Election Year means Ruth Platner powers up the Charlestown Choo Choo for the 5th time

Enough with the irresponsible fearmongering!

By Will Collette

Since its founding in 2008, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) used fear to gain control over Charlestown town government and to stay in power for a decade until its ouster in the 2022 general election.

The CCA’s leader and founder, Ruth Platner, has an extraordinary record of conjuring up enemies and boogeymen that only she and the CCA can conquer. As chair of Charlestown's Planning Commission, she has a platform to spread false fear. However, over the years, just about all these existential threats have been either imaginary or grossly exaggerated.

Ruth’s most persistent boogeyman has been trumped up fear that Amtrak will cut a swath through northern Charlestown, obliterating precious farmland as well as natural and historic treasures. Amtrak gave this boogeyman a name when they included it in a 2016 draft preliminary long-term plan: “the Old Saybrook-Kenyon Bypass.” I call it the “Charlestown Choo-Choo Hoax” because it was a goofy plan that never had chance of happening.

She's trying to raise this dead issue again, as you can read for yourself HERE. This was posted on Saturday and is her third post on the Charlestown Choo-Choo in the past month.

A stretch of the Northeast Corridor between New Haven and Westerly runs right along the shoreline in Connecticut. In my last job before retirement, I commuted to Manhattan several times a month, always taking the train and loving every minute of its passage through the salt marshes between the Westerly station and New London. I’d ride on the seaward side, count osprey nests and wonder at the beauty of that stretch, easily my favorite of any between Boston and Richmond, VA.

But that section of track faces natural destruction, either in some major storm or from climate-driven sea level rise, severing the Northeast Corridor rail line. It will have to be replaced.

The Old Saybrook-Kenyon Bypass was an option offered in an Amtrak in a 2016 planning document that the CCA-controlled town government failed to read. As CCA leader and Town Council President Tom Gentz said at the time, “Who has time to wade through that?”

People in eastern Connecticut were the first to begin protesting the plan. In January 2017, chagrined CCA leaders tried to catch up by painting the Old Saybrook-Kenyon as the end of the world as we know it, at least for Charlestown.

I tried to point out the chances of the Bypass were slim to none, given that newly elected Donald Trump hates trains and would never commit to a multi-billion infrastructure project in the ultra-Blue northeast. The project had no Congressional support, and in fact, Congress drastically cut Amtrak funding for Northeast Corridor improvements.

I speculated at the time that the Bypass would only be built would be if Trump privatized Amtrak and sold it either to Elon Musk or one of his sons.

Look, nobody liked the Bypass. I didn’t like the Bypass. Even Amtrak began distancing themselves from it. They quickly issued a legally binding Record of Decision in July 2017 effectively killing the plan only six months after Charlestown first heard of it.

That should have been the end of it. But Ruth Platner felt the CCA got so much mileage out of supposedly blocking this sketchy threat that she keeps trying to revive it to help the CCA make a political comeback. This is the fifth time she's tried to fire up Charlestown over this dead project.

Look back at Platner’s 2021 claim that “They’re Back!” See how she tried to stir the pot again in 2022 and especially weird move in 2024 attempting to use AI to simulate what a new rail line would look like.

She's at it again, recycling the same claims of a Charlestown Armageddon. On May 26, she wrote (her emphasis included):

“Amtrak made an announcement on May 21, 2026, that the study required by the FRA’s 2017 Record of Decision had finally received federal government and other funding to proceed. Amtrak estimates that the study—the New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study—will take up to two years.

“… The selection of the new preferred alternative will be the outcome of the study. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more, and we may also need your help in contacting our federal and state officials as we move through the planning process. We are committed to protecting Charlestown and the natural resources and public and private property that would be destroyed if anything like the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass” returns.”

I suggest you read the actual report HERE: New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study.

I read it. Carefully. Line by line. Guess what I found? 

Nothing, absolutely nothing about the Old Saybrook-Kenyon bypass that died 10 years ago. It’s as if it never existed. This supposedly alarming document is nothing more than a watered-down version of Amtrak's ongoing effort to try to figure out how to improve service from New Haven to Providence. On June 20, Platner's shocking reveal is that Amtrak has created a website! OMG, the horror!

