| Representative Arthur Handy (D) was first elected to represent District 18 in Cranston in November 2002. Representative Handy was named a Deputy Majority Leader in January 2021. He is the first vice chair of the House Innovation, Internet and Technology Committee and is a member of the House Oversight Committee, chairing that committee's Energy Subcommittee. He is also a member of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee.
Representative Handy was the primary sponsor of the House same-sex marriage bill that became law in 2013, after he'd introduced it every year of his legislative career.
Representative Handy was the architect of the ResilientRI act, which created the Climate Change Council, a panel charged with creating a plan for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A former chairman of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, he has championed greater environmental protections throughout his legislative career, and has also been a strong advocate for low-income Rhode Islanders, minorities and the disabled.
In 2017, he was honored as Legislator of the Year by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. In 2019, he introduced legislation to create a statewide council that would help identify ecologically significant woodlands around the state and provide cities and towns with guidelines for protecting them, particularly with respect to large solar array proposals.
He graduated from the University of Miami (Fla.) in 1990 with his Bachelor of Arts degree.
Rep. Handy works for Relay Power, which helps people connect with community solar projects. Born on February 15, 1967, he is the husband of the late Patricia DiPrete and the father of their son, Alexander. |