JOINT RESOLUTION REPEALING RHODE ISLAND'S RATIFICATION OF THE CORWIN AMENDMENT (Repeals the General Assembly’s previous ratification of the Corwin Amendment.)

Plain-English Summary

This resolution asks Rhode Island's state legislature to officially withdraw its historical support for something called the Corwin Amendment — a proposed change to the U.S. Constitution that dates back to 1861, just before the Civil War. The Corwin Amendment would have permanently protected slavery from federal interference and prevented Congress from ever abolishing it in states where it already existed. It was passed by Congress but was never ratified by enough states to become part of the Constitution, and it has been effectively dead for over 160 years.

Rhode Island was one of the few states that actually voted to ratify the Corwin Amendment back in the 1860s. This resolution would formally and officially erase that historical vote, putting Rhode Island on record as withdrawing its prior support for the amendment. Even though the Corwin Amendment has no legal force today and poses no practical threat, the resolution is essentially a symbolic act meant to correct the historical record and distance the state from its past endorsement of a pro-slavery measure.

This bill does not change any current laws, affect any government programs, or directly impact Rhode Island residents in a practical, day-to-day way. Its effect is entirely symbolic and historical in nature. It is currently under review in the House State Government & Elections Committee, where legislators have scheduled it for further consideration.