Rhode Island

Killed during budget talks, Citizens Bank bill brought back to life • Rhode Island Current

Published

2 years ago

June 10, 2024

Killed during budget talks, Citizens Bank bill brought back to life • Rhode Island Current

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi assured reporters Friday night that a proposed tax law rewrite requested by Citizens Bank was not dead, despite its glaring absence in the revised fiscal 2025 budget.

Less than 72 hours later, the Warwick Democrat produced the proof: revised legislation authorizing the shift in state bank income tax calculations, with hearings before both chambers’ finance committees Tuesday.

What changed?

“It wasn’t ready,” Shekarchi said, speaking to reporters at the State House Monday afternoon. “Taxation was opposing it. The administration was opposing it. I certainly wasn’t going to put it in the budget for debate. Now, those two House priorities have been met.”

He added, “I wanted to make sure the taxpayer was protected.”

McKee pushes state tax rewrite to keep Citizens Bank rooted in Rhode Island. But will it fly?

The updated companion bills, sponsored by Rep. Joe Solomon, a Warwick Democrat, and Sen. Lou DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat, come after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations between state officials and bank executives dating back before Christmas, Shekarchi said.

The tax change, in essence, offers banks the option to calculate their taxable income based only on in-state sales, replacing the longtime “three-factor” calculation encompassing in-state sales, property and payroll. While not explicitly written for Citizens, the financial services giant has the most to gain from the proposal; unlike other banks in Rhode Island, Citizens makes most of its money from services outside state borders, yet its physical presence and payroll are weighted toward the Ocean State.

Other states, including neighboring Massachusetts, have already moved to a similar tax calculation method, a trend referenced by Mike Knipper, executive vice president and head of property and procurement for Citizens Financial Group Inc., in an April letter to state lawmakers.

Knipper in his letter warned that without a similar tax update in Rhode Island, the company “would strongly consider expanding its corporate footprint and employee base outside of Rhode Island because of differing tax treatment among the states.”

On May 10, Gov. Dan McKee proposed a budget amendment offering up the requested rewrite of the bank income tax calculation, with an estimated $15.6 million in state tax revenue loss for a full fiscal year.

However, McKee’s proposal did not make the cut when lawmakers unveiled their revised fiscal 2025 spending plan on May 31, with Shekarchi citing lack of detail and time to vet the proposal before finalizing the state budget.

Yet Shekarchi also said he would not be responsible for losing one of the state’s top employers, which boasts a 4,200 in-state payroll and a $285 million Johnston headquarters.

Negotiations ramped up in earnest over the last week and half, with Shekarchi texting key players in the tax proposal from the rostrum of the budget debate Friday night. A weekend of closed-door meetings and phone calls later, the deal emerged.

Key to Shekarchi’s change-of-heart was the OK from the Rhode Island Division of Taxation, which had initially expressed concerns with the legislation when first introduced by Solomon in March. Tax officials gave the green light to the revised proposal Sunday, Shekarchi said.

The updated legislation clarifies the way taxes are calculated to avoid double-taxation — one of Citizens’ concerns — and refines the information the state tax division must collect and review, with a report to lawmakers detailing the impact of the tax change due no later than March 2027.

“Citizens is encouraged by recent progress and greatly appreciates the leadership of Governor McKee, Speaker Shekarchi, Senate President Ruggerio and all others involved,” Keith Kelly, president of Citizens Bank Rhode Island, said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with the state towards an outcome that is a win for both the business community and Rhode Island.”

Citizens declined to offer further comment Monday.

From left: House Majority Whip Katherine Kazarian, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Rep. Joe Solomon speak to reporters at the State House on Monday, June 10, 2024. (Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current)

‘Vigorous and robust debate’

The tax calculation change is still expected to reduce state tax revenue by $7.5 million in tax year 2025, with a forecasted $15 million revenue loss in fiscal 2026. While the policy is not accounted for in the state’s fiscal 2025 budget, there won’t be any cuts or structural imbalances, Shekarchi said.

Instead, the state will take $6.5 million from the $55 million set aside for a supplemental rainy day fund in fiscal 2024, with another $1 million siphoned from the state surplus, to make up for the expected revenue shortfall in fiscal 2025.

“It was a judgment call,” Shekarchi said when explaining his decision to not include the policy change in the fiscal 2025 budget. “I didn’t want this one unsettled article to be the focus of the budget.”

He insisted multiple times, however, that the proposal will have plenty of time for a thorough vetting by lawmakers; the House Committee on Finance hearing Tuesday marks the third time a version of the tax change has been considered, with prior hearings held on Solomon’s bill and the governor’s budget amendment.

