We can only wonder what happens next in a year of huge stories. Your tips and comments are welcome. You can follow me through the week on the twitters.
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STORY OF THE WEEK: As much as the news about what sounds like a pending reversal of Roe v Wade was seismic, it wasn’t surprising; this is the very outcome that women activists and their allies warned about before Rhode Island passed a state-based abortion law, the Reproductive Privacy Act, in 2019. That came after some local Democratic leaders – mostly notably then-Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and then-Lt. Gov. Dan McKee – downplayed the threat to Roe and questioned the need for a state law to protect abortion rights. But a strong grassroots movement convinced General Assembly leaders who personally oppose abortion (including Mattiello and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio) to bring the legislation to a vote. That was not unlike what happened in 2013, when a grassroots campaign propelled legalization of same-sex marriage in RI, over the prevailing more socially conservative ethos of legislative Democrats. Opponents of abortion rights are cheering the tea leaves from SCOTUS. Yet supporters of a woman’s right to choose (a majority of Americans, according to polls) are on edge, and they fear the high court could roll back same-sex marriage and other privacy-based rights. Moving ahead, the ability to get an abortion may largely depend on whether a woman resides in a red or a blue state. Democrats have remained on the defensive as Republicans have reshaped the direction of the nation’s top court. The question now is whether SCOTUS follows through in outlawing Roe and whether that significantly changes the political dynamic surrounding elections and rights.
FALLOUT: Pundits and other observers now debate whether abortion is enough of a prioritized issue to change voting behavior by Americans. In Rhode Island races, the biggest impact could be in the Second Congressional District, where the issue underscores differences between Democrats and Republicans. Republican favorite Allan Fung has made clear that he wants to focus on inflation and higher gas prices. In a statement this week, Fung minimized the relevance of abortion in the CD2 campaign: “My views are in line with the majority of Rhode Islanders. As your next congressman, I would not vote for legislation that allowed late term or partial birth abortion, and I would be against taxpayer funding of abortion. In Rhode Island, Roe is already on the law books, and as such nothing would change for Rhode Islanders. I am not running to change abortion laws, I’m running as laser-focused on lowering the price of groceries, lowering the price of gas and home heating oil, and keeping our neighborhoods safe.” On the Democratic side, whichever candidate emerges as the general election candidate can be expected to zero in on the abortion issue – and what they believe it says about DC Republicans.
THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR: The biggest surprise from the gubernatorial forum organized by RIPEC and staged Thursday at the Crown Plaza in Warwick was how barely any punches were thrown at the incumbent, Gov. Dan McKee. Matt Brown represented a contrast from the other candidates in his criticism of the political status quo, as did Luis Daniel Munoz, in a more subdued way. But Republican Ashley Kalus and Democrats Helena Foulkes and Nellie Gorbea didn’t make any real effort to bring the fight to McKee. The governor acted like an incumbent, hanging back and sticking to his message about an improving economy. There was no mention of the ILO Group controversy or McKee’s flip-flop-flip in variously deciding to participate in the debate or skip it. Former CVS exec Foulkes – who has yet to go on TV despite a well-stocked campaign account – underscored that by telling the audience of business titans that they do not yet know her. Some of the talk focused on housing. And in a display of the benefits of incumbency, McKee teased possible tax relief while simultaneously touting RI’s unusually robust budget outlook.
AS SMITH HILL TURNS I: Don’t miss WPRI’s in-depth investigation on state Rep. Carlos Tobon (D-Pawtucket). Before the story emerged, criminal justice reform activist Cherie Cruz announced a run for the seat held by Tobon.
AS SMITH HILL TURNS II: Jack Lyle, the former representative and former senator from Lincoln, tells me he’s more likely than not to run for the General Assembly this year, although he’s still deciding between a House and Senate run. Lyle was ousted in 2020 by Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith (D-Lincoln), who beat him by 604 votes in a three-way race. On the Senate side, Lyle resides in the district represented by Sen. Thomas Paolino (R-Lincoln). A Republican-turned-independent, Lyle voted for RI’s abortion law in 2019, and he said he’s concerned about the country’s direction.
AS SMITH HILL TURNS III: The progressive RI Political Cooperative unveiled five more legislative candidates this week to run (in most cases) against incumbent Democrats. Savannah DaCruz, an artist and activist who works for Dorcas International, is running for the seat held by House Majority Leader Chis Blazejewski of Providence; Danielle Walsh, a mother, educator and development director for BLM RI PAC, is running for the seat held by House Judiciary Chairman Robert Craven of North Kingstown; Jennifer Stewart, described by the Co-op as an award-winning teacher, is aiming for the seat held by Rep. Jean Philippe Barros of Pawtucket; Finally, Arthur Flanders, described by the Co-op as a diabetic and a queer working class man, is opposing Sen. Frank Ciccone of Providence, chairman of the Senate Labor Committee; and Stan Shoppell, a chef, artist and community advocate, is seeking the seat being vacated by Rep. Gregg Amore of East Providence as he runs for secretary of state.
