| Jose F. Batista (D) was elected on Nov. 3, 2020, to represent the people of District 12 in Providence's South Side and Washington Park neighborhoods. He serves as a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee.
In his first year in office in 2021, Representative Batista introduced landmark legislation to fundamentally reform the criminal justice system in Rhode Island, including bills to reform policing, decriminalize the possession of drugs and begin to undo policies that have helped cause the current and national mass incarceration crisis.
Two of Representative Batista's bills that were enacted in 2021 include a new law establishing a statewide program for police body cameras and a bill that helps ensure workers in the construction industry have access to paid sick time.
Born April 15, 1988, and a life-long resident of South Providence, Representative Batista is the oldest of six children of immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. He attended Providence Public Schools from K-12 and graduated from Classical High School in 2006, Bryant University in 2011 and Roger Williams University School of Law in 2014.
Representative Batista began his legal career at the Rhode Island Public Defender where he represented thousands of indigent Rhode Islanders before opening a solo law practice in South Providence in 2016 where he continues to serve the community.
In 2021, Representative Batista enrolled as a member of the Rho II class of Leadership Rhode Island and accepted a position as assistant city solicitor in the City of Central Falls Law Department. |