Climate Action endorsing Sen. Victoria Gu, Senate candidate Sam Wilcox, and state reps. Megan Cotter, Carol McEntee and Kathy Fogarty

MAGA guy wants to buy Charlestown election for pedo-defending lawyer

As early and mail-in voting starts for the September 9, beware of phony Democrats

By Will Collette

As I've reported previously, there is a push by a MAGA group called "the League of Rhode Island Businesses (LORIB)" to oust Democrats around the state, but especially in South County. Some of their candidates are masquerading as Democrats so they can run in the Sept. 9 Primary. Others are running in the General Election.

LORIB is run by a rightwing MAGA guy named Dave Levesque who owns a chain of coffee shops. He lives in Narragansett. He formed LORIB to push his agenda of protecting the rich from taxes and opposing sensible measures to control gun violence. He set up a state Political Action Committee, as well as 39 local PACs, one for every Rhode Island city and town, including Charlestown.

None of these local PACs are actually local. He runs them all and set out this year to challenge just about every South County Democratic woman legislator, including Charlestown’s own state Representative Tina Spears.

In Charlestown, Levesque and the LORIB machine are promoting criminal defense lawyer Leah Boisclair to oust Tina Spears in the September 9 Democratic Primary. They actively tried to get Republicans and MAGA supporters to switch their party registration to Democrat to swing the numbers in Boisclair’s favor.

The deadline to make that party switch was August 10. Nancy Levin reported in the Rhode Island Current on August 17 that only 198 Republicans statewide had switched to Democrat. 

Boisclair’s signs and her mailings (so far) have been pretty low-key and vague. My main take-away from them so far is that she owns a dog. She stripped her Facebook page of dozens of rightwing posts – although not before we captured those posts in screenshots.

One fact she absolutely does not mention is that her law practice is built on representing people accused of heinous crimes, including child rape, human trafficking and domestic violence. She not only represents them but actively tries to recruit such clients with come-ons like this from her own website:

Nice touch with the stilettos and red lace underwear

And what specific sex crimes does Boisclair want to defend against? Conveniently, she expressly tells us on her website:

She has no record of community service, involvement in the Democratic Party or political interests in anything other than MAGA, guns and defending pedos.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall for Boisclair family Thanksgiving dinners. I'd love to hear Boisclair explain to her grandmother what she does for living. 

The money war

But who cares if you have enough cash to create a thick enough smokescreen.

LORIB kicked in $10,500 from six of its PACs that showed up in Boisclair’s campaign finance form for the last quarter of 2025. According to that report, she received $2000 each from the PACs claiming to be in Charlestown, Block Island, North and South Kingstown and Westerly, plus $500 from Newport.

Her most recent campaign finance report filed with the Board of Elections shows TWENTY LORIB PAC donations. All give their addresses as 1140 Reservoir Avenue in Cranston, with Levesque as their leader. Here's the list:

1. LORIB statewide: $2,000
2. LORIB Bristol: $250
3. LORIB Charlestown: $500
4. LORIB Cranston: $1,300
5. LORIB Cumberland: $600
6. LORIB Hopkinton: $250
7. LORIB Jamestown: $250
8. LORIB Lincoln: $250
9. LORIB Narragansett: $500
10. LORIB Newport: $250
11. LORIB North Kingstown: $200
12. LORIB North Providence: $300
13. LORIB North Smithfield: $1,000
14. LORIB Pawtucket: $300
15. LORIB Portsmouth: $250
16. LORIB Providence: $300
17. LORIB West Greenwich: $500
18. LORIB West Warwick: $250
19. LORIB Westerly: $500
20. LORIB Woonsocket: $250

It’s amazing how much interest our local House District 36 race is drawing from all over the state, drawing in a total of $20,000 just from LORIB affiliates.

But understand, it’s all Levesque.

