Rhode Island Politics

Were Council 94’s “Non-Negotiations” Part of a Larger Plan?

By Monique Chartier | July 30, 2008 |

Let’s examine Council 94’s urgent insistance that the thirty meetings with Governor Carcieri do not constitute negotiations in the light of the status of those negotiations informal discussions at meeting ninteen. On May 23, Governor Carieri appeared on WPRO’s Dan Yorke Show: They have not put a single thing … after 19 meetings, hours, hundreds…

Quick Note: Frank Caprio

By Marc Comtois | July 30, 2008 |

I caught State Treasurer Frank Caprio on Channel 10’s Newsmakers (video) this past Sunday. He sounded like a conservative fiscal thinker to me and trotted out some examples of the forward-thinking policies he’s enacted that have redounded well for the State of Rhode Island. He also described how he worked with the union to get…

Eileen Slocum Passes Away

By Marc Comtois | July 28, 2008 |

ProJo’s 7 to 7 reports that “Grande Dame” of the RIGOP Eileen Slocum has passed away: Eileen Slocum, grande dame of Newport society and a nationally known Republican Party advocate and fundraiser, died yesterday at Newport Hospital, according to her son. She was 92. Slocum, who hosted fundraisers in her Bellevue Avenue mansion and opened…

Blogging into Office

By Justin Katz | July 28, 2008 |

I just noticed that Jonathan Pincince has translated his experience with the Rhode Island Law Journal blog to his campaign for school committee in South Kingstown. As an intellectual matter, I’m not sure I buy his reasoning for running as an Independent, but from what I’ve read of his over the past couple of years,…

After a World Wide Search

By Monique Chartier | July 26, 2008 |

… once again, an open position in the Rhode Island court system goes to someone connected to the General Assembly. An assistant legal counsel to the Senate majority leader has been chosen for a $128,650-a-year job as a Family Court magistrate. Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. last week selected Colleen M. Hastings…

Council 94: If We Ignore It, It’ll Go Away

By Marc Comtois | July 24, 2008 |

From 7to7: The largest state employees union has overwhelmingly rejected a four-year deal brokered by its own leaders and the Carcieri administration, by a vote of 2,870 to 196. Council 94, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, announced the election result this afternoon, after tabulating the votes of its 24 member local unions…

Legislative Leaders Should Be Very Concerned When the Opposition Starts to Throw in the Towel

By Justin Katz | July 21, 2008 |

Not that I’m happy to see any of these legislators go specifically or in general, but the brazen optimist in me hopes that this is the backdraft before some sort of explosion: The already lopsided balance of power in Rhode Island’s state legislature could tip even further left come November. Five of the Assembly’s 18…

Rhode Island: The Curious Timing State

By Justin Katz | July 18, 2008 |

It’s the time line that’s the thing: Early in the week, Dana Peloso was informed that only 14% of the signatures on his state House nomination forms for Barrington would be accepted. On Wednesday, the Barrington board of canvassers certified those results at 3:00 p.m.. On Thursday, the candidate had to drag at least 13…

Is Getting on the Ballot Half the Battle?

By Justin Katz | July 17, 2008 |

With reports of Rhode Island Republicans’ difficulties getting on ballots continuing to roll in, it’s difficult not to decry something as criminal (if only metaphorically): The Warren Board of Canvassers is investigating whether signatures were improperly collected on nomination papers returned by Dana Peloso, a Republican challenging incumbent Democrat Jan Malik for the District 67…

Tollbooths on I-95? Good Luck

By Marc Comtois | July 14, 2008 |

I grew up in northern Maine (Bangor-area), where the Maine Turnpike Authority kicks in around Augusta and you pay on down the road until you hit New Hampshire. One of the things I like about Rhode Island is not paying tolls on the regular highway. But we may be headed that way, according to the…