“There will be a vigorous and robust debate,” Shekarchi said.

There’s still no guarantee that the hours of closed-door negotiations prevent Citizens from uprooting anyway, Shekarchi acknowledged.

However, he added, “I think Citizens would be hard-pressed to move. They wanted this very badly.”

As for concerns raised by some lawmakers that changing state tax law to benefit one business will set a precedent for other corporations, Shekarchi dismissed the logic.

“In my mind, there’s no precedent,” he said. “Just because you do it for one, doesn’t mean you do it for another.”

McKee and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio also expressed support for the tax deal in statements on Monday, stressing the importance of parity between Rhode Island and Massachusetts, which is scheduled to move to the single-factor tax calculation starting Jan. 1.

Laurie White, president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, also welcomed the revival of the tax change, having issued an email warning last week when it appeared the policy would not make it into the fiscal 2025 budget.

“Happy to see that all sides are working towards finding a solution,” White said in a text message Monday. “I applaud the progress being made by Gov. Dan McKee, Speaker Shekarchi, President Ruggerio and Citizens.”

If signed into law, the tax change would take effect Jan. 1.

The House Committee on Finance will take up the revised tax change at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the State House. The Senate Committee on Finance will follow suit with a hearing on companion legislation Tuesday night.

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Rhode Island

Shifting Sands in Rhode Island – Rhode Island Monthly

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2 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

Shifting Sands in Rhode Island – Rhode Island Monthly

A rising tide of beach garbage plagues local wildlife. Fortunately, there’s something you can do about it.

A wide array of beach trash found on Napatree Point, from balloons and ribbons to Styrofoam, cellophane, nylon rope, bottle caps and a hypodermic needle. Waves break plastic into tiny particles that mix into beach sand and are ingested by marine life. Photography courtesy of Robert L. Mitchell

It’s easy to overlook the detritus along Rhode Island’s shoreline, but as the amount of beach litter has increased over the last few years, its effect on seabirds, seals, fish and other wildlife has risen dramatically.

Between 2011 and 2023, the Mystic Aquarium animal rescue program admitted fifty-eight seals into rehabilitation due to entanglements.

“Between 2024 and 2025, we have already passed that number, with fifty-nine entangled animals reported in just a year and a half,” says MaryEllen Mateleska, the aquarium’s senior director of education and conservation.

During an early summer walk at Watch Hill’s Napatree Point, much of the litter wasn’t noticeable at first because it had been ground down into little pieces along the high-tide mark. So it came as a surprise when my wife and I, after picking up everything we could find on a milelong stretch of sand, came away with a grocery bag full of trash. Most of it wasn’t whole bottles or cans, but micro trash — bits of things that had been pulverized by the surf.

Our haul included fifty-seven pieces of cellophane, twenty-five balloons (many with ribbons attached), twenty-four bottle caps, twenty-four pieces of nylon rope and netting fragments, twenty-four hard plastic fragments and ten cigarette butts (the plastic-based filters are not biodegradable). We also picked up fishing line, rubber lobster claw bands, tin foil, a shoe heel, one plastic bottle, one toothpaste tube and a syringe — all in the off-season.

“We are seeing more smaller plastic particles make their way to the beach,” says Mateleska.

Garbage found on Napatree Point includes
ribbons from discarded balloons. Birds weave it into their nests, where it may entangle young birds. Photography courtesy of Robert L. Mitchell
Seabirds can mistake balloons for jellyfish and ingest them with serious consequences. Bits of rope and string are particularly dangerous for birds, which may use the material when building nests or get tangled in it. Photography courtesy of Robert L. Mitchell
Larger pieces of net or fishing line can also entangle larger marine animals such as seals. Photography courtesy of Robert L. Mitchell

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The litter accumulates from trash left on the shoreline, refuse that blows in from cars, bins and local roadways, and garbage that travels to the ocean by way of rivers. Waves then break down the plastics into smaller pieces of micro- and nanoplastics.

“Plastic pollution is incredibly dangerous to aquatic species,” she says. Fish and other animals ingest the microplastics and can become entangled in ribbons, nets and fishing lines. Other items that entangle wildlife include six-pack ring holders, hair ties, fishing line, netting or pieces of netting, fishing lures, hooks and plastic bags.

Sea birds are especially vulnerable because they use those bits of fishing line, rope, string and other materials to build their nests. Balloons, in particular, are deadly to seabirds, which often mistake them for jellyfish or other prey.

“Plastics are now in every ecosystem, almost every seabird, and almost every human body,” Mateleska says, with the long-term health impacts unknown.

They also take an extremely long time to break down, which is harmful to the state’s delicate coastal ecosystem.

