Your Representative for Burrillville, Glocester

David J. Place is the State Representative for Rhode Island House District 47 encompassing sections of both Burrillville and Glocester.

David and his wife Erin are raising their family in the village of Harrisville.

Growing up the son of a small business owner taught him what it meant to work hard and the burdens of an entrepreneur.

After High School, David joined and served 10 years in the U.S. Army earning the rank of Staff Sargent.  

A combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom II, David was decorated for leadership and heroism while serving as a Tank Commander with the 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division.

David holds a degree in accounting from Rhode Island College and worked as a machinist in a successful Rhode Island shop.

Prior to being elected to the General Assembly, David served 8 years on the Burrillville Town Council where he was selected by his peers to chair both the Screening and Audit Sub-Committees. He also served 5 years on the Harrisville Fire District Operating Committee both as a member of the Water and Fire Committees. While on the Fire Sub-Committee David was selected as a member of the Collective Bargaining Team.

David is a member of the House Committee on Judiciary, House Committee on Municipal Government, and House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs.

Goals As Your State Representative

Burrillville and Glocester face three major challenges over the next 10 years - continued impediment of, and interference with, our self government by an overbearing, autocratic state government; lack of parental control and available options for educating our children; and a lack of foresight by that same state government of the coming disruptive impacts such as Artificial Intelligence, automation and the shift away from our legacy economy.

To address these challenges I have written and submitted legislation focusing on four areas:

1. Eliminating the unfunded mandates placed on local governments. These mandates are strangling municipalities ability to balance budgets. My legislation begins returning control of your property tax rates back to you and your elected town councils.

2. Expand educational opportunities for our K-12 families, allowing for non-traditional education models which offer alternatives to the factory schooling in use today.

3. Introducing legal and regulatory polices that foster the development of a Maker and GIG economy. My focus is in fostering specialized and customized work and products, while protecting GIG workers and independent contractors with traditional benefits and protections.

4. Stopping the culture of corporate giveaways and crony capitalism that only benefit insiders and “deal makers”. My focus is to provide support and resources for our locally owned & operated businesses.