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On June 12, Governor Dan McKee signed Rhode Island's Fiscal Year 2027 budget, making key investments aimed at addressing the rising cost of living for Rhode Islanders. The budget shields vulnerable populations from federal cuts and continues support for job-creating economic projects, representing a major policy milestone for the state.
Governor Dan McKee, joined by bill sponsors and survivors, signed legislation expanding access to justice for child sex abuse victims. The law establishes a two-year window for victims to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions accused of enabling or covering up abuse, effective July 1, 2026.
The General Assembly unanimously rescinded Rhode Island's ratification of the 1861 Corwin Amendment, which would have constitutionally protected slavery permanently. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Solomon and Sen. Robert Britto, was signed by Gov. Dan McKee. Rhode Island was among five states that ratified the amendment before the Civil War rendered it moot.
Providence Public Schools will officially return to local control on Wednesday following a period of state management. Key decisions regarding district operations remain to be made before students return in September. The transition marks the end of state intervention in the district.
Rhode Island Bar Association President Patrick Guida criticized a Republican congressman's resolution to impeach U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. after he struck down Trump administration immigration policies. Guida called the impeachment attempt a 'deeply troubling example' of treating judicial decisions as political acts rather than legal judgments. McConnell has faced escalating intimidation, including death threats and harassment, after ruling against several Trump administration actions.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted a permanent injunction blocking key provisions of a Trump executive order that attempted to compel state election officials to impose documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. Attorney General Peter Neronha joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general challenging the order, arguing it unconstitutionally restricted voting rights and invalidated votes legally cast by Rhode Island military members abroad. The court ruled the President does not have constitutional power to rewrite state election laws by decree.
Michele Paliotta filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Providence against Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy, alleging she was wrongfully terminated after reporting sexual harassment by a 15-year-old student and that the school failed to accommodate her PTSD. The complaint accuses the school of violating employment discrimination laws, failure to provide reasonable accommodation, and retaliation. Paliotta is seeking unspecified damages. The school said the case centers on a child with a disability and pledged to fight the allegations in court.
Attorney General Peter Neronha joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and two governors in filing a lawsuit challenging an interim final rule published by HHS narrowing protections for medically frail Medicaid recipients. The lawsuit contends the Trump Administration is unlawfully reinterpreting the law to make it harder for medically vulnerable individuals to be excused from work requirements. Neronha accused the administration of governing by chaos and coercing states to rush implementation or face penalties. The provision applies beginning January 1, 2027.
Gov. Dan McKee exercised his first veto of 2026, rejecting legislation requiring large buildings to report energy use. The bills, passed 48–15 in the House and 33–5 in the Senate, aimed to establish a statewide benchmarking program to help meet mandatory decarbonization goals. McKee cited potential penalties for property owners and administrative burdens on state agencies as reasons for the veto, drawing sharp criticism from climate advocates.
Gov. Dan McKee signed H7163, making Rhode Island the first state to require both legislative and gubernatorial approval before opting into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit. While McKee called the program effectively a voucher system in his signing statement, he left open the possibility of participation if future federal guidance limits use to tutoring, transportation, and technology — excluding private school tuition.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation selected Quarterhill to manage back-office operations for the dormant truck toll system, targeting a July 2027 relaunch. Following a federal court ruling against a local-trucker discount, DOT will reduce tolls at each location by 25%, maintaining roughly $45 million in annual gross revenue. The new back-office system will take up to 13 months to complete, with new toll equipment costing over $20 million.
