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The Rhode Island Senate and House each passed legislation requiring bars and similar establishments to have lids available to protect patrons from having their drinks spiked. The bills, sponsored by Sen. Pamela Lauria and Rep. June Speakman, aim to prevent drugging incidents by offering a simple safety measure. Supporters say the requirement is as good for businesses as it is for patron safety.
Gov. Dan McKee on May 22 questioned why House Speaker Blazejewski's proposed inspector general's office would oversee only the executive branch and not the Legislature. Blazejewski testified before the House Finance Committee that the 2004 separation of powers amendment prevents an executive agency from overseeing legislative and judicial branches. Republican Lt. Gov. candidate John Loughlin raised similar concerns about legislative accountability.
Gov. Dan McKee asked lawmakers to use the $233 million revenue windfall to repeal a health insurance fee funding primary care, double the child tax credit to $650, eliminate the state energy tax on electric bills, and accelerate elimination of Social Security benefit taxes. The proposals would cost $97 million in FY2027.
Gov. Dan McKee submitted budget amendments rolling back some proposed changes to renewable energy programs. New proposals would expand the Renewable Energy Standard to include nuclear and hydropower in a 'clean energy standard,' and cap virtual net metering at 125 megawatts rather than eliminate it entirely. Changes aim to reduce costs while aligning with neighboring states.
In his first major legislative initiative as House Speaker, Christopher Blazejewski on May 14 introduced a bill to create a state Office of Inspector General to detect fraud, waste, and abuse after infrastructure failures like the Washington Bridge collapse and payroll blunders. The office, estimated to cost $2 million annually, enjoys bipartisan support and aims to restore public trust. With six weeks left in the session, Blazejewski merged pragmatism with impact in championing the long-debated proposal.
The Rhode Island Senate on May 19 unanimously passed S 2334, which allows officeholders and candidates to use up to $10,000 per election cycle from campaign accounts for home and office security systems. The legislation responds to a nationwide rise in threats against public officials, including the fatal 2025 shooting of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman. The bill specifically excludes firearms, ammunition, payments to family members, and unrelated home improvements.
Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green on May 19 criticized Providence School Board President Ty'Relle Stephens for publicly sharing a confidential five-page RIDE memo outlining a tentative plan to return control of Providence schools to the city by June 30, 2027. The plan includes a one-year transition during which the school board regains budget and policy authority but RIDE retains the power to appoint, oversee, and terminate the superintendent. Infante-Green said the details remain under negotiation and should not have been released.
Gov. Dan McKee on May 19 submitted six nominees to the Coastal Resources Management Council, the first slate since a 2025 law shrank the council from 10 to 7 members and added expertise requirements. Nominees include wetlands permitting specialist Scott Rabideau, former DEM director W. Michael Sullivan, engineer Richard Bernardo, and entrepreneur Carder Starr. All face Senate Committee on Environmental and Agriculture review May 20.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha filed a lawsuit May 12 to force Quidnessett Country Club to remove a 600-foot rock wall built without permission along its North Kingstown shoreline in early 2023. The wall protects the 14th golf hole from erosion but violates state coastal regulations and harms the ecosystem. The action comes after three years of unsuccessful negotiations by the Coastal Resource Management Council to secure compliance and restore public access to the shore.
The Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission voted unanimously to interview former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and four other applicants—Superior Court Judge Luis Matos, Family Court Judge Laureen D'Ambra, Assistant Attorney General Christopher Bush, and attorney John Roberts—for a state Supreme Court lifetime appointment. Former Common Cause RI director H. Philip West Jr. objected, arguing Shekarchi is ineligible under the state's revolving-door statute barring legislators from judicial appointments for one year after leaving office. Interviews are set for July 28; the commission must submit three to five names to Governor McKee within 90 days of the vacancy.
The Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee discussed a resolution that would ask the state Supreme Court for an advisory opinion on the constitutionality of a proposed clergy sexual-abuse "revival window" bill. The bill would reopen expired civil claims against institutions like the Roman Catholic Church. No vote was taken Thursday; Chairman Matthew LaMountain introduced the resolution, while Attorney General Peter Neronha and retired US District Judge William Smith testified urging the Senate to vote on the bill itself rather than seek court advice.
