Rhode Island Politics
Pah! Who needs $1 million? Before a room packed with apparently health-coverage-minded municipal employees, the Warwick City Council voted 5-4 last night against giving United Health Care the city’s health care contract – even though a switch to United Health from current provider Blue Cross would have saved the city a significant amount of money.…
It turns out that the budget cut proposed by Governor Carcieri won’t go far enough, so what is the solution? The ProJo’s Steve Peoples went to the usual suspects: “There’s no easy fixes. The programs that all Rhode Islanders support are in danger,” said Ellen Frank, senior economist at Rhode Island College’s Poverty Institute. “If…
… or does it seem as if things are starting to roll, just a bit: Denouncing as “outrageous” the 145.99-percent markup the state has been paying a private company to staff the traffic-monitoring center across the street from the State House, Governor Carcieri yesterday initiated an inquiry into “all state contracts that involve the retention…
Jim Baron of the Pawtucket Times, on Governor Donald Carcieri’s response to the RI Senate’s Government Oversight Committee hearings into his adminstration’s temporary-staff policies…An uncharacteristically tough-talking Gov. Donald Carcieri lambasted the Senate Government Oversight Committee Thursday, accusing its members of “abusing…manhandling…berating and harassing” administration staffers during hearings and making demands for information that are bringing…
The ProJo’s Mark Reynolds reports: The town’s police officers and many of its municipal workers have made concessions that will ease financial pressures on the taxpayers, officials said yesterday. Without the unions’ help, the town would have been responsible for budgeting an extra $349,000 to pay for contractually mandated raises and other provisions during the…
Perhaps I should say “election change”…? Today, the RI Senate is supposed to discuss and vote on: S0020 – “This act would reduce the waiting period required for disaffiliation with a political party from 90 days to 29 days.” S0760 – “…an individual cannot file a declaration of candidacy for more than one elected public…
Building on Andrew’s post (and apparently this is a case of lunch-hour, blog-posting serendipity) Jim Baron of the Pawtucket Times reports: Secretary of State Ralph Mollis has assembled a bi-partisan “Voters First Advisory Committee” — which includes the woman who ran against him in the November election – to hash out a list of 10…
According to Elizabeth Gudrais of the Projo, Secretary of State Ralph Mollis has announced his plan to improve the voting process in Rhode Island…Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis yesterday announced his ideas for improving the integrity of the voting system and increasing convenience for voters. Among those ideas: requiring photo identification at the polls…
According to Katherine Gregg’s reports in the ProJo, the leadership in the General Assembly believes that free health care for RI legislators is a Constitutional Right House Speaker Murphy and Senate President Montalbano say they have no intention of making premium co-pays mandatory. Asked last week why lawmakers alone should be spared, Murphy issued this…
Just a reminder!!! The Rhode Island legislature has passed a law moving the state’s presidential primary to tomorrow, forcing candidates from both parties to hastily revise their schedules and platforms. “I love Rhode Island, always have—especially the people,” said Sen. John Edwards while being briefed on Rhode Island politics aboard a plane bound for Providence.…