Levesque appears to have some pretty good legal advisors on how to work around campaign finance laws. He avoids the $2000 limit on contributions through his 40 PACs. If he wants to drop big bucks in a campaign, he just cuts separate checks, each no more than $2000.

Four of his PACs gave more than $2000 to Boisclair but again, no problem because there were two checks, one in calendar year 2025 and the other this year. I checked with the Board of Elections, and the $2000 contribution cap is an annual cap.

Boisclair’s campaign finance reports show lots of money from unidentified donors, lumped together as "aggregated donations." 

Again, LORIB’s strategy has been to encourage dark contributions by asking donors to write checks UNDER $200, so the money doesn’t have to be identified by source.

Boisclair may be a nice person who is kind to dogs. But that doesn’t make her a good state Representative. Boisclair made a voluntary career choice in setting up law practice to represent clients accused of terrible crimes. 

She has a right to represent them but her choice to do that means I don’t want her to represent me.

She certainly is no match for our current Representative Tina Spears who has an impeccable record of achievement, integrity and public service. For me, Tina is the only choice.

Other LORIB news of note

As I expected, LORIB has added incumbent wingnut Senator Elaine Morgan as an endorsed candidate. Morgan has been an embarrassment to her district, which includes the northern half of Charlestown, since she was elected.

Morgan has been busted for campaign finance fraud and likes to cavort in places she doesn’t belong, pretending she’s a law enforcement official. The most recent escapade happened last year, when she “raided” a housing for the homeless project in Providence. She claimed she was an official with Elon Musk’s DOGE and was looking for waste, fraud and abuse.

Morgan faces a serious challenge this year from Samantha “Sam” Wilcox, chair of the Richmond Town Council. Go Sam!

Sen. Alana DiMario (Narragansett/So. Kingstown) also faces a DINO/LORIB challenger in the Democratic Primary as does Democrat Bob Craven, Jr. in the race to fill his father's vacant seat. The same dynamics are at play in these races as we're seeing in Charlestown.

LORIB also has challengers to South County Democrats in the General Election, including Charlestown's Democratic state Senator Victoria Gu, but we'll hold off on going into those races until after we've passed the Primary.

While LORIB doesn't seem likely to officially push any candidates seeking office beyond the General Assembly, there are several "LORIB-Adjacent" candidates to flag.

They include DINO Attorney General candidate Joe Solomon whose yard signs seem to appear right next to Lean Boisclair's all over Charlestown. He also tried the ploy of enticing Republicans to cross over to vote in the September 9 primary to vote for him. 

Republican Gubernatorial contender Aaron Guckian, behind in the polls in the Republican primary, announced his candidacy at a LORIB event. 

Finally, the Florida MAGA nut Vic Mellor who is running in the Republican Primary for the party nomination to run for US House District 2 against Seth Magaziner, also seems pretty tight with Levesque and LORIB. Of note, even though Mellor is a serious rightwing nut, he is also a registered agent of the government of Cuba. 

One of my colleagues speculated that maybe Mellor wants to front for hotel and resort businesses after Donald Trump invades Cuba.

South County Democratic women get a wave of legislation passed at the end of the General Assembly session

Coffee autocrat wants to push them out to MAGAtize South County

By Will Collette

MAGA millionaire Dave Levesque, owner of the Brewed Awakenings coffee shop chain wants to change the political landscape of South County to fit his vision of a MAGA paradise by ousting virtually every South County Democratic woman holding a General Assembly seat.

To further his dream, Levesque set up the “League of Rhode Island Businesses (LORIB)” with a statewide political action committee and a local version in all 39 Rhode Island cities and towns. Don’t bother looking for the “Charlestown LORIB” or the “Westerly LORIB” because they only exist on paper filed with the Board of Elections.

This panoply of PACs serve the useful purpose of allowing Levesque to get around state law that limits PAC donations to $2000 per candidate. His clever solution: set up each of his candidates with multiple donations from his array of PACs.

Charlestown’s challenger to our state Rep. Tina Spears, self-described “sex crimes defense attorney” Leah Boisclair, received her initial cash from five different Levesque PACs.