“[Plastic] material that is in the environment may present itself on a shoreline very far away many years or decades later,” says Dave McLaughlin, sustainability coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

___________________________

What You Can Do

Beach walkers can help by picking up garbage wherever they go to enjoy the outdoors. But you don’t have to go to the beach to help. Better management of beach trash starts at home, Mataleska says.

“Refuse single-use plastics and look for sustainable alternatives, pick up trash wherever and whenever you see it, and support legislation that stops plastic at the source,” she advises.

Volunteer for coastal cleanups, use reusable materials, carry in and carry out your trash, recycle, and don’t litter. And consider joining a nonprofit group such as those sponsored by Coastodians (coastodians.org) or Save the Bay (savebay.org) that organize beach cleanups. When it comes to beach trash, even small groups can make a big difference.

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RIIL title-game spots were on the line Tuesday. Here’s who earned them.

Published

12 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

RIIL title-game spots were on the line Tuesday. Here’s who earned them.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Coaches are reminded to send in game results each weeknight by emailing pjsports@providencejournal.com from 6 to 10 p.m.

🥍Games of the Day

La Salle will play Moses Brown for the 2026 RIIL Boys Lacrosse State Championship, like there was ever any doubt.

Tuesday was semifinal day for the two best boys lacrosse programs in Rhode Island and turned into their annual victory party. The top-seeded Rams didn’t play their cleanest lacrosse, but that didn’t stop them from taking No. 4 Hendricken apart with a 19-6 win.

Across the city, the second-seeded Quakers didn’t get off to a quick start, but took advantage of a man-up situation in the second to build a comfortable lead that turned full reclining chair in the second half in a 14-2 win over No. 3 Barrington.

La Salle handled Hendricken with ease during the regular season and the playoff match was more of the same. The Rams didn’t light the scoreboard on fire – at least not by their lofty expectations – but Dylan Fitzgerald’s FOGO dominance never gave the Hawks a chance to climb back into the game. La Salle improved in the second half and turned a 9-2 halftime lead into a 13-goal victory.

Lachlan Got led the Rams with five goals and Quincy Marino scored four. Tanner Poirier and Kian Parker both scored two goals and Nick Loo, Charlie Rodehorst, Thayer Got, Tyler Loo and Reid Kelley also had goals. Fitzgerald won 18 of 21 faceoffs and Connor Kelley made six saves before giving way to Sam Melanson, who made three to close things out.

Max Casten scored twice in the loss for Hendricken, with Richie Sousa, Will Kornacki, Karlton Lough and Dom Vacca getting the other scores.

Over on the east side, it took a little longer for Moses Brown to get cooking.

The Quakers struck first on a Christian Smith bounce shot 1:22 into the game, but the Eagles tied the game with a Peyton Hillier goal with 2:08 left in the quarter. MB quickly responded, with a goal by Reece Chace with 1:32 left to take a 2-1 lead into the second quarter.

Barrington picked up a stick penalty between quarters and Moses Brown took advantage of the man-up situation, getting a goal from Chace 1:12 into the second and then another score from John Cerce 30 seconds later. Chace added his third goal of the game with 6:59 left to play and Hugo Harrell popped one home with 5:11 left that gave MB a 6-1 lead it took into halftime.

The Quakers didn’t let up in the third quarter, outscoring the Eagles 3-0, before playing out the fourth.

Chace and Harrell led Moses Brown with four goals apiece. Cerce and Smith both scored twice and Ben Magiera and Matt Azevedo had the other tallies.

Hillier scored both goals for Barrington in the loss.

Nothing has been made official, but if tradition holds La Salle and Barrington would meet in the state title game on Saturday morning at Brown University.

🥍GIRLS LACROSSE – D-II semifinals

Westerly 21, Cranston West 3

The Bulldogs showed why they were the top seed in the D-II tournament, putting together an unstoppable performance in a 21-3 win over fourth-seeded Falcons.

Westerly has scored in bunches all season, but it picked a great time to have its best offensive performance of the season. The Bulldogs owned possession and finished what seemed like every time up the field, leaving Cranston West in their wake.

Eight different players scored for Westerly, led by six goals from Casey Macera. The Bulldogs got three apiece from Ella Seltzer, Gianna Falcone and Sienna Fizzano, while Phoebe Brennan and Jenna Parker scored two apiece. Macy Antoch and Sienna Mathieu added one goal each and Vittoria Illiano made five saves in the win.

Ashley Budano scored two goals to lead the Falcons and twin sister Zoe Budano had the other tally.

Westerly moves on to the Division II title game and will play No. 2 Cumberland.

