| Melissa Murray is a Democrat representing District 24 (Woonsocket, North Smithfield) in the Rhode Island Senate.
The first openly LGBTQ+ elected official in Woonsocket, Sen. Murray served two terms on the Woonsocket City Council before being elected to the Rhode Island Senate in November 2018.
During her time in the General Assembly, Sen. Murray has been active on a number of issues. She was the Senate sponsor of a $50,000 new tangible personal property tax exemption - which fully eliminates a significant financial burden for 75 percent of Rhode Island businesses, including all smaller businesses - as well as a law prohibiting rental application fees.
She was also the Senate sponsor of new laws making HIV-prevention treatments free and accessible to qualifying patients; formalizing protections in state law against discrimination in health care; and requiring the state crime laboratory to conduct an audit of DNA samples in the databank to determine the number of DNA profiles that should have been entered in the databank but haven't been.
She also introduced legislation to increase benefits paid to children and families in the Rhode Island Works program, a measure that was included in the approved budget.
She has additionally sponsored legislation to cap the cost of insulin and diabetes testing supplies for Rhode Islanders with diabetes; allow Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to meet during a state of emergency; and improve restroom access for all genders.
Sen. Murray was born on Oct. 3, 1974. Born and raised in northern Rhode Island, she attended Woonsocket's public schools. She has an A.A.S. in Criminal Justice with a focus in Forensic Science. A self-taught artist who travels locally, she also works at a family-owned business in Woonsocket.
Sen. Murray is deeply involved in her community. She is involved with numerous boards and committees, including serving as Vice Chair of the Woonsocket Democratic City Committee. |