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Brightstar Lottery (formerly IGT) signed a nine-year lease extension with FM to remain at 10 Memorial Boulevard in downtown Providence, with an option for an additional seven years. The agreement ensures the company's global headquarters will stay in Rhode Island until at least July 2036, following state leadership efforts to retain the major employer.
Democratic primary challenger Helena Foulkes raised $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2026, more than double Gov. Dan McKee's $490,000. Foulkes now has $3.65 million cash on hand compared to McKee's $1.3 million. Despite McKee's strongest fundraising quarter ever, Foulkes maintains a significant financial advantage heading into campaign season.
Gov. Dan McKee signed legislation moving Rhode Island's primary election from Tuesday, Sept. 8 to Wednesday, Sept. 9 to give state and local officials adequate time to set up more than 400 polling places after the Labor Day holiday weekend. The filing deadlines remain unchanged. Election officials had raised concerns about the difficulty of setting up polls in schools, social halls, and churches on a holiday.
The Rhode Island Senate approved two bills sponsored by Sen. Melissa Murray to limit insured patients' costs for inhalers and for diabetes supplies and equipment. One bill caps copays for a 30-day supply of insulin administration and glucose monitoring supplies at $25. The bills, now headed to the House of Representatives, are aimed at lowering costs for medical supplies critical for Rhode Islanders living with diabetes, asthma, and other chronic conditions.
US District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose was not informed that Bryan Rafael Gomez faced murder charges in the Dominican Republic when she approved his release on habeas corpus petition, according to court officials. The Department of Homeland Security publicly criticized the judge, but Assistant US Attorney Kevin Bolan admitted in a Friday filing he was instructed by ICE not to disclose the warrant information. A Monday hearing is scheduled to determine if the government should be held in contempt.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appointed Charles 'Chas' Calenda as 'Special Attorney and First Assistant United States Attorney' for Rhode Island after his 120-day interim US Attorney term expired April 28. Chief Judge John McConnell declined to appoint a replacement to avoid clashing with the administration. Democratic senators had opposed Calenda's original appointment, calling him unqualified, and the move appears to circumvent normal Senate confirmation protocols.
Rhode Island has re-secured a previously revoked $11.25 million federal grant for infrastructure improvements at Quonset Business Park's Port of Davisville. The Port Infrastructure Development Program funding will support port operations, capacity, and safety. The Biden administration initially earmarked the grant in 2024 before it was temporarily withdrawn.
Developer Joe Paolino, newly named co-owner of Providence Place Mall, raised the prospect of bringing a Costco wholesale store to the mall, though he acknowledged it as a "long shot" and said no serious conversations with Costco have occurred. Former RI Gov. Gina Raimondo and gubernatorial candidate Helena Foulkes both sit on Costco's board.
Governor Dan McKee withdrew an across-the-board payment cut to large solar farms and introduced a voluntary fixed-price program instead. The governor also proposes lowering the virtual net metering cap from 275 megawatts to 125. A budget amendment would also push the state's 100% renewable energy goal from current targets to 2050. McKee's office says the revised plan still saves ratepayers $1 billion over five years.
The Rhode Island House of Representatives passed legislation introduced by Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy that would add telecommunications infrastructure to existing law protecting electric and communications lines from tampering. The bill addresses theft of copper and equipment from wireless towers and small cell sites. The measure now moves to the Senate for consideration.
House Bill H7417 and Senate Bill S2078, together titled the Save Rhode Island School Libraries Act, would require all Rhode Island public schools to have a dedicated library space with daily access. Schools with more than 250 students must employ at least one full-time certified school librarian, while smaller schools must have at least one part-time certified librarian. The University of Rhode Island is the only in-state institution offering the required Master of Library Information Studies degree.