Cumberland 12, Burrillville 6

The Clippers offense made a statement in the opening quarter and kept their foot on the gas, beating the Broncos, 12-6, to earn a spot in the Division II championship game.

When the teams met on May 8, No. 2 Cumberland had too much firepower for No. 3 Burrillville to contain. The trend continued in the rematch, as the Clippers poured on five goals in the first quarter before going up 8-2 at halftime. Up 10-3 late in the third, Cumberland played a man down but the Broncos couldn’t take advantage.

Lucy Biggs led the Clippers with five goals and Brooke Tellier and Leanna Parrillo scored three goals apiece in the win. Cumberland moves on to the D-II final where it will play No. 1 Westerly.

Alexis Novicki and Gia Marini scored two goals apiece for Burrillville and Grace Doughty made 11 saves in the loss.

🥍GIRLS LACROSSE – D-III semifinals

Toll Gate 15, East Providence 5

It’s tough to beat a team three times in one season, but the Titans made it look easy as the offense played practically perfect in a 15-5 win over the Townies.

No. 2 Toll Gate beat No. 6 East Providence – the defending D-III champs – in a defensive battle, 6-5, on May 13, then outscored them 13-7 on May 20. That second game showed the Titans something and the offense was even better in the third meeting of the season.

Delanie Wheeler could not be stopped, scoring seven goals to lead all scorers. Aubrey Rubeira was also terrific, scoring four times. Jenna White had a pair of goals and Tate Payne and Stella Kraus had the other two scores. Olivia Napolitano made five saves in the win.

Alyssa Karalekas left it all on the field in her final game for EP, scoring four times. Sydney Olson added one goal in the loss.

Toll Gate moves on to Sunday’s Division III final and will take on the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between No. 1 Smithfield and No. 4 Pilgrim.

🥍GIRLS LACROSSE – D-IV semifinals

Scituate 7, Coventry 2

The Spartans offense owned the first half and the defense took care of business in the second as they pull out a 7-2 win over the Oakers and earned their spot in Sunday’s Division IV title game.

No. 3 Coventry beat No. 2 Scituate for the Division IV title last year and came away with a win in the regular-season rematch this spring, giving the Spartans plenty of motivation.

The offense was ready to put on a show and did in the first two quarters to take a 5-1 lead. Coventry tried to battle back, but the Scituate defense was too tough and didn’t let the Oakers find a rhythm,

Julianna Pimental led Scituate with seven goals and Grace Jacavone and Bella O’Leary scored two goals apiece. Maelie Bowden had three assists and Lainey Nelson made eight saves in the win.

Hailey Duggan and Addie DeMarzo scored the goals for Coventry, who hung tough despite an injury to star goalie Maddy Vorro in the third quarter.

Scituate will look to win a title that evaded it last season when it takes on the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between No. 1 Lincoln and No. 3 Tiverton.

🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-III semifinals

Lincoln 5, Narragansett 2

Jake Rousseau’s story on the third-seeded Lions’ upset over the second-seeded and defending Division III champion Mariners can be found here.

🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-IV semifinals

Rogers 9, Ponaganset 2

The Vikings gave up a goal early, then took over the game in a 9-2 win over the Chieftains, giving the defending Division IV champs a shot at winning another title.

No. 3 Ponaganset took the long ride to Newport and showed up ready to play, as Otto Pearson scored the first goal of the game 1:12 in, giving his team a boost of energy.

Rogers, the No. 2 seed, came back in a hurry, getting four goals from four different players before the quarter was over to go up 5-1 at halftime, then second the first four goals of the second half to put things away.

Luke Mathews led the way for the Vikings with four goals. Brady McCombe scored twice for Rogers and Quinaln Green, Aidan O’Connell and Jayvia Perez had the remaining goals. Rogers moves on to the Division IV final against top-seeded Scituate in a rematch of last year’s championship game.

Pearson scored the first goal of the game for Ponaganset and the last was scored by Owen Machan.

🏐BOYS VOLLEYBALL – D-II semifinals

West Warwick 3, Central Falls 1

The Wizards came in looking for revenge and got it while earning a title-game spot in the process, downing the Warriors 25-19, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23.

No. 1 West Warwick’s only loss to a Division-II team this spring came in four sets at the hands of No. 4 Central Falls on May 6. The Wizards took down the first set to gain momentum, but gave it back as the Warriors played great late in the second set.

West Warwick’s vaunted offense took over in the third set and the team rode that energy into the third, closing with a fury. Ian Degnan ran things to perfection and finished with 58 assists, with Colin Kelly leading the Wizards with 16 kills. Alex Osmena came through with 14 kills and Liam Sisson had nine kills and four aces in the win.

