Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/25/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- With a text-messaging ban and a new drunken-driving law under their belts, key lawmakers are promising to renew their efforts to win passage of bills to allow the police to stop and tag people for driving without seatbelts, and ban the use of handheld cell phones on the road. House Majority Whip Peter Kilmartin, D-Pawtucket, and Rep. Douglas...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Carcieri administration has mounted a legal campaign to keep new Superior Court Judge Brian Stern, a former head of state purchasing and chief of staff to the governor, from having to answer questions, under oath, in a lawsuit filed by the Shire Corp. , a major bridge contractor. The suit accuses a number of unnamed officials in the "executive...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE,R.I. -- State Sen. Frank A. Ciccone is calling for a legislative inquiry into the state's role in choosing managers for the bankrupt Twin River, and potential award of the gambling license - worth hundreds of millions of dollars - to new owners without a competitive and public vetting process. Ciccone, a Providence Democrat, suggested the commission...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Carcieri landed on national television Monday night as the "star'' of a biting -- but laugh-out-loud -- segment on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report'' about his veto of a bill that would have given gays the right to claim the bodies and make funeral decisions for their same-sex partners. Not a funny topic? Tune in to...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. - With state officials finally coming to grips with the ballooning size of the state's potential deficits this year and next, Department of Administration director Gary S. Sasse has issued a memorandum titled: "immediate freeze on state hiring.'' It is not yet clear how this is different from the earlier hiring restraints announced by the...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- As his would-be successors distance themselves from his veto of a bill giving "domestic partners'' the right to make funeral decisions for each other, Governor Carcieri has agreed to meet Thursday afternoon with one of the gay-rights advocacy groups outraged at his action. Carcieri's spokeswoman, Amy Kempe, has confirmed the governor's...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Carcieri emerged from a meeting with a delegation from Queer Action of Rhode Island to say he is open to exploring -- and possibly supporting -- legislation to allow "domestic-partnership agreements'' that bestow all of the rights of marriage, without actual marriage. "Maybe it's something we should consider,'' he said....
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. _ With the stroke of Governor Carcieri's pen, it is now illegal to text-message while driving in Rhode Island. Sending, reading or writing a text message, such as an e-mail or instant message, with any kind of data-transmission device while operating a moving motor vehicle would be punishable at the Traffic Tribunal by a fine of $85 on first...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- An opponent of same-sex marriage, Governor Carcieri has vetoed bill that would have added "domestic partners'' to the list of people authorized by law to make funeral arrangements for each other. In his veto message , Republican Carcieri said: "This bill represents a distributing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Carcieri has vetoed 22 of the scores of bills passed by lawmakers in their hectic, two-day special session at the end of October, including legislation stripping the governor of his power to appoint a replacement for a U.S. senator who dies or leaves office in mid-term. Known as the "Blagojevich bill," the law seeks to remedy...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. --Three of the best-known faces from the 2006 Harrah's-financed Narragansett Indian casino drive returned to the State House Friday for a private meeting with General Treasurer Frank Caprio . The delegation included the Narragansett's Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, lobbyist Terry Fracassa, and one-time Celtics hoop star Kevin Stacom. All three...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. - House Democrats have convened at the State House for a closed-door discussion of an issue that was not even on their special-session agenda last week: the state's financial crisis. In a letter informing his fellow Democrats of the caucus, Speaker William J. Murphy wrote: "The purpose of the caucus will be to hear your input and freely...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Within hours, State Lottery Director Gerald Aubin will approve 24-hour gambling, seven days a week at the Twin River greyhound track-and-slot parlor. Convinced the state Lottery has the authority to extend the hours on its own without legislative approval, Aubin, in an interview Wednesday, said he was moving ahead to generate millions of extra...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island First Lady Sue Carcieri thinks the legislature went astray when it voted to hold a public referendum next year on changing the state's official name. A woman of many opinions, she shared a few of them during a rare -- but not unprecedented -- radio talk-show interview , hosted on Tuesday morning by WPRO's John DePetro . Of the...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/02/2009
By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Her husband is a radio talkshow regular. But Tuesday is First Lady Sue Carcieri's turn to talk about the issues on her mind on WPRO's John DePetro morning talkshow. Carcieri spokeswoman Amy Kempe said Mrs. Carcieri will be on-air between 8:30 and 9 a.m. "Mrs. Carcieri is planning to talk about the Celebrate Rhode Island Ball (coming up...