According to declarations filed with the Board of Elections, Levesque is challenging these incumbent Democrats:

• Rep. Tina Spears (Charlestown, So. Kingstown, Westerly and Block Island) faces a Sept. 9 primary challenge
• Rep. Megan Cotter (Hopkinton, Richmond, Exeter and West Warwick)
• Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (South Kingstown et al.)
• Rep. Kathy Fogarty (South Kingstown et al.)
• Open seat left by Rep. Julie Casmiro
• Open seat left by Rep. Bob Craven Sr.
• State Sen. Alana DiMario faces a Sept. 9 primary challenge
• Sen. Victoria Gu (Charlestown, Westerly and South Kingstown)
• Plus conservative Democrat Rep. Sam Azzinaro (Westerly)

Levesque supported Laura Turini to challenge Sen. Bridget ValVerde in the Sept. 9 Democratic Primary, but Turisi didn’t file a declaration. He also failed to find candidates to challenge one of his prime targets, Rep. Teresa Tanzi as well as Sen. Sue Sosnowski. Tanzi, Sosnowski and ValVerde are now running unopposed.

If records make any difference, Levesque bevy of challengers will have to confront the incredibly productive General Assembly session these Democrats achieved as well as their earlier achievements.

Just before the Assembly closed this session, the following bills were passed. I am using the descriptions produced by the State House News Bureau.

Son of long-time Charlestown Assistant Solicitor Bob Craven declares candidacy to replace his father

Robert Craven Jr. is running for House District 32

Steve Ahlquist

When Robert Craven Jr. announced he was running for the State Representative seat his father was vacating, I reached out to request an interview. We met at Cafe Nero in Downtown Providence, a place so busy neither of us had coffee. The interview has been edited for clarity:

Steve Ahlquist: I don’t want to start on a negative note, but in this state, we oftentimes have what I think of as “inherited” seats. That is, the child of a politician taking over an elected position from their parent. Your father is the current State Representative from District 32, so what do you bring to this position that makes it earned rather than inherited?

Robert Craven: Two things. One, I’m running not because I have his name; I’m running despite having his name. I’m running in North Kingstown because it’s where I grew up and where I know the state and the country best. I’m running because I have the specific experience to deliver meaningful results for North Kingstown. My father represented well. He had his own experience to rely on. I have some of the same skills, but a different skill set and perspective on much of it, which will let me either expand on or add to what he accomplished.

Steve Ahlquist: You do have an impressive resume. Do you want to talk about that?

Robert Craven: I’m glad to. For the past three years, I’ve been the policy director for Rhode Island’s Treasurer. In that capacity, I’ve helped champion legislation that expanded wealth opportunities for low-income Rhode Islanders, helped towns like North Kingstown protect themselves from the threats of climate change, helped survivors of sexual assault access the funds and support systems they need, and pushed Rhode Island forward in financial well-being. Before that, I ran the Treasurer’s campaign, as you know...

Steve Ahlquist: Which is when I got to know you a little bit.

Robert Craven: Exactly. And before I got into the politics and policy side of things, I practiced law for a few years at a litigation firm in Downtown Providence, where I practiced banking law, complex commercial disputes, and class action lawsuits.

Steve Ahlquist: That put you in the position to be in the Treasurer’s office

Robert Craven: Yeah. It was a good foundation for understanding the issues the office usually deals with. And I dealt with a lot of land use and Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) law when I was practicing law, which gave me the CRMC’s perspective on things and where some of these communities and their zoning boards are in terms of being able to construct (or not construct) what they’re comfortable with, and what’s environmentally sound.

Steve Ahlquist: Land use and the CRMC are two hot topics at the State House right now. We’re dealing with land use issues and possibly reorganizing the CRMC or folding it into the Department of Environmental Management (DEM).

