News Clips

The Rhode Island Code of Ethics restricts government administrators from hiring or appointing nearly four dozen branches of their family trees, including grandfather-in-law, step-nephew, and uncle-in-law, but for blood-relatives, the line was drawn right before their cousin's children.

At least one senator denounced the proposed changes, and Common Cause called them ‘disappointing.’ Amid an uptick in member dissent, Senate leaders are proposing changes to its rules that would enshrine longstanding customs, consolidate power in the hands of the Senate president and prevent a filibuster from ever happening in Rhode Island again.

State Sen. Frank Ciccone III — who has held various titles with the Laborers’ International Union of North America, most recently as consultant to Local 808 — is the new chairman of the Senate Labor Committee.

Gina Raimondo will be two weeks into her new term on Tuesday, but her State of the State address that night will mark the real kickoff of her second four years in office. The governor will arrive on the House rostrum in so-so shape politically: the latest quarterly Morning Consult poll gives her a middling 43% job approval rating, around where it's always been, but her double-digit re-election win in November replenished her political capital.

The legislative session in Rhode Island is off to a fast start, thanks to a vigorous debate on House rules. There’s a lot more happening, so thanks for stopping by for my weekly column. As usual, your tips and comments are welcome, and you can follow me through the week on the twitters. Here we go.

Searching for information about government business in Rhode Island is a little tougher in comparison to many other places due to a clause in the state’s access to Public Records Act.