Rhode Island Politics
UPDATE: Kennedy’s office confirmed the ProJo’s John Mulligan that Kennedy WILL NOT seek re-election. Here is the ad that started it all. MORE: According to Cianci, RI Dem. Chair Bill Lynch was selling an ad package dealing with Kennedy’s announcement to be released this Sunday. The ad was being sold as a Democratic Party ad.…
Premiered at last night’s RIGOP meeting.
I think now is the time to support Bob Healey for Lt. Governor. This is why: He has long argued that the office of lieutenant governor is unnecessary and a waste of public money. For fiscal 2010, the budget for the lieutenant governor’s office was $973,262, though the governor has since proposed a revised spending…
Pink slips are flying at teachers in Woonsocket, East Providence and Lincoln and probably soon in your town, too. Two points: 1) State law dictates that all layoff notices be sent by March 1st. Why then and not later, say mid-May? Could it be that it is more politically beneficial for some to have teachers…
Today’s ProJo: Here in Rhode Island, Governor Carcieri’s administration said it is withholding the local aid payments until the General Assembly decides what to do with the governor’s midyear budget plan, which calls for third- and fourth-quarter motor-vehicle excise-tax reimbursements — a total of $66.7 million, half of it due last week — to be…
Owing to some legislation put forward by union-friendly state Senator John Tassoni (D, Smithfield, North Smithfield), I’ve been poking around state law related to unemployment insurance. Tassoni’s bill would remove the word “private” from the following paragraph related to the state’s workshare program: “Eligible employer” means any private employer who has had contributions credited to…
… by the United States Supreme Court. During the height of the debate several weeks ago as to whether the RIGOP should close its primary, Secretary of State Ralph Mollis declared that if a political party closes its primary, it would be a violation of state law. Further, the Sec of State stated that if…
Apart from the complications of Rhode Island law, as a matter of political theory, this strikes me as a reasonable argument: The lawsuit [by the city of Woonsocket], which also names State Controller Marc A. Leonetti and General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio as defendants, said the money [that the state was supposed to give towns…
State Senator and Secretary of State candidate Leonidas Raptakis (D, Coventry, East Greenwich, Warwick, West Warwick) has submitted legislation that would insert the following language into state law: No political party shall prohibit any independent registered voter who has no affiliation with any political party from participating in any political primary. Here’s his press release,…
The WPRI poll Monique mentioned highlights the poor favorability ratings for Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (apparently because he has the lowest approval numbers of RI’s Federal delegation). Yet, Senator Whitehouse isn’t up for reelection for a couple more years, so the more immediate–and actionable–item is the news that Congressman Patrick Kennedy has a high unfavorability rating.…