Allows Central Falls to exempt the property located at 913-915 Dexter Street, AP 7, Lot 156 from the law that prohibits any proposed retailers’ license of any class located within two hundred feet (200') of the premises of a school or place of worship.
Summary
S1125 is a narrow liquor-license exemption bill. It amends Rhode Island’s retail alcohol licensing law to allow the City of Central Falls, after application, to exempt one specific property—913-915 Dexter Street, Plat 7, Lot 156—from the general prohibition on issuing any retail liquor license within 200 feet of a school or place of worship. The bill does not broadly change statewide distance restrictions; instead, it creates a local carve-out for this single parcel.
The measure is framed as a special legislative authorization for Central Falls, similar to numerous other location-specific exemptions already embedded in the statute for other cities and towns. If enacted, it would permit the local licensing authority to consider a retail alcohol license for that site even if the property would otherwise be disqualified by proximity to a school or house of worship. The act takes effect upon passage.
Impact
The bill would amend § 3-7-19 of the Rhode Island General Laws, which governs objections by adjoining property owners and minimum distances from schools and places of worship for retail alcohol licenses. Its practical effect is limited to one Central Falls property, giving the city council authority to waive the distance restriction for that location and potentially enabling a new or transferred retail liquor license there. It would not alter the general 200-foot rule for other applicants or municipalities, but it would add another site-specific exception to the statute’s long list of local exemptions.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill was generally well received and moved with strong support. It passed the Senate 34-2 and then passed in concurrence in the House 73-0, indicating broad bipartisan approval. No committee transcript is available, but the vote totals suggest little controversy at the chamber level.
Contention
The main policy issue is the tension between local economic development or licensing flexibility and the longstanding public-protection rule that bars alcohol licenses near schools and places of worship. Supporters likely viewed the bill as a targeted local exception for a specific property, while any opposition would likely have centered on preserving the integrity of the distance restriction and avoiding piecemeal exemptions. Because the bill is narrowly tailored to one parcel and the votes were overwhelmingly favorable, any contention appears limited and not strongly reflected in the recorded floor action.