Robert Craven: I think CRMC needs a revisit. That organization has served the state well enough since its creation, but the policies surrounding it are changing. The needs of the state have shifted, and there’s going to be a lot more urgency in what they do as we head towards an era where we might see a dramatic change in what’s happening on our shoreline.

Steve Ahlquist: I think we’re already seeing dramatic changes. We’re looking at parts of Newport going underwater...

Robert Craven: ... and Warren, North Kingstown, Westerly...

Steve Ahlquist: Yeah. Whole sections of the state - land, houses, businesses, whatever - are going to be flooded if we can’t figure out something.

Growing up in a political household, what was that like? Mine is a firefighter family, so we were somewhat political, union politics...

Robert Craven: My mom was a union president in Narragansett. I grew up hearing about the Department of Education and how it was not funding teachers. When I was in middle school, I remember hearing about pension reform from my mom, who was one of the people affected by it. Growing up in that kind of household with a father always interested in policy and politics shows you that the system is accessible, right? I went to George Washington University down in DC, but I came back to intern in health and housing policy for Governor Lincoln Chafee.

That experience, along with what I had growing up, showed me how accessible the system can be. And then, if you learn how the system works, you can really accomplish something through it. There’s this impression that politicians are inaccessible or that they’re in it for malicious intent, but that’s not the case. You have a lot of good people out there who are trying to accomplish something - trying to do the right thing. That’s kind of the lesson that I learned growing up around it.

South County women under attack from MAGA gun nut

Charlestown’s Rep. Tina Spears and Sen. Victoria Gu among them

By Will Collette

A new right-wing political group hopes to decimate the ranks of Democratic state legislators representing most of South County. It’s called “The League of Rhode Island Businesses (LORIB)” which has set up 40 political action committees all over the state – one in each municipality and the state PAC.

This new group was founded by Trump supporter David Levesque, a Warwick coffee shop owner who says he was motivated by the state’s passage of a ban on assault weapons. In addition to gun rights, the League is also vehemently opposed to taxes on the rich such as the state’s new Taylor Swift law that levees a state surcharge on high-priced absentee-owned property.

The League has already announced a slate of candidates and plans to recruit more who will push Levesque’s MAGA agenda. Most of his targets are women, all are Democrats. Most of the targets voted to ban military-style assault rifles.

Who is on the LORIB target list in South County?

•     Rep. Tina Spears (Charlestown, Westerly, Block Island, So. Kingstown)
•     Sen. Victoria Gu (Westerly, Charlestown)
•     Sen. Alana DiMario
•     Sen. Bridgette ValVerde
•     Rep. Carol Hagen McEntee
•     Rep. Kathy Fogarty

Levesque is looking for candidates to challenge:

•     Rep. Teresa Tanzi
•     Rep. Julie Casimiro
•     And to challenge for the open seat being vacated in North Kingstown by Rep. Bob Craven

In all but one instance, the League is backing DINO candidates in the hope of unseating incumbents in the Democratic primary. The exception is Sen. Victoria Gu – LORIB’s only Republican pick is MAGAnut Westin Place who was trounced by Victoria twice (2022 and 2024).

Levesque also has a major South County footprint as a Narragansett resident and principal in the following businesses:

I am hoping Levesque’s focus on the primaries will backfire. By definition, only registered Democrats can vote in those primaries and primary voters tend to pay more attention than voters in the General election. Democratic Town Committees will need to make sure voters understand what’s at stake and may need to prepare to counter business-sponsored mailer blitzes.

The Providence Journal says the League of Rhode Island Businesses “pledged full financial support” to its endorsed candidates. Whether Levesque can actually raise enough money to back up that pledge remains to be seen. It’s not showing up in any serious way in their most recent Campaign Finance reports.

The League of RI Businesses Charlestown reported a cash balance of $15. Its registered office is in Cranston.

Last October, attorney Leah Boisclair was among the first of the LORIB candidates to declare, bagging a Westerly Sun “top story.” The article was pretty much a news release, light on detail and high on puff. However, looking a little deeper into Boisclair’s record, there wasn’t much there besides her defense of criminal defendants.

