A new poll by the Pell Center at Salve Regina University shows both Gov. Dan McKee and Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos with approval ratings that are underwater. Thirty-six percent of respondents support the job done by McKee, while 54% disapprove, according to the poll. For Matos, the approval number is 28%, while her disapproval was […]
DAN MCKEE
Posted inLocal, Politics
McKee signs safe storage bill into law
A long-running effort to require the secure storage of guns — cited by supporters as a way to reduce harm and reviled by opponents as an infringement of personal rights — came to a conclusion as Gov. Dan McKee signed the measure into law Thursday to the delight of gun safety advocates. The legislation sponsored […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, Politics
Overhaul of measure governing police discipline signed into law
The first major overhaul of a controversial 48-year-old measure governing internal discipline of police in Rhode Island was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Dan McKee. The Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights — blamed by critics for inhibiting appropriate management of police who engage in misconduct — has defied changes for decades. But the […]
Posted inBusiness, Local, Politics
Tax change sought by Citizens Bank lands on fast-track
Banks in Rhode Island are currently taxed on a three-factor calculation that includes in-state sales, property and payroll. Lawmakers balked when Gov. Dan McKee made a late-session budget amendment requested by Citizens to adopt a single-factor tax formula for large financial institutions. At the same time, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi indicated last week that he […]
Posted inLocal, Political Roundtable, Politics
Sabina Matos on bouncing back from an election loss, policy priorities, and what’s next
Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos was the early favorite in the race for an open seat in the First Congressional District last year. But a signature-gathering scandal took on a life of its own, and undermined Matos’ hopes of landing in Congress. Her boss, Governor Dan McKee, shows how a lieutenant governor can move up if they’re in the right place at the right time. But some Rhode Islanders continue to question the value of the lieutenant governor’s office. So what does Matos say about that? What has she done to overcome the disappointment of her performance in last year’s congressional race? And what does Matos say about Democrats losing support among Latinos? This week on Political Roundtable, Ian Donnis goes in-depth with Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos.
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for May 17, 2024
Time to get down to brass tacks with the budget. 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: In a sure sign […]
Posted inHealth, Local
Governor nominates Dr. Jerome Larkin to lead RI Department of Health
After more than two years without a permanent director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, Gov. Dan McKee has nominated Dr. Jerome M. Larkin to fill the post. Larkin, 61, is the medical director of inpatient infectious diseases consultation services at Rhode Island Hospital and an associate professor of clinical medicine at Brown University’s […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
Rhode Island GOP lambasts Democrats for handling of Washington Bridge
With the demolition and replacement cost for the westbound Washington Bridge rising to more than $400 million, Rhode Island GOP Chairman Joe Powers staged a news conference Tuesday to sharply criticize how a string of Democratic leaders have handled the situation. The administration of Gov. Dan McKee disclosed the $400 million figure on Monday – […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Raimondo and other officials celebrate new NOAA operations center in Middletown
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and a host of other officials celebrated a groundbreaking Monday for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Atlantic operations center at Naval Station Newport in Middletown. The project represents a windfall of $146 million in federal spending in Rhode Island that will create local construction jobs through a project labor […]
Posted inLocal, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for May 3, 2024
It’s an outrage that the new documentary about the secret apartment at Providence Place has yet to screen in Rhode Island. 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 […]