EXPRESSING DEEPEST CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF THE HONORABLE, JAMES M. DONELAN, ESQ.
Summary
S3069 is a Senate resolution honoring the life and public service of the Honorable James M. Donelan, Esq., of Warwick, and expressing the Senate’s deepest condolences to his family and friends. The resolution recounts his background, including his education, his long career operating a law practice in Warwick, and his fourteen years of service as the State Senator for Rhode Island’s 15th District from 1990 through 2002.
The resolution also highlights his legislative service on the Judiciary and Labor Committees and notes that he sponsored Rhode Island’s Good Driving Statute, which allowed drivers with a clean three-year record to have a new minor moving violation dismissed. It closes by directing the Secretary of State to transmit certified copies of the resolution to his family.
Impact
This resolution does not change state law or create new legal obligations; it is a ceremonial measure. Its practical effect is to place the General Assembly’s official condolences and recognition of James M. Donelan’s service into the public record and to authorize delivery of certified copies to his family. The only statutory reference is historical, describing his sponsorship of the Good Driving Statute, but S3069 itself amends no statutes and affects no regulated parties.
Sentiment
The sentiment surrounding the resolution is uniformly respectful and sympathetic. The bill is framed as a tribute to a former senator, attorney, and community figure who was described as generous, principled, and deeply respected. The lack of recorded votes or committee debate suggests there was no controversy and that the measure was intended for immediate, unanimous acknowledgment.
Contention
There are no notable points of contention in the text or available legislative history. The resolution is commemorative rather than policy-driven, and the available context includes no committee discussion, no recorded opposition, and no vote breakdown. Any substantive reference to prior legislation is purely historical and not a subject of dispute in S3069.