She’s a defense attorney who, according to her website, defends clients charged with violent crime, domestic abuse, crimes against property and sex crimes.

She is a self-described "Sex Crimes Defense Attorney." I'm not making this up.

Of course, under the Constitution, everyone is judged to be innocent until proven guilty and is entitled to a defense. Here is a list copied directly from her website listing the types of sex crimes she defends:

Sexual Assault

• First-Degree Sexual Assault (Rape)
• Second-Degree Sexual Assault (Sexual Contact)
• Third-Degree Sexual Assault (Statutory Rape)

Child Molestation

• First-Degree Child Molestation (Rape)
• Second-Degree Child Molestation (Sexual Contact)
• Third-Degree Child Molestation (Statutory Rape)

Sex Crimes Charges

• Indecent Exposure
• Video Voyeurism
• Unauthorized Dissemination of Indecent Material

Child Exploitation or Harm

• Possession of Child Pornography
• Distribution of Child Pornography
• Indecent Solicitation of a Minor
• Exploitation for Commercial Purposes
• Electronic Dissemination of Indecent Material to Minors
• Cruelty to or Neglect of a Child
• Child Endangerment
• Patronizing a Minor for Commercial Sexual Activity

Prostitution-Related Offenses

• Procurement of Sexual Conduct for a Fee
• Loitering for Prostitution
• Solicitation of Prostitution
• Promoting or Permitting Prostitution
• Trafficking an Individual
• Sexual Servitude
• Forced Labor

I’m not making any of this up – this is from HER website.

Again, while everyone is entitled to a defense and presumption of innocence, I’m sure glad I’m not the one doing the defending. Further, I’m not very comfortable with this promotional piece, especially the stilettos and underwear, shown in this screenshot from her website:

Given her portfolio, her practice would probably be very successful in Washington, DC with its abundance of pedos and sexual predators. Maybe her MAGA sponsor felt that this portfolio was a plus for her. This is a question that I hope will be explored during the campaign.

I didn’t see much in her history about any sort of public service or civic engagement. She waitressed at the Homestead on Route 2 and staffed a booth for the Grange at the Washington County Fair, but that was about it. She’s running as a Democrat, but I’ve never seen her at any local Democratic function.

Maybe we’ll learn more about her as the campaign year progresses.

I’ll also be curious to see whether the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) weighs in. The CCA backed Libertarian Republican Blake “Flip” Filippi in his defeat of long-time District 36 state Rep. Donna Walsh. Will they support the LORIB PAC effort to oust Rep. Spears and Senator Gu?

But for now, Charlestown has an outstanding state representative in Tina Spears who is running for reelection to a 3^rd term. Compare her record of community service and legislative effectiveness to Boisclair’s and I believe the choice is clear.

Speaker Shekarchi appoints Rep. McEntee as chairwoman of House Judiciary Committee

McEntee replaces Bob Craven after Craven’s aborted AG campaign

Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett) has been appointed by Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi as the new chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee. She has served as the committee’s first vice-chair for the last several legislative sessions.

“It is a tremendous honor to be appointed as the new Judiciary chair, and I thank Speaker Shekarchi and my House colleagues for having faith in me to lead this important committee. At a time when countless rights are being trampled upon and disregarded, the House Judiciary Committee stands as a crucial line of defense for all Rhode Islanders and that will not change. I look forward to working with other members of the committee and the entire House of Representatives to ensure that the people of Rhode Island are cared for, supported and protected,” said Chairwoman McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett).

