Michael Chippendale
Republican · RI · Rhode Island State Representative, District 40
Michael Chippendale is the Rhode Island House minority leader and has represented District 40 since 2010. He is a self-employed manufacturing and design consultant and formerly owned a custom-manufacturing business.
Where Michael Chippendale stands, based on their records
Supports
Healthcare Affordability (1 record), Anti-Corruption (1 record), Government Efficiency (1 record),
Opposes
Gun Control (8 records), Women's Reproductive Rights (3 records)
Mixed record
Environment and Public Health (2 support · 4 oppose), Reduce Wealth Gap (1 support · 2 oppose), Labor Rights (2 support · 3 oppose),
Track record
Track record — Healthcare Affordability
Healthcare Affordability · 1 support
Introduced a bill requiring Rhode Island to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact and restoring telemedicine access for all residents. A House committee held it on February 15, 2024.
February 15, 2024Supports Healthcare Affordability
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Environment and Public Health
Environment and Public Health · 2 support · 4 oppose
Sponsored a law, signed on July 2, 2025, that ended the exemption letting casinos allow indoor smoking, and set aside $1,000,000 to tell patrons about the smoke-free rule.
July 2, 2025Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Introduced a bill to pause net metering contracts, heat pump subsidies and long-term contracts to buy solar or wind power. A House committee held it on May 29, 2025.
May 29, 2025Opposes Environment and Public Health
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Introduced a bill to repeal the Renewable Energy Growth Program, which pays for new local solar and wind projects. A House committee held it on May 29, 2025.
May 29, 2025Opposes Environment and Public Health
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Sponsored a law, signed on June 26, 2024, that created a state lake management program to help control invasive water plants in lakes and ponds.
June 26, 2024Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted against requiring that all of Rhode Island's electricity come from renewable sources by 2033. It passed the House 56-13.
June 14, 2022Opposes Environment and Public Health
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against the 2021 Act on Climate, which made the state's greenhouse gas reduction targets mandatory. It passed the House 53-22.
March 23, 2021Opposes Environment and Public Health
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Reduce Wealth Gap
Reduce Wealth Gap · 1 support · 2 oppose
Voted to raise Rhode Island's minimum wage from $11.50 to $15 an hour over four years. It passed the House 58-16.
May 6, 2021Supports Reduce Wealth Gap
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Introduced a bill on February 26, 2020 to repeal Rhode Island's estate tax. It never got a committee vote.
February 26, 2020Opposes Reduce Wealth Gap
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted against raising the state minimum wage to $9.00 an hour on January 1, 2015. It passed the House 63-10.
June 18, 2014Opposes Reduce Wealth Gap
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Labor Rights
Labor Rights · 2 support · 3 oppose
Sponsored a law, signed on July 2, 2025, that ended the exemption letting casinos allow indoor smoking, and set aside $1,000,000 to tell patrons about the smoke-free rule.
July 2, 2025Supports Labor Rights
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted against covering domestic workers in private homes under the state minimum wage law. It passed the House 56-12.
May 4, 2023Opposes Labor Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted to raise Rhode Island's minimum wage from $11.50 to $15 an hour over four years. It passed the House 58-16.
May 6, 2021Supports Labor Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against requiring employers with 18 or more workers to give paid sick days. It passed the House 56-14.
June 29, 2017Opposes Labor Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against raising the state minimum wage to $9.00 an hour on January 1, 2015. It passed the House 63-10.
June 18, 2014Opposes Labor Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Anti-Corruption
Anti-Corruption · 1 support
Publicly faulted the lack of a criminal investigation of 38 Studios and lobbyist Michael Corso in May 2014, citing documents showing Corso got millions from the failed company's contracts.
May 23, 2014Supports Anti-Corruption
Source: golocalprov.com
Track record — Government Efficiency
Government Efficiency · 1 support
Introduced a bill to create a select commission to investigate the failure of state public loan guarantee programs. A House committee held it for further study on June 10, 2014.
June 10, 2014Supports Government Efficiency
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Cost of Living Reduction
Cost of Living Reduction · 1 support
Voted against letting Providence raise its property tax levy by up to 8 percent in one year, above the usual state cap. It passed the House 56-17.
May 27, 2025Supports Cost of Living Reduction
Source: legiscan.com
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 2 support · 2 oppose
Introduced a bill to keep state spending from growing faster than inflation or personal income growth, whichever is greater. A House committee held it on April 8, 2026.
