Rhode island constitution

Article I: declaration of certain constitutional rights and principles

Section 1 - In the words of the Father of his Country, we...

Section 2 - All free governments are instituted for the protection, safety, and...

Section 3 - Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; and all...

Section 4 - Slavery shall not be permitted in this state.

Section 5 - Every person within this state ought to find a certain...

Section 6 - The right of the people to be secure in their...

Section 7 - Except in cases of impeachment, or in cases arising in...

Section 8 - Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed,...

Section 9 - All persons imprisoned ought to be bailed by sufficient surety,...

Section 10 - In all criminal prosecutions, accused persons shall enjoy the right...

Section 11 - The person of a debtor, when there is not strong...

Section 12 - No ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation...

Section 13 - No person in a court of common law shall be...

Section 14 - Every person being presumed innocent, until pronounced guilty by the...

Section 15 - The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate. In...

Section 16 - Private property shall not be taken for public uses, without...

Section 17 - The people shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all...

Section 18 - The military shall be held in strict subordination to the...

Section 19 - No soldier shall be quartered in any house in time...

Section 20 - The liberty of the press being essential to the security...

Section 21 - The citizens have a right in a peaceable manner to...

Section 22 - The right of the people to keep and bear arms...

Section 23 - A victim of crime shall, as a matter of right,...

Section 24 - The enumeration of the foregoing rights shall not be construed...

Article II: suffrage

Section 1 - Every citizen of the United States of the age of...

Section 2 - The general assembly shall provide by law for the nomination...

Article III: of qualification for office

Section 1 - No person shall hold any civil office unless that person...

Section 2 - An elector shall be disqualified as a candidate for elective...

Section 3 - All general officers shall take the following engagement before they...

Section 4 - The members of the general assembly, the judges of all...

Section 5 - The oath or affirmation shall be administered to the governor,...

Section 6 - No person holding any office under the government of the...

Section 7 - The people of the state of Rhode Island believe that...

Section 8 - The general assembly shall establish an independent non-partisan ethics commission...

Article IV: of elections and campaign finance

Section 1 - The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney-general, general treasurer...

Section 2 - In all elections held by the people for state, city,...

Section 3 - When the governor-elect shall die, remove from the state, refuse...

Section 4 - In case of a vacancy in the office of the...

Section 5 - When a senator or representative-elect shall die, remove from the...

Section 6 - In elections by the general assembly in grand committee the...

Section 7 - A quorum of the grand committee shall consist of a...

Section 8 - It shall not be necessary for the town or ward...

Section 9 - The general assembly shall require each candidate for general office...

Section 10 - The general assembly shall adopt limitations on all contributions to...

Article V: of the distribution of powers -

Article VI: of the legislative power

Section 1 - This Constitution shall be the supreme law of the state,...

Section 2 - The legislative power, under this Constitution, shall be vested in...

Section 3 - The general assembly shall regulate the compensation of the governor...

Section 4 - No member of the general assembly shall take any fee,...

Section 5 - The persons of all members of the general assembly shall...

Section 6 - Each house shall be the judge of the elections and...

Section 7 - Each house may determine its rules of proceeding, punish contempts,...

Section 8 - Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings. The...

Section 9 - Neither house shall, during a session, without the consent of...

Section 11 - The assent of two-thirds of the members elected to each...

Section 12 - The general assembly shall, from time to time, provide for...

Section 13 - The general assembly may provide by law for the continuance...

Section 14 - The general assembly may provide by general law for the...

Section 15 - All lotteries shall be prohibited in the state except lotteries...

Section 16 - The general assembly shall have no powers, without the express...

Section 17 - Notwithstanding the provisions of section 16 of this article the...

Section 18 - The clearance, replanning, redevelopment, rehabilitation and improvement of blighted and...

Section 19 - The general assembly may authorize the acquiring or taking in...

Section 20 - The general assembly may authorize cities and towns to acquire...

Section 21 - The general assembly, in order to insure continuity of state...

Section 22 - The secretary of state shall certify the results of the...

Article VII: of the house of representatives

Section 1 - There shall be one hundred (100) members of the house...

Section 2 - The house of representatives shall have authority to elect its...

Article VIII: of the senate

Section 1 - The senate shall consist of the lieutenant governor and fifty...

Section 2 - The lieutenant governor shall preside in the senate and in...

Article IX: of the executive power

Section 1 - The chief executive power of this state shall be vested...

Section 2 - The governor shall take care that the laws be faithfully...

Section 3 - The governor shall be captain general and commander in chief...

Section 4 - The governor shall have power to grant reprieves, after conviction,...

Section 5 - The governor shall, by and with the advice and consent...

Section 6 - In case of disagreement between the two houses of the...

Section 7 - The governor may, on extraordinary occasions, convene the general assembly...

Section 8 - All commissions shall be in the name and by authority...

Section 9 - If the office of the governor shall be vacant by...

Section 10 - If the offices of governor and lieutenant governor be both...

Section 11 - The compensation of the governor and lieutenant governor shall be...

Section 12 - The duties and powers of the secretary, attorney-general and general...

Section 13 - The governor, by and with the advice and consent of...

Section 14 - Every bill, resolution, or vote (except such as relate to...

Section 15 - The governor shall prepare and present to the general assembly...

[effective july 1,2007 until july 1, 2012] - (c) Within forty-five (45) days after the close of any...

[effective july 1, 2012] - (c) Within forty-five (45) days after the close of any...

Section 17 - There is hereby established a budget reserve account within the...

Article X: of the judicial power

Section 1 - The judicial power of this state shall be vested in...

Section 2 - The supreme court shall have final revisory and appellate jurisdiction...

Section 3 - The judges of the supreme court shall give their written...

Section 4 - The governor shall fill any vacancy of any justice of...

Section 5 - Justices of the supreme court shall hold office during good...

Section 6 - The judges of the supreme court shall receive a compensation...

Section 7 - The towns of New Shoreham and Jamestown may continue to...

Article XI: of impeachments

Section 1 - The house of representatives shall have the sole power of...

Section 2 - All impeachments shall be tried by the senate; and when...

Section 3 - The governor and all other executive and judicial officers shall...

Article XII: of education

Section 1 - The diffusion of knowledge, as well as of virtue among...

Section 2 - The money which now is or which may hereafter be...

Section 3 - All donations for the support of public schools, or for...

Section 4 - The general assembly shall make all necessary provisions by law...

Article XIII: home rule for cities and towns

Section 1 - It is the intention of this article to grant and...

Section 2 - Every city and town shall have the power at any...

Section 3 - Notwithstanding anything contained in this article, every city and town...

Section 4 - The general assembly shall have the power to act in...

Section 5 - Nothing contained in this article shall be deemed to grant...

Section 6 - Every city and town shall have the power to adopt...

Section 7 - Within one year from the date of the election of...

Section 8 - The legislative body of any city or town may propose...

Section 9 - Whenever the legislative body of any city or town consists...

Section 10 - Duplicate certificates shall be made setting forth the charter adopted...

Section 11 - The judicial powers of the state shall not be diminished...

Article XIV: constitutional amendments and revision

Section 1 - The general assembly may propose amendments to the constitution of...

Section 2 - The general assembly, by a vote of a majority of...

Article XV: general transition

Section 1 - The rights and duties of all public bodies shall remain...

Section 2 - The validity of all public and private bonds, debts and...

Section 3 - All officers filling any office by election or appointment shall...

Section 4 - On or before June 1, 1988, the general assembly shall...