In Depth
On Thursday evening, the RIGOP will choose a new Chair. Mr. Smiley is the second of two candidates. Check out both Mr. Smiley and Dr. Harrop on this week’s Newsmakers on WPRI 12. Let me introduce myself, I’m Mark Smiley and I’m running for Chair of the RI Republican Party. I’ve been the Warren Republican…
On Thursday evening, the RIGOP will choose a new Chair. Dr. Harrop is one of two candidates. Check out both Dr. Harrop and Mr. Smiley on this week’s Newsmakers on WPRI 12. I am writing to let you know that after much consideration I have decided to run for Chairman of the RIGOP. As we…
1. A great many Rhode Island legislators, along with their minions, supporters and enablers, are confused about the necessity of holding bills for further study. The specific process that is used at the RI General Assembly conflates two ideas that are not inextricably linked. That it can be prudent to delay action on a particular…
Paul Spetrini of GoLocalProv posted a story last night on the decision by the House Judiciary Chair to void the previous night’s vote that would have sent an Ethics amendment to the full House that contains this item of note…[Spokesman Larry Berman] added that Fox wants “more time” to review the bill. “Arguments were made…
Rules of procedure are a sore spot for me. For several years, now, I’ve been watching at the state and local levels (especially the local level) as laws and procedural rules have been distorted beyond recognition. On Monday, in fact, I presented a case in a four hour hearing before the Tiverton Town Council, making…
Yesterday’s meeting of the Rhode Island House of Representatives Judiciary Committee began with the surprise move of Representative Christopher Blazejewski asking Chair Edith Ajello to void the reconsideration of a further study vote from yesterday that had resulted in a proposed Constitutional amendment on the Ethics commission being sent to the House floor. The Chair…
[7:30] One more: For the record, Reps still present: Ajello, Costa, Marcello, Almeida, Walsh, Martin. [7:23] Testimony on the Master lever has concluded. On to a bill requiring board of canvassers to report on provisional ballots. Signing off, for the moment… [7:20] Margaret Kane: Eliminating the Master lever requires voters to read the ballot and…
According to the Waste and Fraud Report formulated by Ken Block and released in a redacted version by Governor Chafee this afternoon (pdf), there’s a whole lotta Oxy and Vike on the market thanks to Food Stamps: We performed a study where we looked at Medicaid drug utilizations for Vicodin and Oxycontin (and all of…
With Governor Lincoln Chafee planning a “media availability” at 2:30 this afternoon related to an analysis by Ken Block’s Simpatico Software to find waste, fraud, and abuse in Rhode Island’s social services programs, many residents are wondering whether he’s been hoping to hide something. Governor Chafee has excused his early decision not to release the…