Rhode Island
Rhode Island debates raising taxes on the rich – The Boston Globe
On Thursday, a group of progressive lawmakers joined the Working Families Party in announcing a set of four bills, branded the “Fair Share for Rhode Island Package,” that would go beyond McKee’s proposal to generate $650 million in annual revenue by boosting taxes on the wealthy.
Representative Brandon C. Potter, a Cranston Democrat, called McKee’s proposal “a strong step forward,” but said, “It simply does not do enough to meet the needs of working people in Rhode Island right now.”
Potter emphasized that President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act” would provide about $1 trillion in federal tax cuts for the richest 1 percent over the next decade while slashing health benefits and food assistance for lower-income Rhode Islanders.
“We need to meet this moment,” Potter said. “In a state controlled by Democrats, we have the opportunity to demonstrate what it means to fight for working people and deliver on our values in the way that this moment calls for.”
The “Fair Share for Rhode Island Package” includes:
● A 1 percent tax “wealth tax” on a Rhode Island tax filers who have worldwide financial assets of more than $25 million. That would generate a projected $300 million per year.
Potter and Senator Tiara T. Mack, a Providence Democrat, are sponsoring that legislation, which would apply to financial intangible assets such as stocks, bonds, options, and annuities, and not to the value of houses or other real estate property, or nonfinancial intangible assets such as patents or brand recognition.
Mack said the tax would affect 1/14th of the state’s richest 1 percent. “And because wealth is so concentrated amongst this very small percentage, this small tax on the richest Rhode Islanders will raise $3 billion over the next 10 years,” she said.
● A 3 percent surtax on taxable income of more than $640,000. That would generate a projected $200 million a year.
Representative Karen Alzate, a Pawtucket Democrat, said this is the seventh year that she and Senator Melissa A. Murray, a Woonsocket Democrat, have sponsored the legislation, and in light of Trump administration cuts, she said it’s more crucial than ever.
Alzate said the Massachusetts millionaires tax has provided that state with billions in revenue to improve health care and schools and lure big business such as Hasbro, which is moving its headquarters from Pawtucket to Boston. ”There is no mass exodus,“ she said. ”Just stronger communities.”
● A 4 percent “wealth proceeds tax” that would generate a projected $144.4 million per year.
Representative Teresa A. Tanzi, a South Kingstown Democrat, and Senator Meghan E. Kallman, a Pawtucket Democrat, are sponsoring the legislation, which aims to equalize the tax treatment of earned and unearned income by taxing “passive income” such as capital gains, dividends, interest and annuities, along with certain kinds of rents, royalties and business income. It would not tax income derived from active participation in a business or a retirement income such as Social Security, pensions, 401(k)s and IRAs.
● A digital ads tax that would generate an undetermined amount of revenue.
Kallman and Representative Terri Cortvriend, a Portsmouth Democrat, are sponsoring legislation that would tax the revenue of major tech companies, such as Meta and X, that make money from digital advertising. Only businesses with $1 million in annual gross revenue from digital ad services in Rhode Island would be required to file the new digital advertising tax return.
Last year, McKee proposed a 10 percent tax on digital advertising revenues in the state, which would only apply to media companies with more than $1 billion in global revenues.
Apple, Meta, TikTok, and Microsoft hired local lobbyists in Rhode Island to try to kill the proposal, and it was not included in the budget passed by the General Assembly. House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat, said the proposal was too speculative, noting only Maryland had tried such a tax and it was facing lawsuits.
The four tax proposals are facing strong opposition from business groups.
Laurie White, president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, criticized the proposals, saying increases in the personal income tax would hurt many small businesses.
Most of the state’s small businesses are organized as pass-through entities, meaning their business profits are taxed under the personal income tax, not a separate corporate tax, White said. Potter disputed the extent of the impact of a tax on income of more than $640,000.
But White said, “For thousands of small businesses, it is a direct tax on their operating income, and it ultimately affects employees through fewer opportunities and slower growth.”
White said the Working Families Party is supporting higher taxes while placing less emphasis “on ensuring accountability and measurable results from government.” For example, Rhode Island spends more per pupil on education than most states, and the outcomes are “mixed,” she said.
