Opinion
Editorial pieces from contributors and staff
Lenny Cioe: A new facade on an old building
"The Senate President claims he wants a “transformational” legislative session, but we will never have true change if the man with the power to make that legislation reality is merely a puppet of powerful lobbyists and wealthy corporations..."
KPRC: Will the public's voices be heard on Kennedy Plaza bus hub?
"As changes are being proposed to the transit hub in Kennedy Plaza, we write to you to urge that transit riders be listened to more seriously throughout the process – especially since their voices have so often been neglected on this issue before..."
Clara Hardy: Public housing in Rhode Island needs a complete overhaul
"Through my work as a social worker, I have seen that when the basic need of shelter is not met, it is nearly impossible for someone to obtain physical and emotional well-being. Our state government has ignored those in dire need of safe shelter, and thereby allowed a whole segment of our population to remain disempowered."
Dr. Fine: What’s Coming at Us - COVID, Omicron, Division, and Democracy
"This will happen because two governors valued commerce over human life and because two governors tried to practice public health, a discipline in which they weren’t trained and didn’t know, and failed at it," writes Dr. Fine, "and because our legislature sat back and watched them proceed with reckless indifference to the value of human life."
Ahlquist: What are the costs of an inside game?
RI Rank is not simply a metric of a legislator's positions on a scale from conservative to progressive, it also factors in a legislator's fealty to General Assembly leadership.
Sgouros: RI's legislature lacks policy staff, and that's a problem
Information is power, but past Speakers apparently never understood that. They thought of power in terms of patronage and transactions, not policy, so they didn't invest in staff or capacity at the state house, and so when we need it, it's not there.
Asinof: What role do politically-connected consultants play in state funding?
"What role did McKinsey & Company play as a pro bono consultant to the state of Rhode Island in decision-making around interventions to combat the spread of COVID-19?" asks Richard Asinof of ConvergenceRI.
Ruggerio Opponent: Senate President is gerrymandering his re-election
"The maps released by the redistricting commission are gerrymandered in favor of those still in power, like my opponent in the Senate District 4 election in 2020, corporate Democrat Dominick Ruggerio," writes Lenny Cioe.
Law students launch boycott of law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
“Gibson Dunn has crossed every red line imaginable in their weaponization of the American judicial system to exacerbate the climate crisis, assault Indigenous rights, and attack lawyers like Steven Donziger who dare to challenge their corporate clients. This appalling work undermines the rule of law and is incompatible with a livable future, and as the newest generation to enter the legal field, we will have no part in it.”
RI Coalition for Repro Freedom: Now is the time to end the state's abortion bans
“Health disparities have never been more apparent than in the past year, given the dual health and economic crises caused by COVID-19," said Kelly Nevins, CEO of the The Women’s Fund of Rhode Island. "Those struggling to make ends meet already face barriers to accessing care. We must work to ensure that access to health care does not depend on who you are, where you live, or how much money you make.”