| 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 and was the top vote-getter in the 2016 election. She was 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 legislation seeking to create a new tax bracket for those making over $475,000, generating an estimated $128.2 million in new tax revenue for the state. 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 sponsored legislation to raise the sales limits for local breweries and distilleries; cap the cost of insulin for Rhode Islanders with diabetes; allow Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to meet during a state of emergency; and improve restroom access for members of the transgender and non-binary community.
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 and owner of a small, Woonsocket-based business, she also works in a corporate retail setting.
Sen. Murray is deeply involved in her community. She serves on numerous boards and committees including serving as Chair of the Downtown Woonsocket Collaborative; a member of the Woonsocket Main Street Holiday Stroll Committee; and as Vice Chair of the Woonsocket Democratic City Committee. |