But in the actual report, the only concrete item I found in the report pertaining to our area was support for making the popular improvements at the Westerly Amtrak station that our state Senator Victoria Gu has been campaigning for.

So, Ruth: STOP IT! Sure, CCA’s formula for winning elections is to claim there are monsters under every bed that only you can kill. But your cynical attempts to manipulate people’s fears come at a terrible cost.

Here's what I mean: 

From 1982 to 1999, I was organizing director for two national environmental groups, first at Lois Gibbs' Center for Health and Environmental Justice, then the Citizens Coal Council. I worked with local citizens' groups to fight hazardous waste dumps, incinerators, coal mines, sludge lagoons and more. These fights were very intense, so intense that I learned early on that they could cause marriages to break up and, in some cases, suicide. 

My staff and I were careful to NEVER exaggerate or fear-monger because that only increases the stress. I'm already hearing that Platner's irresponsible efforts to jack up tension over the Charlestown Choo-Choo is indeed doing just that.

And if that's not convincing, just look at what Donald Trump's lies and exaggerated threats are doing to his followers and the rest of the country.

During the 2024 election, I catalogued all the various threats Platner has used over the years: How the Charlestown Citizens Alliance used fake enemies and bogus emergencies to gain and keep power.

Looks like I’m going to need to do an updated version.

They walk among us

Trump picks a fight with Italy with false claim their leader "begged" to have a picture taken with him at G7 conference

...Provoked an international incident:

Here are other world leaders "begging" Trump for a photo

Scientists say house cats could help unlock new cancer treatments for humans

Another argument for kitties

University of Guelph

Scientists say feline cancer genetics are no longer a mystery after completing one of the largest studies ever conducted on tumors in domestic cats.

The research, published in Science, is the first large-scale effort to genetically profile cancers in cats. Researchers believe the findings could improve understanding of cancer in both animals and humans while also creating a valuable open resource for future feline cancer studies.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of disease and death in cats, yet scientists have historically known very little about the genetic changes driving these illnesses.

"Despite domestic cats being common pets, there was very little known about the genetics of cancer in these animals," said Dr. Geoffrey Wood, a professor of pathobiology at the University of Guelph and co-senior author of the study, "until now."

Cat Tumors Show Strong Genetic Similarities to Human Cancers

Researchers analyzed tumor samples from nearly 500 domestic cats collected across five countries. The team investigated the genetic mutations involved in cancer development and discovered many of the same cancer-driving genes seen in human and dog cancers.

Among the most important findings were mutations linked to aggressive mammary cancers in cats.

The gene most frequently altered in feline mammary tumors was FBXW7, with mutations appearing in more than half of the tumors studied.

In human breast cancer, mutations in FBXW7 are associated with poorer outcomes, closely matching what researchers observed in cats.

Scientists also identified similarities between feline and human cancers affecting the blood, bones, lungs, skin, gastrointestinal tract, and central nervous system.

Because cats often share the same environments as their owners, researchers believe some cancer risks could stem from common environmental exposures.

We Were Wrong About Fasting, Massive Study Finds

Interesting new way to look at fasting

By David Nield

As effective as fasting can be for weight loss, it's often thought that depriving the body of sustenance might have a negative impact on brainpower.

But is an impact on cognitive performance really an inevitable part of the fasting experience?

According to a huge, recently published review, it's not always the case.

Based on an analysis of 63 scientific articles representing 71 independent studies, and covering a total of 3,484 participants, the review found that there was no meaningful difference in cognitive performance between people who were fasting and people who were having regular meals.

It's a comprehensive counter to the idea that moderate, short-term restrictions on eating will deplete mental reserves in healthy people, an idea found everywhere from snack adverts ("you're not you when you're hungry") to the mantra that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

The researchers behind the analysis – psychologist Christoph Bamberg from Paris Lodron University in Austria, and cognitive neuroscientist David Moreau from the University of Auckland in New Zealand – don't want people who could benefit from fasting to be put off by worrying that it'll lead to foggy thinking.

"For most healthy adults, the findings offer reassurance," Moreau explained in a commentary for The Conversation.