END OF AN ERA: When then-Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed’s leadership unveiled a “Move the Needle” package meant to shake RI from its economic doldrums in 2013, Senate GOP Leader Dennis Algiere (R-Westerly) was front and center in urging support for the legislation. The bipartisan bonhomie highlighted the collegial nature of the Senate, where it often seemed like Ds and Rs were on the same side, particularly in comparison to the more fractious House. Algiere, a banker, served for years alongside the three Democrats who now lead the Senate, Dominick Ruggerio, Michael McCaffrey and Maryellen Goodwin. Along the way, the dynamic has changed, with the election of a few right-leaning Republicans in the Senate, but even more so with progressive Democrats publicly clashing with leadership. In that sense, it’s not surprising that Algiere has decided against seeking re-election. Ruggerio indicated his esteem for the departing GOP leader in a statement: “Statesmen like Dennis Algiere are rare in today’s politically charged atmosphere. I am grateful to Minority Leader Algiere for his three decades of service to the people of Rhode Island in the State Senate. With dignity and class, Dennis has always advocated unflinchingly for his community and for our state. His ability to build bridges and find common ground with people from across the ideological spectrum has made him an uncommonly effective legislator. I am proud to call him a friend. He will be sorely missed in the Senate Chamber.”
STILL IN THE FIGHT: With election season approaching, President Ruggerio used his weekly email blast to double down on the idea of speeding up the phaseout of the car tax: “We want to fully complete the phase-out early, in the budget currently under consideration, so that Rhode Islanders never have to pay car taxes again. This won’t create any additional out-year deficits, because the phase-out is accounted for in future years. This is a crucial opportunity for us to help Rhode Island families across the board. Let’s seize on it and keep our state’s economy growing!”
BINDERS FULL OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS: The late Robert “Cool Moose” Healey, fondly remembered for his schtick, appearance (“a shave and a haircut away from the governor’s office,” in the words of M. Charles Bakst) and a plan to eliminate the lieutenant governor’s office, would no doubt be amused by the presence of six – count ‘em – six candidates for LG: incumbent Sabina Matos, state Rep. Deb Ruggiero (D-Jamestown), Sen. Cynthia Mendes (D-East Providence), backed by the RI Political Cooperative, and Republicans Jeann Lugo and Paul Pence. This is arguably a disproportionate amount of interest for a job with limited official responsibility. Be that as it may, the latest entry – former state Rep. Larry Valencia – is running on a Moose-inspired plan to melt away the LG’s office: “Rhode Islanders deserve the best and most efficient government,” Valencia said in a news release. “Eliminating this position saves millions of dollars each election cycle. Had we eliminated the lieutenant governor in 1986, when Bob Healey first ran, we could have already saved $40 million or more. That is why I’m running – to be the last lieutenant governor.”
AGING MATTERS: As one of the four Es in her campaign messaging – Economy, Environment, Education and Elderly – Rep. Ruggiero is citing the need for more resources to help older Rhode Islanders remain in their homes as they age. As she notes, RI – which has long ranked in the top ten states with the biggest proportion of older residents – is aging, with the time approaching when a quarter of the state’s population will be north of 65. The bad news, as pointed out by Paul Edward Parker in the ProJo last Sunday, is how the state also faces negative population growth at the other end of the spectrum, with a shrinking number of newborns. Has the General Assembly dropped the ball on making Rhode Island a more attractive destination for transplants? “What we need to really do is capitalize on the economies that are really strong here,” Ruggiero told me on Political Roundtable. “Not just manufacturing, but advanced manufacturing, the blue technology, and the green energy.” While changes take time, she acknowledged, the number of renewable energy companies in the state now tops 50, up from a handful a dozen years ago.
NOTED: Rep. Carlos Tobon, under scrutiny for his finances and business practices, was arguably the most outspoken legislative supporter of incentivizing people to move to Rhode Island.
UNDOCUMENTED: When Gina Raimondo announced her first campaign for governor back in 2013, she tacked left, in part by announcing support for driver’s licenses for undocumented Rhode Islanders. Once elected, Raimondo said this was an issue for the General Assembly – and the status quo has prevailed since then. Now, though, after years of effort by supporters (and a growing profile for Latinos in RI), the House appears poised to join the Senate in backing the measure.
FROM OUR NEWSROOM: Sofie Rudin reports on the state’s slow response to how climate change threatens to swamp evacuation routes in the East Bay …. Ben Berke details the resurgence of cod in nearby waters … James Baumgartner profiles a local custom bicycle maker.
HERE’S THE PITCH: The southeastern NE chapter of the PR Society of America is staging a conversation at 9 am on Wednesday, May 11, on how to make PR pitches in times of turbulence. (The excellent panel includes Alexa Gagosz from Globe RI, comms ace Mike Raia, Sarah Dell from Advocacy Solutions, and Ray Nuñez, founder of Nuñez, The People’s Agency.) Here are my suggestions for PR professionals in the public and private sphere: know your audience (or in other words, make sure your pitch is relevant). Be able to offer a one-sentence summary of why a pitch is worth pursuing. And when it comes to email, offer specifics in the subject line and don’t send us PDFs.
VOLCANO SUNS: An apartment building is planned for the site off of South Main Street in Providence that has featured a field of thousands of sunflowers in recent years.
KICKER: Is there ample time for the Red Sox to transform a fairly miserable start to the 2022 campaign? Sure. But time’s a-wasting, amid this insight from Globe sportswriter Peter Abraham: “Fair to think it’ll take at least 90 wins to be in the mix for a wild card in the AL this season. That would mean the Sox have to go 80-56 (.588) the rest of the way. It’s a long season and lots and can and will happen. But right now that’s hard to imagine.”
Ian Donnis can be reached at idonnis@ripr.org
