Beneficial legislation passed and some harmful avoided

The 2013 session of the General Assembly is finally over, and the hard work by our legislative committee, headed by Ed Ladouceur and Steven Carlino, and many members has paid off with some beneficial legislation passed and some harmful legislation avoided. On behalf of the Rhode Island Builders Association and the state's entire residential construction industry, I thank not only the committee, but also our outstanding lobbyists, Joe Walsh, Gayle Wolf and Tom Hanley. It has been a terrific job by executive director John Marcantonio, who spent many hours in conference and at the State House on legislative issues, and by the many members who came to testify at hearings and who contacted their senators and representatives. The fact is that our collective teamwork has brought success. We asked our membership to help, and you did. Lots of you talked with your senators and representatives, called the governor, communicated with the legislative leadership, testified before committees or otherwise helped, and that's what made the difference. This is what we will need more of in 2014. In fact, it might be hard to believe, but it will only be a few more months before the 2014 session of the General Assembly is upon us. So there is no rest for the weary. We at RIBA are already studying the issues, evaluating our industry's needs, and preparing for the legislative work to come. We will certainly need your help once again. Please watch for more information as the issues develop for next year. Our Annual Outing and Clambake The time for RIBA's biggest and most popular annual social and networking event is finally here. Our Annual Outing and Clambake will take place on August 9th, from noon to 7 p.m. Join us at beautiful Francis Farm in Rehoboth, Mass., for a great day of food, fun, prizes and networking! We have worked very hard to keep the ticket prices low, and every dime from sponsorships has been dedicated to that purpose. Why not become a sponsor, by the way? I'll see you at Francis Farm! Felix Carlone is the president of the Rhode Island Builders Assn.Felix Carlone, F.A. Carlone & Sons