“Higher taxes alone do not necessarily lead to better public services,” White said. “We support the principle of reform before revenue and believe that Rhode Islanders deserve better accountability and quality government services for their tax dollars.”
She said state general revenue spending for fiscal year 2026 will reach $5.81 billion, marking an 11 percent increase in two years and outpacing inflation. “When spending grows at that rate, no narrowly targeted tax hike can meaningfully address the underlying problem,” she said.
White said the proposed digital advertising tax would hurt small businesses that use digital ads to grow their businesses, and raise prices for consumers. “It is also unclear whether or not it is constitutional,” she said.
On Friday, spokesmen for House and Senate leaders responded to the four tax proposals, saying, “When the legislation is introduced, it will undergo the usual thorough and public committee review process for consideration on its merits.”
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
Connie Slick, right, chats with Deanne Wright at the Rhode Island Direct Primary Care booth Tuesday at the senior center’s “Aging in Place” resource fair under the pavilion at Fort Getty. Photos by Andrea von Hohenleiten
Annie Murphy, from left, Joe Colon and Lea Verta at the Alzheimer’s Association booth.
Florence Iwuc learns about the warning signs of a stroke.
Donna Mignella, right, talks to members of the Community Outreach and Support Team, Mary Meagher, from left, Becky Minus and Dave Pritchard.
Susan Conant, left, and Andrea Maroto.
Vincent Ng, Barbara Cunha and John Andrews at the AARP booth.
Rhode Island
More complaints against former RI private school coach accused of exploiting underage girl – The Boston Globe
The girl told the state police and Barrington police that Cassidy, who’d been her coach, became fixated on her since the summer of 2025 and won her trust. She told police that Cassidy had given her lingerie and alcohol and requested explicit photos of her under the guise of training her for a “secret section of the FBI” to help children who are sex trafficked.
The small private Christian school fired Cassidy after his arrest on June 1. State police said they expected to bring more charges and asked for other witnesses to come forward.
Since then, Barrington Police Chief Michael E. Correia said, four more students from Barrington Christian Academy and a young woman who encountered Cassidy at the Pawtucket YMCA have made complaints.
“All of their stories are clearly inappropriate behavior from a teacher-coach,” Correia said on Wednesday. “However, we don’t believe [the allegations] at this time amounts to a criminal offense.”
Correia declined to describe the specific accusations. The new reports have been referred to the State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is leading the investigation. State Police Major Kenneth Moriarty did not respond to questions on Wednesday.
A 19-year-old woman who attended Barrington Christian Academy in the 2020-2021 school year was the first to come forward. She spoke to Barrington police on June 3, shortly after the state police announced Cassidy’s arrest, and described “inappropriate behavior,” Correia said.
Then, a 12-year-old girl and 15-year-old girl, both of whom are student-athletes at the school, spoke with Barrington police on June 8. A mother brought her 12-year-old daughter, who is also a student, to speak with police on June 9.
A 23-year-old woman contacted the Barrington police on June 17 about Cassidy. She said she encountered him at the Pawtucket YMCA when she was about 14 years old, and she also complained about “inappropriate behavior,” Correia said.
Kate Messier, the vice president of development at the Pawtucket YMCA, confirmed on Wednesday that Cassidy was employed there until 2018. She did not comment on his role at the YMCA or answer questions about whether the organization had received any complaints about Cassidy at the time.
“Child protection is foundational to how the YMCA of Pawtucket operates, and we maintain extensive safeguards that are reviewed and reinforced on an ongoing basis,” Messier said in the statement. “Those safeguards include thorough staff screening and background checks, mandatory child abuse prevention training, program environments structured to maintain supervision and eliminate unsupervised one-on-one situations, and clear procedures for reporting any concern.”
The 14-year-old girl whose allegations led the state police to arrest Cassidy said that she learned that he had allowed juveniles from unstable homes live in his house in Pawtucket while he was working at the YMCA, according to court documents. The girl also told investigators that Cassidy had housed foreign exchange students associated with Barrington Christian Academy.
Correia said that the private school has been “very cooperative” with the Barrington police. The head of school, Michael Skazinski, did not respond to questions from the Globe on Wednesday.