EDITOR'S NOTE: South Kingstown representative Carol Hagen McEntee replaces long-time Charlestown assistant solicitor Bob Craven after Bob's four-day long disastrous campaign for Attorney General revealed issues about his past legal problems that made his candidacy untenable. In addition to ending his campaign, Bob also resigned as Judiciary Committee chair, the position McEntee is filling, and declared he is not seeking re-election.  - Will Collette

Charlestown Assistant Solicitor Bob Craven ends his political career

Rep. Robert Craven steps down as House Judiciary chairman, will not seek re-election in 2026

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

This campaign turned out to be a huge mistake

After dropping out of the race to become Rhode Island’s next attorney general late last week, Rep. Robert Craven is ceding his position as chairman of the powerful House Committee on Judiciary and intends to leave politics altogether after his term ends next year.

Craven, a North Kingstown Democrat, said in a statement issued Monday afternoon his decision to step aside was in the best interest of his family. He has led the 15-member panel responsible for shaping the state’s penal code and judicial system since the start of the 2019 legislative session.

“Through seven years as chair, I was privileged to shepherd issues like women’s reproductive health, gun safety and the environment that matter deeply to Rhode Islanders,” he said in a statement. “While I will continue to serve the people of North Kingstown through the end of my term, I will not seek re-election.”

Craven, 69, launched his long-planned campaign for attorney general of Rhode Island on Sept. 29, but ended his run on Thursday, Oct. 2, amid renewed scrutiny of domestic assault charges from two decades ago.

UPDATE: Asst. Charlestown Solicitor Bob Craven ends campaign for Attorney General after only four days.

Former Assistant Atty Gen. Keith Hoffman becomes second official candidate to replace term-limited Peter Neronha

By Will Collette

UPDATE: After his disastrous campaign launch, described below, Bob Craven announced today (Thursday) that he was ending his campaign for Attorney General. In a statement described by WPRI "The 69-year-old said he was making the decision “because my family — and my sobriety — must come first,” and out of a “genuine desire to protect my family from further pain.”

WPRI described additional legal problems in Craven's past. Craven's statement referred to the 2001 domestic violence charge brought against him:

“I spent yesterday with my family, discussing the events of that night more than 20 years ago,” he said. “Understandably, it is something we rarely talk about — it was the darkest moment of my life, and my family’s. As we spoke, I learned more details about my conduct that night — details that had been lost in the fog of too much alcohol. I do not say that by way of excuse, but by way of explanation.”

Incumbent RI Attorney General Peter Neronha is term-limited from running for another term in 2026. A likely three-way race for the Democratic nomination to become his successor is underway.

Neronha has anointed his former Assistant AG Keith Hoffman as the best person to continue Neronha's on-going battle with the Trump regime over assaults on civil rights and Draconian budget cuts. 

Hoffman had a smooth launch that featured Neronha's support. This is in sharp contrast to Bob Craven's day one gaffe where he claimed to have received the endorsement of the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2024. The Coalition asserts he did not get their endorsement. 

RICADV is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and as their director Brianna Henries said:

“We do not make political endorsements. Nor do we engage in any electioneering or political campaign matters involving any candidates for public office.” 

Craven acknowledged his error, as reported by WPRI:

“The inclusion of an endorsement by the Coalition Against Domestic Violence was an honest mistake due in part to similarities with the name of another advocacy group,” he said, an apparent reference to the R.I. Coalition Against Gun Violence.

WPRI Target 12 reporters tied this gaffe to Craven's previous legal problems:

"Family Court records reviewed by Target 12 confirm Craven was arrested by North Kingstown police on Aug. 31, 2001. The records show Craven was “removed” from the home and a judge later granted a restraining order sought by his estranged wife. (They later reconciled.)

"While Craven’s campaign told The Boston Globe that the case was later dismissed, court records for the matter are no longer available, likely because the records were expunged.

"The Globe reported that Craven was involved in a second incident where he was charged with simple assault, but Craven said it did not involve his wife. That case, too, is no longer available in court records."

In my opinion, this is obviously a bad way to start a campaign, and it could nip Craven's ambitions in the bud. However, it's a year until the 2026 election and almost a year away from the Democratic primary. Given voters' short attention spans, maybe it's better to screw up early than closer to election day. That assumes that there will be no further mention of Craven's gaffe or his past legal problems.

