Follow us on social media:
Rhode Island
R.I. Senate president returns after seven weeks and bout of pneumonia – The Boston Globe
Ruggerio, 76, a North Providence Democrat, missed long stretches of last year’s legislative session as he battled cancer and shingles. He is still being treated for cancer, he said on Tuesday.
In November, Ruggerio withstood a leadership challenge from former Senate Majority Leader Ryan W. Pearson, a Cumberland Democrat who charged that the Senate was ineffective in his absence.
Ruggerio was admitted to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, in North Providence, on Feb. 19 with what senators were told was a “touch of pneumonia.” He later moved to Fatima’s rehabilitation facility, and returned home on March 12. He was expected to return to the Senate last Thursday, but a spokesman said he needed another day with his recovery.
With his appearance Tuesday, Ruggerio has attended six the Senate’s 13 sessions this year. He presided over Tuesday’s Senate session, which included unanimous approval of two bills.
During announcements Tuesday, Senator Jake Bissaillon, a Providence Democrat who previously served as his chief of staff, said to Ruggerio, “I’d be remiss not to say it’s good to see you back.”
After Tuesday’s session, Pearson said, “I’m glad to see he is doing well enough to be back.”
When asked by reporters what his priorities are for the remainder of the legislative session, Ruggerio said, “Well, I’m playing catch up.”
But he cited a Senate commission appointed to study whether to create a medical school at the University of Rhode Island. And he mentioned the package of health care bills that the Senate unveiled in February, including legislation to review Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care providers in Rhode Island.
Ruggerio said he has not had a chance to meet with Governor Daniel J. McKee or House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi to discuss legislative priorities. “We’ve spoken over the phone. I haven’t really met with them physically, but I intend to,” he said.
When asked to identify the hardest part of being Senate president during his health problems, Ruggerio said, “Keeping up with things.” He emphasized his “great staff,” and said he is in regular contact with Senate staff, Shekarchi, and McKee. “So I can keep up with what’s going on up here,” he said.
Ruggerio is considered the “dean” of the Senate, the chamber’s longest-serving member, first winning election in 1985. He previously served in the state House of Representatives from 1981 to 1984, and has served as Senate president since March 2017.
When the 2025 legislative session commenced in January, the 38-member Senate reelected Ruggerio as president, with 26 senators voting for him while 12 voted “present,” essentially abstaining from the vote. Surprisingly, Ruggerio was among those who voted “present.” Afterward, he said he could not hear and misunderstood when he voted “present” rather than voting for himself.
When asked on Tuesday if he still considers it a good decision to run again for Senate president, Ruggerio said, “Yes.”
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island State Police are investigating a crash that happened on I-295 North in Cumberland Tuesday night.
The crash happened in the right lane near Exit 22 just before 9 p.m.
It’s unclear exactly what caused the crash or if anyone was injured.
12 News has reached out to Rhode Island State Police for more information but has not heard back.
Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts.
Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.
Scandals shake up Capitol Hill ahead of midterm elections
Congressional reporter Zachary Schermele dives into the latest scandals on Capitol Hill and how they’re shaking up politics ahead of midterms.
Rhode Island’s Democrat and Republican primary elections will officially be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9 this year, instead of the usual Tuesday election day.
Lawmakers passed the bill at the urging of state and local officials, who were concerned that an election day falling the day after Labor Day would not give them enough time to set up polls for the arrival of voters.
Gov. Dan McKee signed the bill on April 20, officially moving the primary day for 2026.
Which races will be on the ballot? The Republican and Democrat nominees for a swath of local offices – most notably governor but also lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Why was RI’s primary day moved?
At a hearing on the bill earlier this year, Randy Rossi, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns explained the “significant logistical and financial challenges” municipalities otherwise would have faced having an election the day after Labor Day.
“Beyond cost, municipalities face serious logistical challenges accessing and setting up more than 430 polling locations on a major federal holiday, a process that often requires many hours and access to facilities that are typically closed and unstaffed on Labor Day,” he said.
“Compounding these challenges, many municipalities conduct early voting in city or town halls that must also serve as primary day polling locations,” Rossi noted.
Without changes to current law, he said, “municipalities would be required to conduct early voting and primary day polling simultaneously, often in the same limited space and with the same poll workers, requiring additional staffing and facilities.”
By the time this legislative hearing took place in January, other states facing similar issues, including Massachusetts, had already adjusted their primary dates, “and Rhode Island itself has demonstrated that alternative scheduling can be successful, as occurred during the statewide Wednesday primary in 2018,” Rossi said.
EAST GREENWICH, R.I. (WPRI) — If you’re looking to satisfy you’re sweet tooth, look no further than Division Street.
Nothing Bundt Cakes opened its first Rhode Island bakery in East Greenwich earlier this month. The new bakery is situated within East Greenwich Square, which is also home to the Ocean State’s first Crumbl.
The bakery is known for its handcrafted specialty Bundt cakes, as well as smaller “Bundtlets,” and bite-sized “Bundtinis,” that come in a variety of flavors.
“There’s a strong sense of local pride, creativity, and community here that aligns perfectly with our values,” said Jake Williams, who owns the East Greenwich bakery. “We were drawn to the area’s vibrant small business culture and the opportunity to contribute something special.”
Nothing Bundt Cakes is also expected to open another bakery at Chapel View in Cranston later this year.
Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts.
Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.
Follow us on social media:
-
Michigan5 minutes agoHockey roundup: Three Michigan State recruits at U18 worlds; Bruins top Sabres
-
Massachusetts11 minutes agoWrong-way crash closes I-495 southbound in Chelmsford, 1 seriously injured – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
-
Minnesota17 minutes ago5 tornadoes confirmed in Friday’s outbreak in southeastern Minnesota
-
Mississippi23 minutes agoValincius homer lifts Bulldogs past Memphis
-
Missouri29 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for April 21, 2026
-
Montana35 minutes agoGOP congressional candidates Aaron Flint and Al Olszewski face off in Bozeman
-
Nebraska41 minutes agoNebraska baseball falls to 16th-ranked Kansas
-
Nevada47 minutes agoUNLV uses student plaza to advocate for an urgent need in Nevada