open to all possibilities and looking forward to enjoying all that life has to offer, particularly spending more time with family and friends.”

A partner in the law firm of Revens, Revens & Saint Pierre, Revens, 61, is a graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School, the Community College of Rhode Island and Providence College (1969). He earned his juris doctorate degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1973.

kgregg@projo.com