General Assembly
Andrew’s news might explain the lack of the usual angst from the state’s unionists over legislative assurances that binding arbitration is dead, for the time being: The unions’ first choice — perpetual contracts — is alive and well. You’ll recall that the deadly bill, S0713, passed the Senate and the House Labor Committee and then…
Probably the most significant item to emerge, thus far, from the legislative appendix underway at the State House was House Majority Leader Gordon Fox’s assurance that binding arbitration for teacher contracts is not going to make a surprise appearance: Fox confirmed that a proposal to allow binding arbitration in contract disputes with teachers’ unions is…
Well, he’s a Democrat and a lawyer, which means he’s got two strikes against him, but Scott Pollard (D., Coventry, Foster, Glocester) counterbalances with a dozen good ideas on saving Rhode Island. Here’s the first: Problem: Rhode Island’s tax structure is not business- or citizen-friendly, which harms the state’s reputation and potential for growth. Solution:…
This is not encouraging: [Rhode Island’s] Legislative leaders have scheduled hearings or floor votes for 196 individual proposals between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday night. And that number is expected to grow. … The scope of the agenda apparently surprised several political observers. “I thought it was going to be more targeted,” said John Marion, executive…
You know the Rhode Island way of doing government is sickly when the habits and practices of elected officials drive the political left and right so close as to leave no space whatsoever between them. Witness Bob Kerr‘s suggestion that the state replace its current system of selecting its Speaker of the House through back-room…
Want another bit of evidence that Rhode Island ain’t done sinking, yet? Tune into the Speaker of the House race, as Ed Fitzpatrick does, here. Ed’s right that this story is very Rhode Island: In the small world of State House politics, the contest is coming down to three lawyer/legislators who shared a Broadway office…
Ian Donnis of WRNI’s On Politics blog points to a Mark Arsenault article in the Boston Globe, mostly about the state government shutdown-days, but that also mentions Governor Donald Carcieri’s plan to eliminate $32 million in local aid to help balance the state budget. According to the spokesman for Rhode Island’s Speaker of the House,…