"You can explore intermittent fasting or other fasting protocols without worrying that your mental sharpness will vanish."

RI’s New Budget Considered a Win for Older Adults

Funds services, including Meals on Wheels, that were cut by Trump

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues

From RINewsToday | Rhode Island News, Updated Daily

As the 2026 legislative session wraps up, lawmakers approved a $15.2 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2027. The budget blueprint (H 7127 Aaa) aims to provide economic relief, improve education and health care, and advance government reforms without raising broad-based taxes or fees.

According to House Communications Director Larry Berman, the House floor debate began at 3:35 p.m. on Friday, June 5, and lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes.  House lawmakers offered 16 amendments, and 10 were approved (none of these targeted aging programs and services). At 7:20 p.m., the budget passed on a vote of 65 to 10, with 64 Democrats and one independent voting in favor, while all 10 Republicans opposed it.

Greg Paré, Senate Communications Director notes: “On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the upper chamber debated the House proposal for two hours and 17 minutes, beginning at 4:20 p.m. and concluding at 6:37 p.m. Senators considered 12 amendments, but none were approved. The Fiscal Year 2027 budget passed 32-6 without changes. Senators Samuel W. Bell (D-Dist. 5, Providence) and Leonidas “Lou” Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, East Greenwich and West Greenwich) joined the four Republican Senators in opposing passage of the budget proposal.”

Three days later, Gov. Dan McKee signed the 393-page Rhode Island General Assembly Fiscal year 2027 budget proposal at 10:30 a.m. at Children’s Friend in Providence.

While much of the attention surrounding the Fiscal Year 2027 budget focused on programs and services, lawmakers also approved several significant policy changes and revenue measures. Chief among them is a new tax on annual income exceeding $1 million. The phased-in surtax is expected to generate approximately $142 million annually when fully implemented, providing additional revenue to help support state services and offset potential reductions in federal funding.

The state’s budget also creates an independent Office of Inspector General to strengthen government accountability and oversight. In addition, the Rhode Island General Assembly approved increased funding for hospitals, behavioral health and home-care providers, child welfare programs, public transit, and higher education, while authorizing an audit of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

RI General Assembly session produced mixed results on the environment

McKee's effort to slash green energy funding rebuffed

By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff

No more pencils, no more books, no more speaker’s dirty looks: lawmakers last week bid farewell to Smith Hill for the year Thursday night, when this year’s legislative session concluded.

It was a roller-coaster ride for environmental advocates, who spent most of the session playing defense. Gov. Dan McKee had proposed rolling back the renewable energy standard and slashing solar financing programs and energy efficiency initiatives as part of an affordability agenda to reduce electric and gas bills by any means necessary.

Bottom of Form

McKee wasn’t the only politician in New England proposing cuts to such programs. Lawmakers in the Massachusetts House passed a bill in February cutting $1 billion from their energy efficiency programs, more commonly known as Mass Save.

But ultimately, in the version of the Rhode Island budget signed into law by McKee on June 12, most of Rhode Island’s climate programs will remain intact. The only changes will be to virtual net metering, which will introduce a voluntary opt-in rate, and reduce the total cap of future solar projects eligible for the program to just 175 megawatts.

Environmental advocates also notched another set of small wins in the budget: the director of the state Department of Transportation was removed as chair of the board of directors for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, and lawmakers allocated the embattled transit agency with enough funds to close its deficit.

Here’s some of what else lived, died or stalled:

First the big news: building decarbonization lives, from a certain point of view.

Previous sessions saw lawmakers attempt to pass a single bill that would require buildings in Rhode Island to track, benchmark, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. That single bill always died in committee, so this year advocates tried a more traditional tack, the tried-and-true General Assembly two-step.

They spun off the more unpopular elements of building benchmarking — the emission mandates — from the main bill that pushes large buildings owners to start tracking emissions. Advocates acknowledged just starting a benchmarking program for all buildings in the state would require years of lead time to draw up regulations and spur adoption.

The two-step worked, and lawmakers passed H7813/S2260 in concurrence Thursday night. Starting in 2028, property owners with buildings larger than 50,000 square feet will have to track and report their emissions for the previous year. Buildings larger than 25,000 square feet start tracking in 2030.