Cassidy’s lawyer, Melissa Larsen, declined comment on Wednesday.
The state police have searched Cassidy’s home in Pawtucket, his pickup truck, and his office at the school, and have seized numerous electronic devices, including iPads, tablets, and thumb drives, according to court records. The affidavits accompanying the search warrants detailed the allegations that the 14-year-old girl made against Cassidy.
He had been coaching her in different sports at the school, and their families became close. She told the state police that she grew to trust Cassidy and would spend time with him and his family at their home. Then, she said, he began telling her stories about how he was special — and so was she.
She said Cassidy told her he was working for a “secret section of the FBI.” She said he claimed that he had “special DNA,” so the FBI and state troopers had him assist in raids to save children from being sex trafficked. She said that Cassidy told her that there were “off-worlders” or aliens that posed as humans on earth, and some of those children being sex trafficked were actually aliens.
She said that Cassidy assigned various “challenges” or “missions” to make her comfortable in uncomfortable situations, according to the affidavits.
“She was also advised to learn to get comfortable with wearing less clothing and ultimately nudity because it would be required later on for ‘missions,’” the affidavits said. “Cassidy claimed that aliens did not believe in the ‘construct of clothes.’”
She said Cassidy emailed her from his personal Gmail account, calling himself “Casper,” the affidavits said. She said he also claimed that two other girls were using his email to talk to her about the “special” training, and she was told to email with a person named “Kevin” on another email address who would talk to her about her feelings, the affidavits said.
She said she was instructed to take explicit photographs of herself and send them to his private email. She came to realize that all of the personas were actually Cassidy.
On May 28, the girl received an email from Cassidy’s personal Gmail account offering her three “flirt options,” all of which involved her taking off her clothes in front of him. She believed she needed to follow through; she told police that Cassidy said “bad things” could happen to her if she failed.
That night, her parents discovered what was going on, and they contacted the Barrington police, who called in the state police.
The State Police are continuing to investigate and ask anyone with information about Cassidy or potential victims to contact the task force at 401-921-1170, or the Barrington Police Department at 401-437-3935.
Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.
Another famous face is joining the cast of “Rubber Hut” filming throughout Rhode Island.
As we previously reported, Grace Van Patten is starring in the feature film debut for director Hannah Gray Organschi about the infamous “condom hut” business from the early 90s.
The short-lived Fotomat kiosk turned drive-thru condom store garnered local notoriety as well as national attention in 1992 and is now the subject of a movie with several A-list stars attached.
READ MORE: Michael Imperioli, Emmy Rossum Join RI ‘Condom Hut’ Film
Scenes were filmed for several days at a custom-made “condom hut” on West Shore Road in Warwick. On Thursday, June 11, Beach Avenue was closed down to shoot a parade scene. Now, film crews have moved to Meshanticut Valley Parkway in Cranston for scenes along a residential street.
Who Was Behind the Original Condom Hut?
The home is believed to represent the residence of Emanuella DelVecchio, the former flight attendant who had the brilliant idea to open a condom kiosk in response to the AIDS epidemic.
Instead of support, however, DelVecchio received the condemnation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and was plagued with vandalism before shuttering her business within a year.
READ MORE: New Bedford’s Gone But Not Forgotten Closed-Down Bars
Who Has Joined the ‘Condom Hut’ Movie Cast So Far
Photos of parade scenes for the film show Michael Imperioli portraying a priest in the movie and now Deadline has reported that stage actor, Will Harrison, is attached to the project as DelVecchio’s husband. Other actors’ specific roles remain unknown.
Filming is expected to continue in Rhode Island until the end of June with a theatrical release likely in 2027.
See the Stars Who Own Homes in Rhode Island
There are plenty of celebrities who once called Rhode Island home, but how many still do? Here’s the list of stars who own homes across the Ocean State.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
20 Stars Who Hail From Rhode Island
Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the nation, but it has been home to many celebrities. Though some have moved here, filmed here or attended school here, only a handful were actually born here. These are those celebrities.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
All The Famous Faces That Have Been to Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island Home
Here are all the celebrities we know have made an appearance at Holiday House over the years.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
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