| Marvin L. Abney (D) has served the residents of Newport and Middletown in District 73 since first being elected in November 2012. In May 2016, he was named chairman of the House Finance Committee, which is tasked with adopting the annual state budget. He also serves on the House Committee on Veteransf Affairs, the House Committee on Conduct and the Special Legislative Commission on Defense Economy Planning.
During the 2021 legislative session, Representative Abney was the primary sponsor of the FY 2022 state budget. The budget included historic investments in affordable housing, supports to sustain Rhode Islandfs COVID]19 response and recovery, funding to support child care providers, support for low-income families and the Department of Children, Youth and Families, and funding to protect Rhode Islandfs natural resources.
Representative Abney was also elected to serve on the National Conference of State Legislatorsf Executive Committee.
In the 2020 legislative session, he sponsored legislation, which became law, which amends the current motion pictures tax credit program. It allows productions to utilize tax credits, even if the majority of production is not done within the state, if the production spends a minimum of $10 million within Rhode Island during a 12-month span.
Chairman Abney is a retired Major of the United States Army after a 20-year Army career, including a stint as the company commander at NATO Headquarters in Belgium. He also retired from the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, where he held the position of executive assistant to the commissioner.
Born on Nov. 10, 1949, he attended Dunbar High School in Texarkana, Texas, and in 2018 was honored by the Texarkana Independent School District as a Distinguished Alumnus.
He earned his bachelorfs degree in public administration at Stephen F. Austin State University in 1975; a masterfs of management degree from Webster University in 1982; a masterfs of business administration from the University of Rhode Island in 2000, and a certificate of advanced graduate study in educational leadership from Johnson & Wales University in 2005. He also attended the Command and General Staff College in Munich, Germany in the late 1980s.
In addition to his duties as a legislator, Representative Abney also serves on the Board of Governors for the Newport Health Care Corporation, the Board of Corporators for BankNewport, the Vestry & Finance Committee at St. Johnfs Church and the Executive Board for the Narragansett Boy Scouts Council.
Representative Abney has a long history of involvement in community organizations and boards, including the Newport Zoning Board of Review, Coggeshall Elementary School Improvement Committee, Salve Regina Universityfs Internal Review Board, First Night Newport and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, among others.
He lives in Newport with his wife, Cheryl Lynn (Amado). He is the father of Marvin L. Abney II, U.S. Army Capt. Christian A. Abney and Tess A. Abney. He is the grandfather of four- Sierra, Jade, Mia and Dakota. |