Arch of grift

Trump gave the NO-BID contract to his own personal pool guy and this is what we got...

Here's the guy who got the contract:

The scent of supper

Can mosquitoes learn to love DEET?

Laine Bergeson

When it comes to keeping mosquitos from biting, DEET has long been considered the gold standard. Sprayed on before hikes and picnics and while traveling to mosquito-dense corners of the globe, the world’s most widely used insect repellent comes with the expectation that its smell will send mosquitoes zipping off in the opposite direction. 

But research published yesterday in the Journal of Experimental Biology suggests that mosquitoes may learn to associate the smell of DEET with dinner—and start gravitating toward it instead of away from it. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about how DEET works and what mosquitoes may be capable of learning.

Training changed how mosquitoes react to DEET

For the study, researchers from the University of Tours in France and Virginia Tech examined whether female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the species that spreads dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya, could learn to associate DEET with a food reward. 

The team used a form of Pavlovian conditioning in which mosquitoes feed on warm blood through an artificial membrane. Twenty seconds into their meal, the researchers released DEET into the feeding enclosure—a process they repeated three more times before exposing the mosquitos to DEET but no food reward. 

When the trained mosquitos caught a whiff of DEET alone, more than 60% of them tried to feed again, displaying what researchers termed a “biting attempt response” (BAR). That’s compared with roughly 20% of untrained mosquitoes who performed BAR when exposed to DEET alone.

In another experiment, mosquitoes were given a choice between two human hands. One hand was treated with DEET, and one was untreated. All of the untrained mosquitoes avoided the DEET-treated hand. Trained mosquitoes, however, were significantly more likely to orient toward the treated hand.

McKee signs charter school moratorium bills, reversing his career-long commitment

Gov flip-flops on what used to be his signature issue

By Alexander Castro, Rhode Island Current

Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current

Gov. Dan McKee signed into law Thursday a three-year moratorium on new charter schools in the Ocean State, embracing a pause on the local growth of an educational model with which he has long been associated.

“The circumstances have changed,” McKee told reporters Thursday.

Back in 2021, McKee suggested he’d veto a similar, albeit unsuccessful, piece of legislation. Part of the bedrock in the governor’s political brand had been his push for the creation of mayoral academies — a special kind of public charter school — during his time as the mayor of Cumberland in the late 2000s.

The governor had received the moratorium bill on his desk Tuesday and under the state constitution, still had until Tuesday, June 23, to sign or veto the bill. McKee strode out the Providence County Courthouse Thursday to explain to reporters why he had signed the charter school ban bill with five days to spare.

“I haven’t backed off, like, say, ‘Oh, let’s put charters out of business.’ I haven’t said that,” McKee told reporters after an unrelated afternoon appearance at a Law Day essay contest award ceremony for high schoolers at Rhode Island Supreme Court. “I said, ‘Let’s support the charters.’ And I’ve done that more than once.”

BREAKING NEWS from Ted Nesi, WPRI:
NO endorsement for McKee from RI Democratic
Party. Highly unusual for an incumbent.

But much has changed in the five years since McKee took office, he told reporters.

“I’m a public school advocate, and I will use any tool in the box to help us reach the potential for our students that live in the state of Rhode Island,” McKee said after he signed the two companion bills Thursday. “So that’s no different, but today there are some circumstances that we need to address.”

Those circumstances include enrollment declines in public schools — about 10,000 students in all, in the time he’s been governor, McKee said — and a pressing need to reassess how the state funds education via a formula for determining state aid to local school districts.

Trump finds new way to hurt immigrants and their families

The ICE-ification of Financial Regulation: steal their savings, especially the money they planned to send to their families at home

by Philip Mattera, director of the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First for the Dirt Diggers Digest

For more than half a century following the passage of the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, financial institutions have been required to monitor certain customer transactions to thwart money laundering. The USA PATRIOT Act, passed in response to the 9/11 attacks, created additional rules designed to thwart terrorist financing.

Now the Trump Administration is starting to enlist banks in a more questionable form of information gathering involving the immigration status of their customers. For months, there have been reports that the administration is planning to require banks to determine whether customers are U.S. citizens.

