General Assembly
Everybody’s telling us to call our legislators. An email from the Rhode Island Statewide Coalition (RISC): THE WORST SCENARIO IS NOW UPON US, AS RISC HAS WARNED. IF THERE WERE EVER A TIME TO PICK UP YOUR PHONE OR EMAIL YOUR LEGISLATOR, IT IS NOW! THE LABOR UNIONS HAVE STRUCK A DEAL WITH HOUSE AND…
On Saturday, a bunch of bills were posted for RI House committee hearings on Monday or Tuesday. Many of the bills, on the surface, look somewhere between innocuous and silly (e.g. H0623, which increases the weigh-in period for mixed martial arts matches from 24 to 36 hours), but folks knowledgeable in the ways of the…
Introduced by Helio Melo. It would be Twin River only. The operator versus the state’s take would be decided by the legislature next year. Brian Newberry states support for a Casino in principle, but has concerns about this article. Because of Federal law, if RI opens itself up to “Class 3” gaming, than Indian tribes…
[9:18] Ian Donnis tweets…Reps are wondering what they’ll be voting on with the Twin River amendment. [9:22] Article 19 is up. This is the bulk of tax and fee changes, including some business taxes and the sales tax changes… [9:24] Speaker Fox to William San Bento after he seconds a motion: “You don’t get up…
Just got in front of a TV showing RI Captiol TV, showing the House Floor budget debate. We’re in the middle of Article 8, the budget article on longevity payments. [5:58] Article 8 passed — blatantly stealing a description from Ian Donnis’ Twitter Feed…Article 8 cutting new longevity pay for RI state workers passes, 43-27…
Ted Nesi’s post, “What the heck is going on inside the new House budget?” prodded me to take a little bit of a closer look at the state’s latest budget proposal, particularly when I read the following: The House doesn’t cut social services much more than Chafee. The Finance Committee budget would cut human-service programs…
First above-the-fold headline in yesterday’s Providence Journal: “Cuts trump expanded sales tax in House plan.” The lead is: “Finance Committee’s $7.7-billion budget trims spending by $160 million, curtails sales-tax growth.” The only cut that the story provides as an example, however, is $1.6 million “in state spending from programs affecting low-income families, the disabled and…
Rhode Island House of Representatives Minority Leader Brian Newberry (who prior to the last election, by the way, scored 10 out of a possible 10 in the Anchor Rising legislative ratings, which were based on fiscal and governance issues) has posted a review of the state budget to his State-Rep Facebook site. Rep. Newberry offers…
The late-Friday release of the RI House’s budget proposal is in keeping with the overall impression one gets at first glance. At least Gov. Chafee’s budget tried to do something. The General Assembly looks most inclined not to ruffle the feathers of any significant (read: “powerful”) constituencies, and thereby continues the ratcheting effect that has…
Ted Nesi’s Twitter Feed is one of the places to be for emerging details on the budget. UPDATE: And Philip Marcelo has the Projo’s report already up.
