On November 4, 1986, the people of Rhode Island altered their most important State document, the written compact with each other and with their government, the State Constitution. This basic contract was the product of one year's work by one hundred elected delegates from a cross-section of the population, most with relatively little previous political involvement.
The 1986 Constitutional Convention was an unlimited Convention that began in January 1986. The Convention met at the State House and at the Garrahy Judicial Complex in Providence. Kevin A. McKenna was President of the Convention, Albert Rainville, Vice-President, and James R. Langevin was Secretary. One hundred delegates, representing each R.I. district, took part. Governor Bruce Sundlun (1991-present) caused a controversy when he announced his bid to run for the 1986 race against incumbent Edward DiPrite. After some debating, he was eventually allowed to remain as a delegate. Of the three hundred and twenty-two resolutions considered by the delegates, twenty-four, condensed into fourteen ballot questions, were put before the voters.
The Papers were divided into twenty record groups in a rough chronological order, beginning with background information through General Laws publication of the new Constitution approved by the voters. Background information, such as the Constitution as it read prior to the Convention, a Preparatory Commission Report and General Assembly enabling legislation, set the stage. Plenary Sessions Journals contain the official digest of the fourteen meetings of the entire assembly.
Providence College Archives and Special Collections owns the property rights to this collection. Consideration of the copyrights is the responsibility of the researcher.
This collection is open to researchers.
Author Last Name, First Name Middle Name or Initial. Title or description of material. Day month year. Rhode Island Constitutional Convention 1986 (SC053). Box number, Folder number. Providence College Archives and Special Collections, Phillips Memorial Library. URL if applicable.
This collection is arranged into twenty series. Series List: Background of the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention, Plenary Sessions, Committee on Citizens Rights, Committee on Delegate Services, Committee on Ethics, Committee on Executive Branch and Independent Agencies, Committee on General Assembly and Elections, Committee on Judicial Branch, Committee on Local Government Committee on Public Information, Committee on Rules. Committee on Style and Drafting, Public Hearings, Public Information Office, Delegates General Files, Delegates Service Requests, Personnel, Budget Ratification Drive, Rhode Island Constitution of 1986
The Rhode Island General Assembly, through Chapter 287 of the 1986 Public Laws, mandated that the records of the Convention be deposited in the Rhode Island State Archives and that copies be maintained in the Rhode Island Supreme Court Library and the Providence College Special and Archival Collections. Already possessing substantial documentation of the Limited Conventions of 1958 and 1973, as well as the Convention of 1964-69, Providence College was pleased to accept this collection to its Special Collections. Convention President Keven A. McKenna donated his personal files.
This collection was originally processed in 1989. In 2013-2014 the collection was re-processed. The full PDF of the finding aid is available upon request as staff work to transfer the data to be DACS and EAD compliant.
The majority of this collection was transferred directly from the State of Rhode Island offices to the Archives, with the exception of Keven A. McKenna's papers.
There are no expected accruals.