Emmanuel Tavares led Central Falls with 12 kills and Nicolas Goncalves had 10 kills in the loss. Daniel Rojo, did what he could in the back, coming up with 16 digs.

West Warwick advances to Saturday’s Division II title match and will take on No. 2 Westerly.

🏐BOYS VOLLEYBALL – D-III semifinal

EWG 3, St. Raphael 0

The Scarlet Knights weren’t going to let the Cinderella Saints pull off another upset, winning big points when it mattered most in a 25-21, 27-25, 25-22 win that sends them to the Division II title game.

No. 3 Exeter-West Greenwich knew what No. 7 St. Raphael was capable of after its 3-1 home win on May 20 and then seeing the Saints take down No. 2 North Providence in the quarterfinals.

The Knights had a balanced offensive attack, with setter Will Edwards finishing with 29 assists and using all the weapons at his disposal. Zoltan Libertini led the way with 10 kills, Derik Payette had eight kills and Casey Kretchman finished with seven kills in the win.

Jameson Taylor left it all on the court for the Saints, finishing with 19 kills. Joe Clifton had five kills and three blocks and Brighton Champagne finished with 32 assists in the loss.

🥎SOFTBALL – D-II losers’ final

Ponaganaset 5, Johnston 2

Bill Koch’s story on the seventh-seeded Chieftains’ upset over the second-seeded Panthers is coming soon.

🥎SOFTBALL – D-III winners’ final

Tiverton 14, Rogers 9

Bill Koch’s story on the top-seeded Tigers’ win over the second-seeded Vikings can be found here.

RIIL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE – Wednesday, June 3

🥎SOFTBALL – Division III losers’ final

No. 3 Exeter-West Greenwich vs. No. 2 Rogers at Rhode Island College, 5 p.m.

🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-II semifinals

No. 5 Prout at No. 1 Westerly, 6 p.m.

No. 3 Portsmouth at No. 2 East Greenwich, 7:30 p.m.

🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-III semifinals

No. 5 North Smithfield vs. No. 1 Mt. Hope at Roger Williams, 3:30 p.m.

🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-IV semifinals

No. 4 North Providence at No. 1 Scituate, 4 p.m.

🥍GIRLS LACROSSE – D-I semifinals

No. 4 La Salle at No. 1 Moses Brown, 5 p.m.

No. 3 Barrington at No. 2 East Greenwich, 5:30 p.m.

🥍GIRLS LACROSSE – D-III semifinals

No. 4 Pilgrim at No. 1 Smithfield, 6 p.m.

🥍GIRLS LACROSSE – D-IV semifinals

No. 4 Tiverton at No. 1 Lincoln, 4 p.m.

🏐BOYS VOLLEYBALL – D-I semifinals

No. 4 North Kingstown vs. No. 1 La Salle at RIC, 5:30 p.m.

No. 6 East Greenwich vs. No. 2 Hendricken at RIC, 7:30 p.m.

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Rhode Island

Flight restrictions over World Cup sites: Unpermitted drones could be destroyed if they fly in certain areas – The Boston Globe

Published

23 hours ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

Flight restrictions over World Cup sites: Unpermitted drones could be destroyed if they fly in certain areas – The Boston Globe

The drone restriction is centered around the soccer practice field adjacent to Beirne football stadium at Bryant University, and the Graduate by Hilton Providence hotel, which are being used by Team Ghana.

“The FAA exempts drone operations that directly support national defense, homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting or search-and-rescue missions,” Breitenfeldt said. “Commercial operators with a valid statement of work must submit requests at least 72 hours before operating within a restricted area to allow for coordination and approval.”

According to the notice, The Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, or the Department of Justice may seize, damage, or even destroy drones that they deep to be a credible safety or security threat.

Providence law enforcement is handling safety efforts on the ground.

“This is unlike any event Providence has hosted in terms of duration and international reach, but our police, fire, emergency management, and city teams have been preparing extensively,” said Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez in a press release.

The PVD FanZone at Station Park, between the Providence Place Mall and train station, will host fans from around the world. According to the press release, the city will have a layered security plan throughout the FanZone and surrounding downtown area and police presence throughout the district. A mobile command center will be located nearby where the public can seek help.

There will be four staffed entryways with security screening, and alcohol service will end 30 minutes prior to the FanZone’s closing each night.

Guests will not be allowed to bring coolers or outside food and drinks, drones, or weapons of any kind, according to the press release.

Carlos Muñoz can be reached at carlos.munoz@globe.com. Follow him @ReadCarlos and on Instagram @Carlosbrknews.

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