Bob Craven wants to be Attorney General

Craven has deep connections to Charlestown with years of service as Assistant Solicitor

First official announcement in race to replace Peter Neronha

Local state Reps support South County Hospital reform movement

They decry management's unwillingness to listen 

Save South County Hospital

Below is a letter received today from five local legislators who had the courage to stand up to the entrenched leadership of South County Hospital and its Board of Trustees. Despite these legislators’ good-faith efforts to mediate and drive much-needed change, they were met with resistance and outright dismissal by hospital leadership and trustees.

These lawmakers are now issuing a stark warning. We are deeply grateful for their unwavering support for Save South County Hospital, former Board of Trustees chairs leading change efforts, donors, patients, medical staff, hospital employees, physicians - and every South County resident who deserves better than the hospital leadership and trustees are willing to give.

These lawmakers’ voices, like all of ours collectively, will not be silenced in the face of obstinate and unaccountable leadership. A special thanks to State Rep. Carol McEntee for briefing her colleagues listed below on our current efforts to hold our South County Hospital Healthcare System Endowment Special Member meeting on April 3. It is open to Members and the public, who are encouraged to attend, at 6 p.m. in South Kingstown High School’s auditorium.

R.I. House approves reforms to Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights

‘A long time coming’ 

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Good cops should have no cause for concern

After nearly two hours of debate and strong opposition from progressive lawmakers, the Rhode Island House of Representatives Thursday approved bills to reform the state law governing the process for investigating and disciplining police officers accused of misconduct.

The House voted 58-14 to pass a bill by Deputy Speaker Raymond Hull and 59-13 in favor of identical legislation sponsored by Senate President Dominick Ruggeiro that updates the controversial Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights (LEOBOR).

Adopted in 1976, LEOBOR protects police officers from being fired immediately or put on leave without pay when misconduct charges against them arise. The law has been greatly criticized by social justice advocates, who say it’s unfair for police to review internal misconduct.

Attempts to reform the law stalled in previous years due to disagreements over who would sit on an expanded five-member panel that rules on any disciplinary action. General Assembly leaders finally reached a compromise earlier this week. 

“Reform to LEOBOR has been a long time coming and this legislation will not only deliver transparency and accountability to the public, but it will also help police departments across the state root out misconduct in a fair and just way,” Hull said in a statement Thursday.

Under the existing law, officers accused of misconduct appear before a panel made up of three active or retired police officers — with one picked by the chief, one by the officer under investigation, and a third chosen by both or a presiding Superior Court judge.

The hearing panel under Hull and Ruggerio’s legislation would still contain three officers, but they would instead be randomly chosen by the Police Officers Commission on Standards and Training. The panel would also include a retired judge and an attorney “selected in consultation with the Supreme Court’s committee on racial and ethnic fairness.”

The amended legislation also removes the prohibition preventing police chiefs from making public statements about cases that have not yet had a LEOBOR hearing or releasing video evidence.

Both bills allow police chiefs to suspend officers for a longer amount of time: five days for those accused of minor infractions and 14 days for those facing more serious complaints, such as excessive force or felonies. Suspension without pay is now two days before the right to a LEOBOR hearing kicks in. 

House Judiciary Chairman Robert Craven, a North Kingstown Democrat, called the changes “a major improvement” to what’s on the books now.

“This legislation is born of collective, productive, researched compromise,” Craven said. “That’s the mission of this body — this House. I believe in my heart this is the answer to police misconduct.”

Progressive lawmakers lauded General Assembly leadership for the work it took to craft the legislation, but said they felt it did not go far enough.

House Speaker pushing slate of affordable housing bills

Speaker Shekarchi introduces slate of bills to stimulate private development of affordable housing

By Steve Ahlquist, Uprise RI

Rhode Island Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi has announced a series of 14 bills aimed at increasing private sector investment in affordable housing in the state. 

