Rhode Islanders love to grouse about the Statehouse—and with good reason. Since the whiff of Statehouse corruption exposed by the Rhode Island credit union crisis of the early 1990s, Republicans and their allies in the business and good-government community have pushed successfully for rules change. But these rules haven’t changed much on Smith Hill.
The size of the legislature has been sliced from 100 in the House to 75 and from 50 in the Senate to 38. The terms for governor have been increased from two years to four years. The ethics commission has been made stronger. Revolving door rules were established to keep lawmakers from going directly to judgeships or lucrative lobbying jobs.
A Separation of Powers Constitutional Amendment was approved by voters to keep lawmakers from serving on state boards and commissions. Pensions for lawmakers were abolished. Straight-party voting –which was criticized for favoring Democrats –was abolished. Rules requiring the annual state budget plan to be open for public study were initiated.
There were all laudable efforts, many of them championed by Common Cause of Rhode Island under the leadership of former director Phil West, who is now retired. There were designed to curb the power of the Democratic leaders who for years have run the Statehouse as a barony.
Still, from abortion legislation to the state budget, back room deals and transactional you-do-this-for-me-I’ll-do this-for you politics rules the day.
The abortion debate is a prime example. The measure to protect abortion rights in the event the U.S. Supreme Court repeals the 1973 Roe versus Wade decision has been the most divisive issue this year. After a tortuous path, the measure appears headed for approval. All this despite the Senate Judiciary Committee killing this concept last month.
Republicans howled at the way Democrats ran roughshod over the rules to push this bill over the finish line and settle the topic before it took center stage next year, when there happens to be election. Pols don’t like to take tough votes during an election cycle.
The new Republican state chairwoman, Sue Cienki, called the abortion bill “terrible” and said that breaking the rules to get it passed was “reprehensible.”
The problem is that Republicans are great at pushing rules reforms and running to the state Ethics Commission with complaints about Democratic malfeasance. Ethics complaints are catnip for Statehouse reporters and the elderly and declining talk radio audience. Rhode Island Republicans also love to bash organized labor for having too much clout on Smith Hill.
But Republicans should consider this: No matter how many rules are imposed from the top-down by the unelected elites, things don’t change. That’s because elections matter. They always will. So long as the Democrats have lopsided majorities the party will control the spending of $10 billion in the state budget, as well as just about everything else.
There are only five Republicans in the Senate and nine in the House. The party needs desperately to recruit better candidates, raise money for them and reach out to newer blocs of voters, particularly Latinos.
In her defense, Cienki seems to get this. In a recent interview with The Public’s Radio, she declined to talk about President Donald Trump, asserting instead that her top priority is electing more of her party to the Assembly.
While she is at it, it is also important for the GOP to nurture a competitive candidate for governor. How about a moderate such as Ron Machtley, a former congressman who is retiring after a great run as president of Bryant University?
This we know: A failure to win elections will mean Rhode Island’s Republican Party will continue its slouch to irrelevancy. And Democrats will continue to embrace politics as usual.
Scott MacKay’s commentary can be heard every Monday at 6:45 and 8:45 and at 5:44 in the afternoon.