That has not yet happened, but a recent executive order from the White House takes a step in that direction by advising banks to “be attentive to the credit risks posed by the extension of mortgage and auto loans, credit cards, and other consumer credit to the inadmissible and removable alien population.”  The order calls on the Treasury Department and financial regulators such as the Fed and the FDIC to develop changes to the Bank Secrecy Act to address this supposed risk.

This sounds like a prelude to more explicit rules that would bar banks from doing business with undocumented immigrants.

A masterclass in incompetence at home and abroad

Stupid at all levels in all things great or small

Sabrina Haake 

My neighbors’ mail. Note the date.

Last week my neighbors brought me an envelope with a “MAGA priorities survey” enclosed. A solicitation for money disguised as a survey, it opened with a four-page cover letter from Trump.

The survey drills down on ‘Biden’s sky-high mortgage rates,’ and ‘reckless spending binge’ even though we’re now 1.5 years into Trump 2.0. 

It blames Biden for ‘today’s affordability squeeze,’ despite Trump’s economically unhinged tariffs and $94 billion war in Iran. Trump, who still thinks exporters pay tariffs, single handedly turbo-charged the price of energy, and tanked consumer confidence at the same time, all while demanding that Americans disbelieve their lyin’ eyes.

Trump’s cover letter begins, “Dear America First Patriot, I put THREE LIVE POSTAGE STAMPS (all caps) on the enclosed Rush Return Envelope because I had to get your immediate attention… And because I need you to respond to me right away!” Four pages later, Trump urges True Patriots to make a True Patriotic donation of $2,026…. Or even just $47, by rushing back the MAGA survey using the enclosed TRIPLE-STAMPED Rush Return Envelope TODAY. (Combining all caps with bold, a triple-dog-dare-you maneuver that conveys urgency.)

The kicker is that the “triple stamped rush envelope” was the pre-marked, pre-paid, “No postage necessary if mailed in the United States” kind. Adding extra postage stamps to a prepaid postage envelope, according to the USPS, means Trump just wasted money (USPS bold, not mine). Trump, in one mailing, spent extra on an agency he accuses of waste, demonstrated his fiscal illiteracy, and declared his donors stupid. Another masterclass in Trump’s trifecta of incompetence.

New plans for the Trump Library

Monday Charlestown Town Council meeting loaded with big issues

 

Policy-packed Town Council Meeting this Monday (June 22) Night. Please consider attending to make your opinions heard. First Up: Public Hearing, Discussion and Potential Action Concerning Proposed Amendments to the Town Charter. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS: Zoning - Battery Energy Storage Systems and Data Centers. NEW BUSINESS: Discussion and Potential Action Regarding Amending the Ninigret Park Utilization Plan to Incorporate the Comments from the National Program Manager, Federal Lands to Parks, National Park Service. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Discussion and Potential Action Regarding Ninigret Park Beautification, Presented by the South County Tourism Council Discussion and Potential Action Regarding Public Outreach for the July 7, 2026, Public Hearing and the August 4, 2026, Referendum Regarding the Charlestown Elementary School (From May 20 and June 8, 2026) Charlestown Town Hall, Council Chambers 4540 South County Trail, Charlestown RI 02813 June 22, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. Charlestown Residents United | PO Box 412 | Charlestown, RI 02813 US

Coal pollution is cutting solar power output, study finds

Will Trump look for ways to use coal to kill wind turbines?

University of Oxford

Trump's 2-for-1 obsession: promote coal, kill green energy

New research led by the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL) has revealed that pollution from coal-fired power plants is significantly reducing the energy output of solar photovoltaic (solar PV) installations, particularly where these are expanding side by side. The findings have been published today in Nature Sustainability.

The new study mapped and assessed more than 140,000 solar PV installations worldwide using satellite data.

By combining this with atmospheric data on air pollution, the researchers calculated how much sunlight is lost and how this reduces electricity generation. They found that aerosols - tiny particles suspended in the air - reduced global solar electricity output by 5.8% in 2023. This is equivalent to 111 terawatt-hours (TWh) of lost energy – the amount generated by 18 medium-sized coal-fired power plants. 

