What better way to celebrate Sleep Awareness Week than with a nap? 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: “Don’t tax you, don’t tax me, […]
Joe Shekarchi
Posted inHousing, Local, Politics
Shekarchi says Rhode Island is making some progress on housing
If only he could turn his gavel into a magic wand, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi said he could make remarkably fast-paced progress in tackling Rhode Island’s housing crisis. Instead, without the ability to defy the iron laws of the marketplace, Shekarchi found himself unveiling Thursday another package of bills meant to narrow the disparity between […]
Posted inBusiness, Local, Politics
Some Rhode Island craft brewers say state regulations throttle their businesses
Matt Richardson and his wife opened Tilted Barn Brewery on an old family farm in Exeter in 2014. Craft beer was exploding in popularity at the time and Tilted Barn was an immediate hit. Richardson, however, quickly discovered a problem he’s still dealing with more than a decade later: Customers who want to take home […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Jan. 31, 2025
It’s never too soon to start crafting your #HealthcarePolicyValentines (or to get moving on a dinner reservation for Feb. 14) 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 inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Jan. 17, 2025
Remaking the Old Canteen as a hot dog venue — is nothing sacred? 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: Gov. Dan McKee had a […]
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 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 Nov. 8, 2024
With the 2024 election in the books, we’re on the fast-track to the holidays … and the quiet phase of a statewide election looming in 2026. Welcome back to my weekly column. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to […]
Posted inHousing, Local, Politics
In D.C., Speaker Shekarchi says Rhode Island can be an incubator for housing policy
During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi discussed the housing crisis enveloping many states – and asked for more federal help to address it. With such an impactful and widespread problem, Shekarchi said, “I respectfully request that Congress provide states with greater funding mechanisms and grant opportunities […]
