Rhode Island is “full of progress and promise,” Gov. Dan McKee said during his State of the State address Tuesday night, arguing that New England’s longtime economic laggard is flipping the script on old narratives while stepping into the future. Whether Rhode Islanders agree will be decided next year when McKee, a 73-year-old Democrat, plans […]
Ian Donnis
One of the state’s top political reporters, Ian Donnis joined The Public’s Radio in 2009. Ian has reported on Rhode Island politics since 1999, arriving in the state just two weeks before the FBI raided City Hall and Buddy Cianci’s East Side home. Ian covers breaking news, develops in-depth features and investigative reports, and welcomes a range of newsmakers to “Political Roundtable” each week. He also writes our Friday political newsletter and maintains a strong social media presence.
For many years, Ian was a panelist on WPRI-TV’s Sunday morning public affairs show, Newsmakers, and he’s a regular guest on A Lively Experiment on Rhode Island PBS. His previous experience includes serving as news editor of The Providence Phoenix and as a reporter for the Associated Press and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. He has a BS in journalism from Boston University.
Outside of work, Ian enjoys baseball, cooking, and exploring Rhode Island.
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
State officials say eastbound Washington Bridge remains safe
State officials said Monday the eastbound Washington Bridge has not experienced any significant deterioration despite carrying twice the normal traffic since it was pressed into an expanded role last year. The eastbound bridge was reconfigured to accommodate six lanes of traffic, three in each direction, after the westbound bridge was closed on an emergency basis […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Jan. 10, 2025
If Donald Trump is intent on seizing Greenland, Rhode Island might want to use the resulting distraction to annex Seekonk. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** 1. STORY OF […]
Posted inPolitical Roundtable, Politics
Shekarchi on a tough fiscal climate, making progress on housing, and more
Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi starts 2025 in an enviable position. He has overwhelming support from the members who make up the House of Representatives — and won re-election as speaker this week with 62 of 75 votes. Shekarchi has more than $3 million in his campaign account — and that gives the Warwick Democrat a lot of flexibility if Governor Dan McKee decides against seeking re-election next year. But Rhode Island faces a tougher fiscal climate due to the end of federal COVID aid. Shekarchi has spearheaded efforts to create more housing, but progress has been incremental and the cost of a home or apartment remains unaffordable for many people. The state faces other challenges with healthcare and the economy, including the potential loss of the storied toymaker Hasbro. So what would it take to make up more ground on these difficult issues, and do state leaders have the right plan for moving forward?
Posted inBusiness, Health, Local
California company’s finances pose more uncertainty for two RI hospitals
Prospect Medical Holdings, the California-based owner of two cash-strapped safety net hospitals in Rhode Island, faces a possible bankruptcy filing, a move that would spell added uncertainty for Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence. Prospect’s exploration of restructuring was reported by The Wall Street Journal, which […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
A divided Rhode Island Senate re-elects Ruggerio as president
Dominick Ruggerio won re-election as president of the Rhode Island Senate Tuesday, as the General Assembly met for the first time in 2025, although almost a third of senators did not support Ruggerio amid ongoing questions about his health. Ruggerio, 76, won another two-year term in one of the two top leadership positions on a […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Jan. 3, 2025
It’s a shiny new year, brimming with possibilities. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** 1. STORY OF THE WEEK: The Rhode Island Senate remains the more fractious of Smith […]
Posted inPolitical Roundtable, Politics
Sen. Ryan Pearson on what’s next for the RI Senate after a split in calls for new leadership
Ryan Pearson’s term as the second-ranking member of the Rhode Island Senate will formally end Tuesday. During a Democratic Senate caucus in November, Pearson lost a challenge to Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, and Senate Whip Val Lawson won the support to take over Pearson’s role in the legislative session starting next week. More fallout is expected. All this comes as legislators will wrestle with a big budget deficit and thorny issues including housing, healthcare and the economy. Pearson and his supporters say they were motivated by how Ruggerio, now 76, missed large parts of the last session due to various health issues. But was it a smart play to pursue the challenge against Rhode Island’s longest-serving lawmaker, and will that hurt the Senate’s ability to get things done in the new session?
Posted inLocal, Politics, Technology
Hackers released some RI data on the dark web
Cyber-criminals have released on the dark web an unknown quantity of Rhode Islanders’ personal data from RIBridges, the state’s health and benefits portal. Speaking about two weeks after the breach was revealed, Gov. Dan McKee said it was unclear if the exposure of data involved all or part of the information from RIBridges. About 650,000 […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
RI lawmakers prepare to return to the Statehouse
Rhode Island lawmakers will face a tougher fiscal climate when a new legislative session begins on Jan. 7 — with a looming deficit of about $300 million for the next fiscal year. The state has enjoyed a string of consecutive surpluses in recent years, thanks to a gusher of federal COVID aid. But the cost […]
