General Assembly

Silhouette of a stickup

Progressives don’t want more information about the weapons used in crimes.

By Justin Katz | July 14, 2021 |

Anita Baffoni reports for WPRI on the decision of Democrat Governor Dan McKee to take the middle path between vetoing a bill and signing it — allowing it to become law without his signature — on a bill that modifies what must be reported when guns are used in crimes.  Most notably, the bill, which…

Rep. Brian Newberry

General Assembly all but requiring extended emergency declaration is so emblematic.

By Justin Katz | July 9, 2021 |

Writing on his Facebook page, Republican state Representative Brian Newberry explains how it is that the General Assembly teed up Governor Dan McKee to continue Rhode Island’s state of emergency despite there being no state of emergency: For those who have noticed Governor McKee has once again extended the “state of emergency” another 30 days…

Liquid pouring into an invisible glass

Alcohol-to-go is an example of how our government should function in changing circumstances.

By Justin Katz | July 5, 2021 |

As suggested in this post from last month, it is inappropriate for the governor to continue using an emergency declaration to preserve exceptions to the law.  Emergencies are (or should be) circumstances in which it isn’t possible for ordinary government processes to continue.  We can argue about when that ceased to be the case in…

RI’s $13 billion budget shows government always makes out.

By Justin Katz | June 24, 2021 |

While Rhode Islanders are still trying to get their heads around the fact that their state government’s budget is poised to cross the $13 billion mark in the year beginning July 1 when it was under $10 billion as recently as 2019.  How does a global pandemic and economic collapse wind up with the government…

A Band-Aid lid

The General Assembly has passed more anti-science legislation.

By Justin Katz | June 23, 2021 |

The headline over Christian Winthrop’s Newport Buzz article shows how journalists absorb government spin: “Rhode Island General Assembly Passes Bill that Would Ban Gender Discrimination in Health Insurance Premiums.” The legislators aren’t attacking a “discriminatory practice known as gender rating,” as Winthrop writes, but denying actuarial science. Insurance premiums are higher for women because women cost more…

Jorge Elorza speaks at a Pride event

Politics This Week with John DePetro: The Privileged in Rhode Island

By Justin Katz | June 21, 2021 |

This week, John and Justin discuss the special interests who get special privileges in the Ocean State.

No Tolerance for Ignorance sign

A step in the right direction on campaigning via school lists.

By Justin Katz | June 16, 2021 |

Legislation from Democrat state Senator Leonidas Raptakis (S0089) and Democrat state Representative Patricia Serpa (H5830) begins to address the abuse of school information: The General Assembly tonight passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis and Rep. Patricia A. Serpa which prohibits the use of a school district’s listserv to distribute any political advertisement, invitation,…

Fire report

Is somebody trying to make the fire at the speaker’s law office go away?

By Justin Katz | June 8, 2021 |

John DePetro writes that he’s in communication with a federal officer who claims Rhode Island and Warwick fire officials have been providing misleading information: According to a Federal officer, the Rhode Island Fire Marshall’s office mislead Federal officials as to the suspicious fire May 11 at the law office of House Speaker Joe Shekarchi. The…

McKee signs nursing home mandates

RI politicians smile as they experiment with your parents and grandparents and planet-leading mandates.

By Justin Katz | June 4, 2021 |

Last week, I worried that the recently enacted “Nursing Home Staffing and Quality Care Act” handed bureaucrats power that they aren’t competent to wield.  This week, news has reached Australia that the Ocean State’s mandates in this area blow the continent-nation’s own version out of the water. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee (pictured) has signed…

A lit liquor shelf

State House insiders give the impression of bingeing, with more evergreen contracts.

By Justin Katz | June 1, 2021 |

Workaday Rhode Island taxpayers are in a vulnerable position right now. Progressive legislators are surging.  The replacement of former House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello with Joseph Shekarchi (thanks to the electoral victory of quickly-proving-herself-a-far-left-progressive Republican Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung) is teaching Rhode Island too late that Mattiello really was a firewall against bad leftist policies.  And newly…