Crucially, these losses represent a significant and often overlooked constraint on the clean energy transition. 

MAHA’s Treatments for Autism: Camel’s Milk, Stem Cell Injections — And Spelling Therapy

Kennedy turning health science inside out

By Arthur Allen

Elizabeth Bonker is a silent woman with a loud mission. She wants government agencies to cover the costs of training people with autism in a form of communication called assisted spelling. One problem: Leading professional organizations don’t believe it works.

“All nonspeakers above the age of 5 should be given the opportunity,” typed Bonker, who is 28 and cannot talk. Her mother, Virginia Breen, held a wireless keyboard for her. They sat on a hotel patio before an April 27 meeting with a senior aide to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“We are misunderstood and underestimated,” Bonker typed, occasionally humming or lightly groaning as she considered where to place a slender forefinger on the keyboard.

Assisted spelling is used to help nonverbal people communicate by pointing to letters on boards or using keyboards with physical help from another person.

Supporters say assisted spelling has improved the lives of thousands of people with autism, such as Bonker, and they have powerful allies. Kennedy appointed Bonker and another autistic “speller,” as they call themselves, to a 20-member autism panel made up largely of parents with children whose autism they attribute to vaccinations.

At the reconfigured panel’s first public session on April 28, three other members said their nonspeaking adult children were learning to communicate through spelling. The panel issued a resolution with language from Bonker stating that “robust” communications programs are essential for autistic people. Bonker has urged the Department of Health and Human Services to support training in assisted spelling for those who want it.

But leading professional groups for autism science, as well as those representing psychologists and speech pathologists, point to research showing that these methods — premised on the idea that people with autism have the normal range of cognitive powers but are imprisoned in malfunctioning bodies — are flawed or fraudulent.

Trump issues rules for sick people on Medicaid

"Throw down your crutches and go pick cotton"

By Sam Whitehead

The Trump administration has issued final rules on how states should ensure that millions of Medicaid enrollees prove they’re working or completing other activities, such as job training, volunteering, or being enrolled in an educational program.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the rules on June 1. That deadline was set last year in the GOP tax-and-spending law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which established a work requirement for certain people enrolled in Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities.

Medicaid agencies are scrambling to rework IT systems and make sure they have staff to effectively enforce the rules, while also keeping enrollees from losing coverage for administrative reasons, such as difficulty navigating state eligibility portals.

The newly announced regulations offer a clearer picture of what roughly 18.5 million Medicaid enrollees will have to do to prove they qualify for benefits.

Jim Torres, who helps people enroll in health coverage at the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center in Kansas City, Missouri, said a “very small percentage” of his clients have heard of the changes coming to Medicaid.

Sen. Victoria Gu gives her review on the recently ended General Assembly session

Highlights from a productive session 

By Victoria Gu

Dear Friends and Neighbors,  We’ve finished another legislative session! After many nights of long committee hearings, bill sponsors and committee chairs work on their bill edits, and June is when bills can be approved for votes in committee and then gain final passage in the House & Senate.  New Leadership: In the past month the RI House of Representatives also elevated Majority Leader Blazejewski to the position of House Speaker and Majority Whip Katie Kazarian to the position of House Whip. Congratulations to them and the outgoing Speaker Joseph Shekarchi for their years of service.

Bills I Passed

Shoreline Access Disclosure for Oceanfront Property Rentals: The House & Senate passed my bill S-2734A to help make sure renters and short-term rental guests understand Rhode Island’s shoreline access rights. Part of the motivation for this bill came from seeing some short-term rental listings advertise a “private beach,” even though Rhode Island law protects public shoreline access up to 10 feet above the recognizable high tide line. This bill helps make sure visitors and tenants get clear information about those rights before they stay at an oceanfront property.  Food is Medicine: The General Assembly has passed my Food as Medicine bill, which creates a task force to design a Medicaid pilot program that uses medically tailored meals or other nutritional supports  to improve the health of patients with chronic, diet-related conditions.  Food insecurity is strongly linked to many of the most costly preventable chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, which drive enormous health care spending.  Medicaid accounts for about one-third of our state budget and is growing at an estimated 6% per year. Our budget will have a growing deficit unless we look at evidence-based programs like food as medicine. 60 Days Advance Notice of Home Insurance Non-Renewals: Insurance companies are being a lot more selective about the location and the condition of the houses they insure, declining to cover homes in coastal areas or with older roofs or water heaters. The bill that Rep. Azzinaro and I passed requiring 60 days’ advance notice will help homeowners find alternative insurance coverage and find tradespeople if they need to fix something at their house in order to continue insurance coverage.

