Rhode Island Politics
Without regard to the topic, this article is worth a read for the insight it provides with regard to state government: In a meeting of the House environmental committee on the next-to-last day of the legislative session, all the members had worn neon yellow stickers publicly declaring their support for companion bills that would raise…
From the Warwick Beacon: State Senator Steven Alves (D-West Warwick), who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said he believes it is 99.9 percent likely that the state will face a supplemental budget of at least $100 million next year. Question. Why did the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee vote “Aye” on the 2009 budget…
As some of Justin’s “adventures in town government” have revealed, the town of Tiverton has decided they simply “have to” break the 5% cap on annual property-tax increases because they can’t cut anything. They are not alone, according to Susan Baird at the Providence Business News: Nine cities and towns so far have requested permission…
I don’t have much to say on the topic, but it’s really quite a spectacle to see Matt Jerzyk — he of the don’t-cut-social-service-spending or union benefits brigade — attack Governor Carcieri for vetoing an expensive courthouse construction project: Does Gov. Don Carcieri know how to sow division among the branches of government or what?!?…
Think we’ll hear repeated ethics complaints about this? (Emphasis added.) The state Senate returned to a darkened Assembly chamber yesterday for a one-day session to confirm the appointment of a new District Court judge and two new magistrates, including the Senate president’s chief of staff and the sister of the Judiciary Committee chairman. In unanimous…
Hm. This couldn’t be election year grandstanding, could it? Despite the state Senate’s refusal to even consider a bill to require that state lawmakers pay a portion of their health-insurance premiums, the number doing so voluntarily grew during the closing days of the General Assembly. House Speaker William J. Murphy, D-West Warwick, and House Majority…
Via the Ocean State Republican: RI GOP Executive Director Donna Perry is announcing she has entered the race to challenge Senator Teresa Paiva-Weed of Newport for Senate District 13. Perry, a resident of Jamestown, says she decided the time is right to challenge Paiva-Weed who Perry says does not represent the interests of her constituents…
Maybe we should start a betting pool for the dollar amount of November’s supplemental-budget shortfall. I’ve got a fiver on $364 million — a number plucked in the rough-ballpark fashion of The Price Is Right. Already, though, I can hear the voices (even of those who generally agree with me): “Whoa! Isn’t that a bit…
The ProJo provides a helpful list of what passed and what didn’t in the General Assembly this session. PASSED $6.9 billion state budget 24-hour gambling weekends and holidays Automatic destruction of certain criminal records Repeal mandatory minimum drug sentences Early prison release Pre-voter registration by teens Renewable energy bonus to National Grid Close teen-drinking loophole…
Governor Carcieri and his administration is remaining tight-lipped concerning a potential state worker contract proposal negotiated with several union leaders. Instead, we’re finding out the information from union leaders who don’t like the plan. According to the ProJo: The agreement was reportedly negotiated by Council 94 executive director Dennis Grilli, AFL-CIO secretary treasurer George Nee…