Governor

A dragon statue & medical mask

States of emergency shouldn’t be used to manage viruses.

By Justin Katz | December 16, 2021 |

Rhode Island Republican House Minority Leader Blake Filippi lays out the simple steps of his argument that Democrat Governor Dan McKee is acting outside of his authority by continuing the COVID state of emergency: A thread on the lawlessness of @GovDanMcKee’s emergency powers: §30-15-9 used to allow the Governor to declare an emergency with no…

Actors pose in front of a curtain

Politics This Week with John DePetro: On the Political Theater of the Incompetent

By Justin Katz | December 13, 2021 |

John and Justin review instances of political theater in RI and the harmful effects the reactions are having.

The State House rotunda at Christmastime

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Campaign Season Starts Early!

By Justin Katz | December 7, 2021 |

John and Justin delve into the already-thick snow drifts of political campaign season.

Blake Filippi's official portrait

Filippi was right to resist the lure of a relatively open campaign space.

By Justin Katz | December 4, 2021 |

Political observers in Rhode Island shouldn’t be surprised by this announcement from Rhode Island House Minority Leader Blake Filippi: Representing the People of Charlestown, Block Island, South Kingstown and Westerly is the best job, one which I hope to continue in the years ahead. I look forward to helping the Republican nominee for Governor, and…

A water drop and ripples

At this point, McKee and Council 94 are just spitting in our faces to prove they can.

By Justin Katz | December 3, 2021 |

All the mandates.  All the fanatical insistence that naturally acquired immunity, let alone religious or medical scruples, will suffice to avoid vaccination against COVID-19.  And now we read this, regarding the $3,000 vaccine bonuses that Democrat Governor Dan McKee negotiated with government employees in the Council 94 labor union: Workers can get the bonus without…

Casual office planning meeting

Politics This Week with John DePetro: PR Bumbling All Around

By Justin Katz | November 30, 2021 |

John and Justin discuss local, state, and national stories with which the messaging is going all wrong.

American flag behind a barred window

We’re not reactionaries, so let’s stop being exclusively reactive.

By Justin Katz | November 24, 2021 |

As I’ve thought about it, this morning’s post on New England governors’ poll results ended a bit short.  I closed with a suggestion for Democrats, but what about Republicans? Considering the huge jump of New England’s three Democrats from the bottom of the national list in 2019 to the top now, two possibilities come to…

Chart of most popular governors in Autumn 2021

New Englanders seem to approve of their governors, lately (especially Republican ones).

By Justin Katz | November 24, 2021 |

During our weekly conversation on Monday, John DePetro and I had some mild disagreement about how one might explain the most recent results of Morning Consult’s regular ranking of U.S. governors’ popularity. The headline for Rhode Island is that Governor Dan McKee is the second-most-popular Democrat governor in the country (at thirteenth overall), behind Connecticut’s…

A man with a mirror mask

Politics This Week with John DePetro: A Revealing Week

By Justin Katz | November 22, 2021 |

John and Justin cover lots of ground in this content-rich discussion of political news in the Ocean State.

A water drop and ripples

Unnecessary, ineffective vaccine payments to special interests is what government does.

By Justin Katz | November 19, 2021 |

Look, nobody should be surprised that Governor Dan McKee’s administration has apparently agreed to give members of state employees’ biggest labor union $3,000 for full vaccination status.  That’s how this works.  If you’re in the private sector, government gives you the choice of being vaccinated or losing your job.  If you’re in the public sector,…