TASSONI

Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr., D-Smithfield, North Smithfield, said yesterday that he will seek a fifth term this fall.

Tassoni is chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government. He also serves on the Senate Committees on Labor and Constitutional and Gaming Issues and the Joint Committees on Economic Development, Health Care Oversight, Housing Act Oversight and Highway Safety. He was first elected in 2000.

He said that recently he worked with the state Department of Transportation to reconfigure the ramp from Route 295 southbound onto Route 44 westbound to reduce congestion caused by traffic headed for The Crossing at Smithfield shopping center. He also has been active in the Friday Night Lights Committee, a group seeking to provide lighting for sports events at Smithfield High School, whose soccer team frequently competes with that of North Smithfield High School.

Tassoni and Smithfield’s two state representatives also recently donated money to provide a reward for the prosecution of vandals who desecrated the War Memorial at Deerfield Park in Smithfield. He has introduced legislation stiffening the penalty for such acts.

He said that he “championed for many years” a bill to prohibit “the dangerous practice” of requiring nurses to work overtime, which has been enacted.

Tassoni said he “helped to solve the dilemma Rhode Island faced several years ago when suburban communities such as Smithfield and North Smithfield were overwhelmed by large and dense housing proposals that bypassed local zoning restrictions because a small portion of their projects were dubbed “affordable.” He pushed to achieve a moratorium on the projects, then worked to amend the law to provide for “the legitimate and dire need for affordable housing with the need for communities to plan for responsible growth.” He is co-chairman of the commission that is overseeing implementation of the act.

In 2003, Tassoni sponsored the law requiring schools to address bullying. He also introduced a package of legislation to address the use of electronic means of harassment, such as the Internet and cell phones.

He also “submitted a package of anti-ticket scalping bills, as well as legislation to prevent the practice of imposters who claim to belong to classic musical acts, such as the Supremes, from performing under that name unless they are actually part of the group.” He has opposed increases in utility bills before the state Public Utilities Commission.

Tassoni said that other areas he has focused upon include victims’ rights, domestic violence, fire safety and health care.

He is a senior business agent for Council 94 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Tassoni’s wife is Councilwoman S. Jean Cerroni, of Smithfield.

tmorgan@projo.com