With Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos and House Speaker Joe Shekarchi at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, who is in charge of the state? The answer may seem academic, since there’s a small chance of a sudden crisis engulfing the state before the officials return later this week. But Rhode […]
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, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 16, 2024
You hear about how Shrek brought in the green with his fundraiser at Ogre Court? You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF THE […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
State of RI sues 13 companies over Washington Bridge
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced Friday that the state is suing 13 companies that worked on the Washington Bridge, in an effort “to hold accountable those companies responsible for the near-miss catastrophic closure of the bridge and to recover the significant resources required to rebuild the bridge and compensate the state.” In a […]
Posted inPolitical Roundtable, Politics
Sen. Dawn Euer on climate change, her political future, Democrats’ hopes for November & more
Keep your eye on Dawn Euer, the Democratic state senator from Newport. She’s a potential candidate for attorney general in 2026, along with state Representatives Jason Knight and Robert Craven. Euer is also someone who may be able to move up in Senate leadership next year. The Newport progressive first won office in 2017, when she got more than 60 percent of the vote in a four-way special election. In the time since, she’s sponsored a series of bills on healthcare, the environment and other issues. Euer is part of a rising generation of younger leaders in the state, and her time in the Senate has coincided with the chamber’s move somewhat to the left. But Rhode Island still faces a host of thorny challenges, from replacing the Washington Bridge to managing a more difficult fiscal outlook. So what does Euer say about the state’s ability to take on tough issues? How does she hope to channel her energy in the future? And are state lawmakers bringing enough urgency to the changes needed to improve Rhode Island? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with Senator Dawn Euer, chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Posted inLocal, Politics
Walz raises $600K during quick stop in Newport
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic candidate for vice president, delighted a mid-day crowd of partisans in Newport on Thursday by sketching a sharp contrast between his running mate, Kamala Harris, and Republican candidate Donald Trump. Walz said Harris could relate to the experiences of regular people since she once worked at McDonald’s. She campaigns […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 9, 2024
Nice bit of autumn weather we had this week. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF THE WEEK: Is there a (somewhat) simple […]
Posted inHealth, Political Roundtable, Politics
Dr. Michael Fine on the shortage of primary care docs, misplaced priorities and other maladies afflicting healthcare in Rhode Island
The amount of U.S. spending on healthcare reached four and a half trillion dollars in 2022, or about $14,000 per person. Despite such massive spending, many aspects of American healthcare are marred by problems. There’s the shortage of primary care doctors. An emphasis on treating disease rather than promoting long-term health. Locally, doctors can make more in neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut than they can in Rhode Island. And the state’s hospitals are overly dependent on Medicare and Medicaid, rather than the more lucrative reimbursement paid by private insurers. This adds up to a series of complicated challenges, if not a worsening crisis. State government has started making some efforts to respond, but these remain at an early stage. So what will it take to put healthcare in Rhode Island on a better footing? Does the state have too many hospitals? And is it possible to create a system more responsive to everyday people than insurance companies and healthcare executives? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with author, community activist and former state Health Director Dr. Michael Fine.
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 2, 2024
It’s a sign of the times when CVS Health unveils a new initiative meant to help vulnerable people deal with the effects of extreme weather. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every […]
Posted inPolitical Roundtable, Politics
Rep. Justine Caldwell on safe gun storage, choice for prescription drug patients, and why East Greenwich went from red to blue
State Representative Justine Caldwell personifies some of the significant changes that have swept over the General Assembly in the last decade. In 2018, Caldwell, a Democrat, ousted the Republican incumbent in an East Greenwich-based district, Anthony Giarrusso. That change reflects how the legislature has moved a bit to the left and how the former GOP stronghold of East Greenwich now generally elects more Democrats. Caldwell is a fierce supporter of new restrictions on guns. Her time in the General Assembly has coincided with a reduction in the number of pro-gun Democrats. As a result, a series of related measures have become law in recent years, including a House bill sponsored by Caldwell requiring the safe storage of firearms. So how does Caldwell respond to people who believe more laws are the wrong approach? What’s her view on what Democrats need to do differently to win over more working class voters? And can a prescription choice bill she sponsored overcome the monopolistic power of pharmacy benefit managers? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with state Representative Justine Caldwell.
Posted inLocal, Politics
Long an advocate for reforming the Supreme Court, Whitehouse lauds Biden’s plan
While making structural changes to the nation’s highest court may seem unlikely during an era of hyper-partisanship and divided government, Rhode Island U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse contends that support is growing. On Monday, President Biden used an op-ed in the Washington Post to flesh out his endorsement for imposing 18-year term limits and a binding […]
