Former Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt spoke out for the first time Monday about her potential plan for seeking a return to the Rhode Island House of Representatives. After fainting at an April 2023 event, the former 10-year state representative said her decision on whether to challenge Rep. Jon Brien (I-Woonsocket) hinges on pending questions about […]
Politics
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for June 21, 2024
All of a sudden, spending some time watching the Red Sox is a pleasure. 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: […]
Posted inPolitical Roundtable, Politics
House Speaker Joe Shekarchi on state spending, housing and his future plans
Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi holds what is often called the most powerful job in state government. That’s because the speaker controls the legislation in the House of Representatives and has broad influence over the state budget. The $13.9 billion spending plan approved by lawmakers earlier this month won praise for including more money for healthcare and education. And Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat, wins kudos even from some Republicans for keeping an open door and having a consensus-oriented approach. But Rhode Island’s budget has grown by 50% since before the pandemic and the state’s fiscal outlook has grown more challenging. Can Rhode Island afford the growth in its state budget? There are also familiar and persistent difficulties in housing and other areas. What can be done to make more progress on housing? And what does the future hold for the man who leads the House of Representatives? This week, we’re going in-depth with House Speaker Joe Shekarchi.
Posted inHealth, Local, Politics
State regulators approve, with conditions, sale of two Rhode Island hospitals
Rhode Island state regulators on Thursday approved, with conditions, the sale of two cash-strapped safety-net hospitals to an Atlanta-based nonprofit with no experience in managing hospitals. The Rhode Island Department of Health and Attorney General Peter Neronha signed off on the possible acquisition of the hospitals’ parent, CharterCARE Health Partners, by the Centurion Foundation. CharterCARE […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Sen. Miller elaborates on move to not seek re-election
Two days after declining to confirm or deny that he will be leaving the Senate, Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller released a long statement touting his record and saying that he will leave unfinished work for others to tackle. The Public’s Radio reported Sunday that Miller, 70, shared his decision with celebrants at the […]
Posted inPolitics, Stories
A retired federal judge says Judge Cannon appears to show ‘favoritism’ toward Trump
Some of Judge Aileen Cannon’s decisions in Trump’s Florida classified documents case have baffled one former judge, who gives her assessment of the case so far.
Posted inLocal, Politics
Rhode Island Sen. Josh Miller tells Pride celebrants he won’t seek re-election
With the candidate filing deadline coming at the end of this month, state Sen. Josh Miller told Pride celebrants in downtown Providence over the weekend that he does not plan to seek re-election. The Public’s Radio confirmed the conversations with two sources. Miller, 70, who offered a progressive profile since first being elected in 2006, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics, The Weekly Catch
For some lawmakers, LEOBOR reform doesn’t do enough to address police misconduct
The death of George Floyd in 2020 shined a light on the issue of police misconduct and use of force. Here in Rhode Island, there’s been an effort to reshape how we deal with this problem by changing LEOBOR – the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights. This week, Gov. McKee signed into law a bill that marks the first reforms to LEOBOR since its creation in 1976. But some believe it doesn’t go far enough. Also, attempts to reform the state’s Coastal Resources Management Council failed again this legislative session. And we meet artist Bob Dilworth, whose brilliantly textured and colorful paintings earned him a Pell Award this week from Trinity Rep. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inLocal, Politics
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for June 14, 2024
Well, that’s a wrap on the General Assembly session for the year, but more fun approaches with the candidate filing deadline later this month. 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? […]
Posted inPolitical Roundtable, Politics
RI ACLU’s Steve Brown on police accountability, open records and the 2024 General Assembly session
Many of the hundreds of bills passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly each year raise issues involving civil liberties. That’s why Rhode Island ACLU executive director Steve Brown pays close attention to the legislature. As is often the case, the results from Smith Hill this year are something of a mixed bag. Lawmakers approved the first significant overhaul since 1976 of the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights, or LEOBOR. But an attempt to update the law governing open records, the Access to Public Records Act, fell flat in the face of opposition from state government. So how did lawmakers do in conducting the public’s business? What would it take to make the General Assembly more accountable to the public it serves? And how is the outlook for the rule of law when millions of Americans dispute the winner of the 2020 presidential race? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with the head of the Rhode Island ACLU, Steve Brown.
