Rhode Island models civil rights office after Maine’s

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Senate committee signed off Thursday on creating a civil rights advocate within the state attorney general’s office.

Under the plan, Attorney General Patrick Lynch would appoint an advocate to bring civil action “against any person harassing or intimidating another person because of actual or perceived disability, religion, color, race, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation or gender.”

Lynch said he examined efforts in 20 other states, and decided to model the Rhode Island civil-rights advocate’s office after a unit in Maine.

The legislation would amend the state’s hate-crimes statute by adding categories of potential victims to include the words “disability,” “color,” “ancestry,” “sexual orientation” and “gender.”

Lynch’s office also would be able to seek injunctive or other appropriate relief in civil-rights violations, including penalties of up to $5,000.

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the bill. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.

“The environment has a state advocate. It’s time that citizens’ civil rights receive the same advocacy as the environment,” said Bob Cooper, executive secretary for the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities.

In January, Lynch said he would appoint Special Assistant Attorney General Thomas Palumbo as civil rights advocate.