Governor

States with legislation to change emergency declarations

Rhode Islanders shouldn’t get used to state-of-emergency government all the time.

By Justin Katz | June 11, 2021 |

Yesterday, June 10, in the two-thousand and twenty-first year of our Lord, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee, the first of his name, did sign and decree the “One Hundred and Sixty-Eighth Supplemental Emergency Declaration,” extending the state’s COVID-19 state of emergency for another month. As is typical, the declaration contains “whereas” clauses to offer information…

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…

Corey Jones LEOBoR tweet

The BLM policy advisor to Governor Dan McKee makes $58,119.

By Justin Katz | May 14, 2021 |

After John DePetro highlighted the tweet shown as the featured image to this post by Corey Jones, the former executive director of BLM New England PAC, I thought I’d check him out on the state’s payroll tool.  To preserve the text, here’s what Corey Jones tweeted: The efforts to amend the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill…

BLM protest on Federal Hill

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Not All Rhode Islanders Are Equal

By Justin Katz | May 10, 2021 |

The weekly conversation about politics between John DePetro and Justin Katz finds a common theme of some Rhode Islanders’ mattering more than others.

Dan McKee gets vaccinated

Gov. McKee wants you to know that you’re deplorable.

By Justin Katz | May 10, 2021 |

  The 199,922 Rhode Islanders who voted for President Trump (and probably tens of thousands more who supported him but did not vote) have good cause to wonder whether the governor of the State of Rhode Island cares about their lives and interests. When Dan McKee found out that somebody hosting a fundraiser for him,…

Zambarano Hospital deteriorating

What about the mental health of RI government?

By Justin Katz | April 19, 2021 |

One way of looking at Governor Dan McKee’s decision to hold off on implementing his predecessor’s plans for the state-run Zambarano psychiatric hospital is as a battle of union interests.  Raimondo’s plan to spend $65 million (initial asking price) for a new facility would have made construction unions happy, whereas McKee’s move serves the service…