Spotlight: Youth Mental Health

988 on Student & Staff Ids: Last week the General Assembly passed a bill Rep Earl Read & I sponsored to put suicide prevention and substance use crisis hotline numbers directly on student and school staff ID cards. At a time when young people are facing growing mental health challenges, we need to promote awareness of resources like 988. The General Assembly also passed a youth crisis response service bill that codifies a successful pilot program into law. The program helps kids in crisis by getting them fast, specialized care with behavioral health clinicians (avoiding unnecessary emergency room visits) and connecting families to ongoing support. Thank you to constituents who wrote to me about the importance of funding 988: This year, the Senate also advanced a separate bill by Senator Melissa Murray to protect the long-term funding of Rhode Island's 988 crisis line and BH Link services. More than 90% of 988 calls are resolved through phone support alone, connecting people with trained counselors before a crisis escalates. The bill stalled in the House, but we hope to pass it next year. More info here

Looking ahead: Vote for the Green Bond this Nov & Op-Ed on Managed Retreat

We got an extra $5 million for climate resiliency in the Green Bond which will be on the ballot in November! Annually, each town can apply for grants from this pool of funding to strengthen their infrastructure. One example: Westerly received funding for a flood wall around a pump station for the wastewater treatment plant.  Managed Retreat: These photos I took in South Kingstown show how shoreline armoring—like rock walls and elevated structures—disrupt the dynamic beach ecosystem and make it harder for people to walk along the beach. As sea levels rise and more coastal property owners build hard structures to protect against erosion, the public part of the beach gets narrower, and in these pictures, it has become impossible to pass along the shoreline. That's why we need to plan ahead before the next major storm. Instead of repeatedly rebuilding in areas that face increasing flood and erosion risks, towns can identify safer places for homes and infrastructure over the long term. Read more about our work to help Rhode Island communities prepare for rising seas and protect public access to our shoreline:  https://www.providencejournal.com/story/opinion/columns/2026/04/18/rhode-islands-managed-retreat-plan-for-rising-seas-opinion/89628806007/

Next rail advocates meeting: June 22nd 6pm @ Westerly Library

Budget Highlights

62-65 year old early retirees will now get the same exemptions from Social Security tax as people 65 and older. Seniors still must have incomes under $107,000 for single filers and $133,750 for married filers in tax year 2025, to qualify. Child Tax Credit - see this press release Rural Health Transformation Grant - RI received over $150 million in the first year of this federal program and will use it to implement innovative programs like Community Paramedicine - see this website for more information. Stay tuned for more healthcare highlights and impacts of HR1 on our healthcare system

Read the full budget press release

Senate Highlights

Labor Protections: We passed many noteworthy bills like S-2921 to give domestic workers the same protections under the Fair Employment Practices Act (FEPA) as other Rhode Island workers. Immigration bills: see this press release and another for protecting constitutional rights Education Funding Formula: only minor changes this year by increasing the “student success factor” - which is an additional amount of funding for each low-income student - from 40% to 43%. We will need to monitor the new Senate commission to study the funding formula, specifically the one suggested by the Blue Ribbon Commission Status of CRMC reform bill: The bill that passed last year required the Governor to appoint members with expertise in coastal matters. There are some new members that the Senate confirmed this year with expertise with civil engineering, coastal wetlands, law, etc. but it remains to be seen whether the political dynamic will change and I still support the overall reform that would restructure CRMC so it’s similar to DEM, with a staff and director making the decisions instead of a politically appointed all-volunteer council. Status of Bottle Deposit & Recycling bills: The bill that passed last year began the first stage which is a needs-assessment to look at our recycling system as a whole. That is still in progress