Rhode Island

All but one of this year’s climate bills ‘disappeared’ in R.I. Assembly’s grossly undemocratic process – The Boston Globe

Published

7 months ago

June 27, 2025

All but one of this year’s climate bills ‘disappeared’ in R.I. Assembly’s grossly undemocratic process – The Boston Globe

On Sunday, there will be a funeral on the State House steps for all the climate bills that died a silent death because of our state Legislature’s grossly undemocratic process. But the funeral isn’t just for the environment: The legislative dysfunction applies to all issues.

This year, 19 of the 20 bills endorsed by Climate Action Rhode Island simply disappeared. No vote was ever taken on them because the leaders of the House and Senate did not want one. That’s how our Legislature works. Nothing comes to a vote without the specific approval of the Senate president or the House speaker.

Rank-and-file legislators — the people we elect to represent our interests — never get to cast a vote on our behalf unless leadership decides the bill should pass. If leadership decides to allow a vote, you can bet the bill will be approved.

Here’s how democracy is subverted in Rhode Island: When a bill is filed, it’s assigned to a committee, which automatically votes to refer it for “further study.” This is true for every bill, regardless of its merits or popularity. The vast majority of bills are never heard from again because “further study” is where bills are sent to “disappear” Rhode Island style.

No bill is allowed to return to committee without the blessing of leadership. Even the committee chairperson cannot call a bill forth from purgatory without leadership approval.

This makes committee hearings into a charade and public testimony meaningless because the committee members have no power to act on a bill unless leadership gives them a green light. This is not democracy. Two people run the whole show. The rest is stagecraft.

So let’s use those environmental bills as a case study.

Of the 20 bills, 17 went to “further study” and disappeared. No debate, no vote, no nothing. Just silence. (In case you’re curious, this included bills that would have funded public transit, purchased clean energy from offshore wind, and required the fossil fuel companies that are causing climate change help clean up the mess they’ve made).

Of the three remaining bills, two passed in one chamber, but were never released from in “further study” in the other, thus bringing the death toll to 19 of 20.

One bill passed — a minor improvement that removes the limits on how many solar panels homeowners can put on their house.

The environmental community’s top-priority bill is particularly instructive.

Half of all carbon emissions in Rhode Island come from buildings. The Building Decarbonization bill would have created a multi-year program to gradually decrease building emissions. It applied only to the state’s largest buildings and would have had no impact on homeowners.

The bill was introduced in both the House and Senate and both were referred to “further study.” The original bill was never voted on in either chamber. Instead, after several months of silence, a substitute bill suddenly appeared that gutted the original bill so severely that it no longer required any reduction in carbon emissions. It was pretty close to useless, but would have allowed leadership to claim they had passed environmental legislation.

The gutted bill moved swiftly through committee and was approved by the full House with no public testimony allowed. But even this gutted bill failed to become law because the Senate leadership never called a vote. I would say it was dead on arrival, except it never arrived at all.

The public should be outraged, as should the many dedicated legislators who have been disempowered by this undemocratic process. Both should demand change. It’s time for legislators to act like leaders instead of vassals.

Are Speaker Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie Lawson despotic leaders or benign dictators? Who knows. But well-intentioned or not, they are dictators. And that isn’t healthy for the state.

Providence-based writer Bill Ibelle is a member of Climate Action Rhode Island and the Rhode Island chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby.

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Rhode Island

‘ICE Out for Good’ rally being held at the State House

Published

9 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

‘ICE Out for Good’ rally being held at the State House

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Indivisible R.I. is holding a rally on Sunday as part of the “ICE Out for Good” demonstrations taking place this weekend nationwide.

The rally is in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Wednesday in Minneapolis.

In a release, the organization said the rally will “honor the life lost, make visible the human cost of ICE`s actions, and demand that state and federal leaders reject local contracts with ICE, take every action possible to stop ICE from operating in Rhode Island, and hold ICE agents accountable when they break the law.”

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Rhode Island

RI Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 10, 2026

Published

21 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

05-19-21-28-64, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

17-24-36-38-43, Lucky Ball: 17

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

Midday: 6-3-1-0

Evening: 3-7-1-4

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

10-13-27-37-38, Extra: 19

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.

When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Rhode Island

GoLocalProv | News | Gov. McKee’s Schedule for the First 10 Days of the New Year

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

GoLocalProv | News | Gov. McKee’s Schedule for the First 10 Days of the New Year

Saturday, January 10, 2026

GoLocalProv News Team

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Governor Dan McKee PHOTO: GoLocal

It’s a new year, filled with new challenges. The General Assembly is back in session. Rhode Island’s economy is flat at best, and according to the University of Rhode Island economist Leonard Lardaro, the state is in a recession. Rhode Island is also in daily legal conflict with the Trump administration.

Add that the state is trying to recover from a mass shooting at Brown University, which killed two students and wounded nine others.

For Governor Dan McKee, it is a critical time.

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He has announced he is running for reelection—the Democratic primary is just nine months away.

McKee’s poll numbers have plummeted to record lows.

A poll released by the University of New Hampshire in November of 2025 found that in the race for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Rhode Island, 29% of likely Democratic primary voters (N=359) say they would currently vote for former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, 13% would vote for Speaker of the RI House of Representatives Joe Shekarchi, 11% would vote for incumbent Governor Dan McKee, 6% would write in someone else, and 42% are undecided.

Is the 74-year-old McKee criss-crossing the state to reassure Rhode Islanders, listening to residents’ ideas, and sharing his vision for the state in his second term?

GoLocal offers a recap of the McKees’ public schedule for the first ten days of the month.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 & SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026

No public events.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2026

No public events.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

2:00 PM

Governor McKee will deliver remarks at the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty’s 18th Annual Interfaith Poverty Vigil.

LOCATION:

RI State House Rotunda

82 Smith Street

Providence, RI

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2026

No public events.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2026

No public events.

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

9:30 AM

Governor McKee will deliver remarks at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new community learning center at the Cross’ Mills Public Library.

LOCATION:

Cross’ Mills Public Library

4417 Old Post Road

Charlestown, RI

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3 & SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2026

No public events.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2026

11:00 AM

Governor McKee will join members of Rhode Island’s Congressional Delegation and local and state leaders for a rally hosted by Climate Action RI, Climate Jobs RI, and the AFL-CIO in support of Revolution Wind and other offshore wind projects.

LOCATION:

CIC Providence

225 Dyer Street

Providence, RI

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2026

No public events.