April 8, 2026Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Sponsored a law, signed on July 2, 2025, that ended the exemption letting casinos allow indoor smoking, and set aside $1,000,000 to tell patrons about the smoke-free rule.
July 2, 2025Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Sponsored a law, which took effect on July 1, 2025, that let Glocester voters approve a tax levy up to 3 percent above the state cap for 2026 to fund schools and town services.
July 1, 2025Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted for the 2011 overhaul of state and municipal worker pensions, which changed both benefits and worker contributions. It passed the House 57-15.
November 17, 2011Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 1 support · 1 oppose
Introduced a bill making it a crime to block the normal use of a road or highway, a felony by the third offense. A House committee held it on April 4, 2024.
April 4, 2024Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted against creating a new crime for selling drugs that cause a death. It passed the House 54-15.
June 20, 2018Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 2 support
Voted to let people with more than one non-violent felony clear their records after 15 years without a new arrest. It passed the House 56-14.
June 9, 2026Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: legiscan.com
Voted to let people with one felony and one misdemeanor clear the felony from their record after a waiting period, excluding violent crimes. It passed the House 54-19.
June 13, 2024Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Housing Affordability
Housing Affordability · 1 support
Voted to bar town zoning rules from capping unrelated people sharing a home at fewer than one per bedroom. It passed the House 49-22.
June 15, 2023Supports Housing Affordability
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Public Education Quality
Public Education Quality · 1 support
Sponsored a law, which took effect on July 1, 2025, that let Glocester voters approve a tax levy up to 3 percent above the state cap for 2026 to fund schools and town services.
July 1, 2025Supports Public Education Quality
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Gun Control
Gun Control · 8 oppose
Voted against requiring gun owners to store firearms safely, with penalties for violations. It passed the House 46-24.
May 28, 2024Opposes Gun Control
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against making it a felony to own gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. It passed the House 43-27.
June 10, 2022Opposes Gun Control
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against raising the minimum age to buy guns or ammunition from 18 to 21. It passed the House 53-15.
June 10, 2022Opposes Gun Control
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against banning guns on school grounds, except for police and school security. It passed the House 44-28.
June 30, 2021Opposes Gun Control
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against banning buying a gun for someone who is not allowed to have one. It passed the House 46-27.
June 30, 2021Opposes Gun Control
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Introduced a bill to let residents 21 and older carry a concealed handgun without a permit if they held shooting and safety certificates. A House committee held it on March 19, 2021.
March 19, 2021Opposes Gun Control
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted against taking guns away from people under certain domestic violence restraining orders. It passed the House 56-13.
June 26, 2017Opposes Gun Control
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Sponsored a law, signed on June 13, 2012, that removed crossbows from the legal definition of a firearm in Rhode Island's weapons laws.
June 13, 2012Opposes Gun Control
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Women's Reproductive Rights
Women's Reproductive Rights · 3 oppose
Voted against shielding Rhode Island health care providers from lawsuits and prosecution by other states over reproductive and gender-affirming care. It passed the House 50-15.
June 11, 2024Opposes Women's Reproductive Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against covering abortion in Medicaid and state employee health plans. It passed the House 49-24.
April 27, 2023Opposes Women's Reproductive Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against final passage of the Reproductive Privacy Act, which wrote abortion rights under Roe v. Wade into state law. It passed the House 45-29.
June 19, 2019Opposes Women's Reproductive Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Election Integrity
Election Integrity · 3 support
Introduced a bill to stop the secretary of state from mass mailing mail ballot applications, so voters would have to request one. A House committee held it on March 24, 2021.
March 24, 2021Supports Election Integrity
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Introduced a bill requiring people who vote by mail to provide proof of identity, except patients in hospitals, hospices and nursing facilities. A House committee held it for further study on March 21, 2017.
March 21, 2017Supports Election Integrity
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted to require voters to show proof of identity at the polls, with a provisional ballot for those without it. It passed the House 54-21.
June 30, 2011Supports Election Integrity
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 1 support · 1 oppose
Voted against the Let RI Vote Act, which allowed mail voting without an excuse and dropped the witness or notary rule for mail ballots. It passed the House 53-13.
May 17, 2022Opposes Civil Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted for civil unions for same-sex couples. It passed the House 62-11.
