| Stephen M. Casey (D) has served the residents of Woonsocket in District 50 since his first election in November 2012. He is the chairman of the House Municipal Government and Housing Committee and is a member of the House Corporations Committee, the House Labor Committee, and the House Special Legislation Committee.
During the 2021 session, he introduced a new law that expands Rhode Islanders' access to telemedicine coverage by requiring all Rhode Island Medicaid programs to cover telemedicine visits. He also sponsored a law that requires the office of the attorney general to issue a report containing the total number of cases with respect to charges involving a firearm in all Rhode Island courts.
Casey co-sponsored successful legislation in the 2018 session urging Gov. Gina Raimondo to designate several communities in the Blackstone Valley as Qualified Opportunity Zones, taking advantage of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities nationwide. That designation became official early in June.
In 2016, he introduced legislation to make several updates to the state fire code and its reference to the term and adoption of portions of the national fire codes. He also submitted legislation authorizing the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals to certify recovery housing facilities.
Representative Casey has been at the forefront of legislation aiming to improve the City of Woonsocket and the economic landscape of the state.
Several items benefitting the people of Woonsocket, for which Representative Casey advocated, were included in the 2015 state budget, including includes appropriations for the maintenance of World War II Memorial Park, development of the Stadium Theatre, improvements to the athletic facilities of Woonsocket High School, and funding for the music programs at Woonsocket high and middle schools.
Statutes he sponsored in 2014 led to a homestead tax exemption for elderly residents of Woonsocket during a period of financial strife and the allowance of city and town councilors to serve on their municipality's budget commission.
In 2013, the governor signed his bill directing the Board of Education to - at the request of the commissioner of elementary and secondary education - hold a hearing on whether to withhold state aid from a school district for failure to meet district accounting compliance rules.
Representative Casey was born on September 12, 1968. He attended Melrose High School in Massachusetts before receiving a bachelor's degree in communications from Boston College in 1990.
In addition to his duties as a legislator, Representative Casey is a full-time Professional Firefighter in the City of Woonsocket. He serves as the secretary of the Paul Deziel Memorial Scholarship Fund and is a member of the Rhode Island Freemasons, Rhode Island Shriners, and Woonsocket Firefighters Union Local 732. He is also an Eagle Scout from Troop 725 of Wakefield, Mass.
He has assisted in endeavors such as the Woonsocket 125th Anniversary Celebration in 2013, Autumnfest, the Milk Fund and the World War II Honor Flight.
Representative Casey resides in Woonsocket with his wife, Debra (Deziel-Hunt) Casey. |