Representative Marvin L. Abney
Chair, House Committee on Finance
Member, House Committee on Conduct
Member, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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 Veterans' Affairs, the House Committee on Conduct, and the Special Legislative Commission on Defense Economy Planning.
During the 2026 legislative session, Chairman Abney was once again the prime sponsor and negotiator of the FY 2027 state budget, a balanced $15.2 billion plan that provides economic relief for Rhode Islanders, strengthens support for education and the state's hospitals and healthcare providers, and establishes new government reform efforts without any broad-based tax or fee increases.
He also introduced legislation that helped support and keep open two crucial community hospitals, the Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital.
In 2025, Chairman Abney sponsored the FY 2026 state budget that bolstered Medicaid despite threats at the federal level; increased reimbursements for primary care providers, nursing homes and hospitals; and provided additional resources to address the housing crisis.
He serves on the National Conference of State Legislators' (NCSL) Foundation Board of Directors. He is a member of the Council of State Governments' (CSG) National Leadership Team and a member of the CSG Eastern Region Executive Committee. In addition, Chairman Abney served as a member of the 2012 Electoral College.
Chairman Abney is a retired Major of the United States Army after a 20-year Army career, including a tour of duty as a detachment commander at NATO Headquarters with responsibilities in Belgium; The American Embassy, Paris, France; and the Netherlands. In 2025, he was inducted into the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame at Fort Moore in Georgia.
He also retired from the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, where he held the position of executive assistant to the commissioner. He taught general business courses at City Colleges of Chicago, European Division.
Born on November 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 bachelor's degree in public administration at Stephen F. Austin State University in 1975, a master's of management degree from Webster University in 1982, a master's 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.