May 19, 2011Supports Civil Rights
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Track record — General
General · 28 records
Sponsored a law, which took effect on June 24, 2026, that changed Glocester's property tax exemptions for elderly and disabled residents.
June 24, 2026
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted against requiring doctors and hospitals to tell patients when artificial intelligence is used to write up their visit. It passed the House 51-14.
June 11, 2026
Source: legiscan.com
Voted against stopping towns from using zoning to treat certified addiction recovery homes worse than other houses. It passed the House 53-15.
June 11, 2026
Source: legiscan.com
Voted against barring civil arrests at Rhode Island courthouses without a judge's warrant. It passed the House 56-16.
June 10, 2026
Source: legiscan.com
Voted against requiring legislative and gubernatorial approval before Rhode Island joins the federal private-school voucher tax credit. It passed the House 55-14.
June 10, 2026
Source: legiscan.com
Voted against replacing the 10-member coastal council with a 7-member board of environmental experts. It passed the House 52-19.
June 20, 2025
Source: legiscan.com
Voted against banning the sale, manufacture and purchase of assault-style firearms in Rhode Island. It passed the House 44-28.
June 20, 2025
Source: legiscan.com
Voted against burying part of a high-voltage power line and charging the extra cost to electric customers in Providence and East Providence. It passed the House 52-18.
June 10, 2025
Source: legiscan.com
Voted against requiring police to send guns used in crimes for ballistic testing and enter the results in the national tracing database. It passed the House 49-21.
June 10, 2025
Source: legiscan.com
Voted against keeping Rhode Island's supervised drug-use centers open two more years, to March 2028. It passed the House 51-16.
May 29, 2025
Source: legiscan.com
Voted against making kratom legal to sell to adults 21 and over under labeling rules. Opponents wanted the product kept off the shelf. It passed the House 40-24.
May 29, 2025
Source: legiscan.com
Sponsored a law, signed on June 24, 2024, that delayed until January 1, 2030 the state ban on keeping egg-laying hens on commercial farms in cramped confinement.
June 24, 2024
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Sponsored a law, which took effect on June 20, 2024, that created a municipal court for the town of Foster.
June 20, 2024
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted for the House overhaul of the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights, which set up a new five-member hearing panel for police discipline. It passed the House 58-14.
May 9, 2024
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against legalizing online casino gambling (iGaming) in Rhode Island. It passed the House 59-11.
June 15, 2023
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Introduced a bill to cut Rhode Island's sales tax rate to 5 percent. A House committee held it for further study on May 9, 2023.
May 9, 2023
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Introduced a school choice bill letting parents enroll children in any public school district or use public money as a scholarship for a private school. A House committee held it on April 26, 2023.
April 26, 2023
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Introduced a bill barring hotels, employers and banks from treating people differently for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine. A House committee held it on March 9, 2023.
March 9, 2023
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Was named House Minority Leader by the House Republican caucus on June 23, 2022, replacing Blake Filippi.
June 23, 2022
Source: bostonglobe.com
Voted against legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. It passed the House 55-16.
May 24, 2022
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against letting voters with disabilities and military voters use ballots sent to them electronically. It passed the House 48-17.
June 16, 2021
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Was re-elected House Minority Whip by the House Republican caucus on November 5, 2020.
November 5, 2020
Source: rihousegop.org
Sponsored a law, which took effect on July 21, 2017, that let the town of Foster give property tax credits to elderly and disabled residents.
July 21, 2017
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Voted against letting the state and towns use cameras to ticket speeding drivers in school zones. It passed the House 54-16.
June 14, 2016
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against tolls on large commercial trucks to pay for bridge repairs. It passed the House 52-21.
February 10, 2016
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Voted against the state budget for the 2015 fiscal year. It passed the House 63-12.
June 13, 2014
Source: votes.rilegislature.gov
Sponsored a law, signed on July 16, 2013, that let the town of Glocester refuse building or demolition permits for properties with unpaid taxes.
July 16, 2013
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Sponsored a law, signed on June 21, 2012, that created a state advisory council on the welfare and humane care of farm livestock.
June 21, 2012
Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov
Past race Michael Chippendale ran in:
- Representative in General Assembly · November 3, 2026 · State House District 40; Rhode Island · incumbent