Rhode Island
State House rumor mill is in overdrive ahead of vote for new Senate president
Sen. Valarie Lawson pays tribute to the late Dominick Ruggerio
Senate Majority Leader Valarie Lawson and Majority Whip David Tikoian appeared at a brief press conference to ask the media and the public to give senators some time to grieve the loss of their friend and colleague.
PROVIDENCE − The State House rumor mill is in overdrive hours ahead of the vote to elect a new Senate President ‒ and potentially a new Democratic leadership team in the wake of the long-ailing Senate President Dominick Ruggerio’s death.
Heading into the late afternoon vote on Tuesday, April 29, the unlikely − but politically necessary − alliance of the current Senate Majority Leader Valarie Lawson and Senate Labor Chairman Frank Ciccone seemed to be holding.
The election of Lawson and Ciccone – a teachers union president and former Laborers union official as the new Senate president and majority leader − would be obviously good news for organized labor, which has played a behind-the-scenes role in cementing their leadership team.
Beyond their shared ties to labor, Lawson, the avowed liberal, and Ciccone, the conservative who is often on the same side as the tiny Senate GOP caucus on guns and other culture-war issues, are at opposite ends of the political spectrum.
The wild card: former Senate Majority Leader Ryan Pearson, a senior VP at Citizens bank, who has potential votes from an unknown number of senators who strongly prefer him to Ciccone in top leadership.
Tuesday’s action will begin in an open 4 p.m. Democratic caucus and then segue into the first Senate session since Ruggerio’s death on April 21, where the full Senate − Democrats and Republicans − will elect the new president for the remainder of the 2025-26 term.
What changes with Lawson and Ciccone leading the Senate?
But the Senate under Ruggerio was already seen as union friendly, particularly to the Laborers and private sector construction unions.
Lawson is the current $157,000-a-year president of the National Education Association of Rhode Island and she has given no indication she intends to give the job up, as Ruggerio did with his top-ranked job with the Laborers when he became president.
Lawson taking top spot over Ciccone is likely to mean a more hospitable climate for public sector unions and the service sector.
Gun legislation
For years the Ruggerio Senate served as a check on the most aggressive goals of gun control advocates and particularly a ban on so-called assault weapons.
Lawson co-sponsored the Senate version of this year’s assault weapons ban bill and her elevation to president would greatly increase the odds it might come to the floor for a vote.
Ciccone does not support the assault weapons ban as it stands, but on April 24, the day his partnership with Lawson was announced, said “if you change the definition to what an assault weapons is, I may not have a problem with the bill, I am open to it.”
If the bill gets to the floor, it could pass with or without his vote.
Gambling legislation
In the policy realm, Ruggerio’s absence may be felt the strongest in Rhode Island’s casinos, where he championed expansion and maximizing gambling as a revenue source.
Ruggerio also stood in the way of efforts to ban smoking at Bally’s casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton.
There is no sign Lawson or Ciccone feel as strongly about it and organized labor has come out in favor of ending smoking at the casinos.
Ciccone has also sponsored legislation that would break International Game Technology’s monopoly on online sports betting in Rhode Island and allow up to five gambling companies bid on launching apps here.
What will Republicans get?
A divided Democratic caucus and close leadership election would typically provide a rare opening for Republicans to exact some policy concessions in exchange for their votes.
But the four GOP votes may not be enough to tip the president race and what the Republican caucus really wants – to kill the assault weapons ban – is likely not on the table.
Historically Republicans have been able to get a couple bills through Democratic leadership by voting for a new leader, they have tended to be pretty small.
Income tax rates
For years Ruggerio, like House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Gov. Dan McKee, was dead set against any increase in income tax rates, even for the top 1% of earners.
During most of those years state coffers were full enough to ease pressure for any tax increase, but the fiscal picture this year is different.
Shekarchi has said he can’t rule a tax increase out this year and Ruggerio’s replacement with the more liberal Lawson may increase the odds of it happening.
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 9, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 9 drawing
15-41-46-47-56, Powerball: 22, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from May 9 drawing
Midday: 0-8-9-5
Evening: 0-9-4-7
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from May 9 drawing
08-13-24-27-34, Extra: 32
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 9 drawing
08-11-17-29-49, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life 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 Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 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.
RI House speaker answers why RI won’t ‘pause’ millionaires tax push
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi fielded a question on whether lawmakers might pause efforts to pass a millionaires tax.
Rhode Island is built on the strength of small, family-owned businesses. They are the backbone of our economy, the employers of our neighbors, and the reason our communities have character and opportunity. I know this not just as a legislator, but as someone who works every day in a family business alongside the people I care about most. That’s why I am concerned about the impact of the proposed “millionaires tax” on businesses and our communities.
While it may sound like a measure aimed at a narrow group of high earners, the reality is far different. Many family-owned businesses – especially those structured as pass-through entities – report their business income on personal tax returns. That means this tax doesn’t just target “millionaires” in the traditional sense; it directly impacts small and mid-sized businesses that reinvest their earnings into payroll, equipment, expansion and employee benefits.
In my case, our family business is a private ambulance service. Every day, we are responsible for delivering critical care to Rhode Islanders, particularly seniors and our most medically fragile neighbors. That responsibility comes with significant costs. Ambulances, lifesaving medical equipment, and the technology needed to support our crews are expensive, and they must be maintained and updated regularly to meet the highest standards of care.
Tax increases like this directly impact our ability to make those investments. These are not abstract tradeoffs – they have real consequences for the level of care we can provide. For businesses like mine, margins matter. Every dollar that goes out the door in taxes is a dollar that can’t be used to hire another worker, increase wages, buy new equipment or sponsor the local Little League team. These are real decisions that affect real people.
Supporters of this proposal often frame it as a fairness issue. But fairness should also mean recognizing the role that employers play in creating opportunity. When government makes it more expensive to operate a business in Rhode Island, we risk pushing investment – and jobs – elsewhere. Policies like this don’t exist in a vacuum; they shape decisions about where businesses grow and where families choose to put down roots.
We don’t have to guess what would happen if we raised taxes here – we can just look to Massachusetts. They passed a millionaires tax and the latest data shows a steady stream of high earners leaving for lower-tax states like New Hampshire and, you guessed it, Rhode Island. We could take advantage of Massachusetts’ mistake and build on the momentum we have built in recent years. We’ve seen the benefits of thoughtful policy decisions that encourage investment and support job creation and tax revenues are up. But progress is fragile. Policies like the millionaires tax risk undoing that work by sending the message that success will be penalized rather than encouraged.
As both a business owner and a legislator, I believe strongly that we can – and must – strike a better balance.
We can support public services, invest in our communities, and maintain fiscal responsibility without resorting to policies that put our local businesses at a disadvantage. We can grow our economy by creating an environment where businesses want to stay, expand and hire.
Let’s focus on solutions that strengthen our economy, support our workforce, and ensure that family-owned businesses like mine and so many others across our state continue to thrive.
Rhode Island’s future depends on it.
Jacquelyn Baginski is a state representative from Cranston.
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 9-8-9-7
Evening: 7-9-8-9
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from May 8 drawing
10-13-15-16-30, Extra: 09
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life 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 Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 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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