The bills are intended to streamline the development process, making it simpler and faster, and incentivize more private developers to invest in Rhode Island. The legislation was developed in response to the state’s housing and homelessness crises.

“As everyone knows we are experiencing housing crisis in Rhode Island,” said Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi (Democrat, District 23, Warwick) at a press conference on Thursday announcing a slate of bills seeking to stimulate private sector affordable housing investment. “And it’s a homelessness crisis as well. Our state simply does not have enough housing and the folks at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum are feeling the brunt of it.”

The bills seek to build upon housing packages that the Speaker shepherded into law each of the last two sessions by continuing efforts to streamline housing development while increasing production.

“Real change is never easy, but these bills will help to create more affordable housing that is so desperately needed in Rhode Island. We are making meaningful progress. The General Assembly has already passed 17 pieces of housing legislation since I became Speaker, and today my colleagues and I are announcing 14 more housing bills. Increasing housing production is a top priority for the House,” said the Speaker in a statement. 

“Nothing in this package forces communities to build more affordable housing, and none of the legislation circumvents local decision-making. My goal is that, by making the development process simpler, faster, and more predictable, we’re not only expediting work already in the pipeline, but also incentivizing more private developers to invest in Rhode Island.”

The legislation stems from testimony and discussions of the Special Legislative Commission to Study the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act and the Special Legislative Commission to Study the Entire Area of Land Use, Preservation, Development, Housing, Environment and Regulation, which have been meeting regularly since July 2022 to address ways Rhode Island can meet its affordable housing needs in a manner that is sustainable and equitable.

“Nothing – Nothing in this package forces communities to build more affordable housing. And none of this legislation circumvents local decision making ability. This package does not take away any local permitting control for any project. It does not cost the cities and towns any money whatsoever,” said the Speaker. 

“We will remove barriers to streamline the process, but decisions will be made locally. Nothing will prevent a city or town from denying a affordable housing project – or any project – except their own conscience.”

Speaking to members of communities who are “opposing this package without even seeing it,” Speaker Shekarchi said, “I welcome you to the table… Please read the bills and understand them… and your fear – your unfounded fear, in my personal opinion, hopefully will dissipate.”

Asked if the early opposition from some communities contributed to a “watering down” of the legislation, Speaker Shekarchi said absolutely not.

“Deliberate misinformation” about the bills were being spread about the bills, said the Speaker, and in the story he told, it was apparent that some of the misinformation played on racial fears.

“Their fear was mystifying to me because the bills weren’t even drafted yet,” said Speaker Shekarchi. “I had a woman from Glocester call me up – hysterical – [saying] I was going to put a Chad Brown in the middle of Harmony. It’s a false narrative. It’s deliberate misinformation and it caused a lot of angst in communities.”

Flip is out

Goodbye and good riddance to Blake Filippi

By Will Collette

Flip tweeted this photo last Sunday

Charlestown’s state Representative Blake “Flip” Filippi has announced he will NOT run for re-election in November. For many, this was a big surprise.

Filippi won in 2014, defeating effective incumbent Rep. Donna Walsh (D) with the support from the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA).

Filippi ran as a libertarian but without any fixed beliefs or principles, a trait that characterized his eight years in office. Not surprisingly, he finally came out as a Republican.

He couldn’t seem to give an actual fixed address with official documents listing him as living in Lincoln, Providence and various Block Island addresses.

That was our first inkling that Flip has a very loose relationship with the truth. Over his time in office, I have documented numerous occasions where he said one thing but did something entirely different. CLICK HERE for a prime example of his casual relationship with the truth.

He has close historical ties to the far-right armed militia group, the Oath Keepers, who led the storming the Capitol on January 6.

Virtually none of legislation sponsored by Filippi was ever enacted, though he did take credit for legislation sponsored by others, such as a bill to limit quarry dust (actually Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy’s bill) and lowering state income tax on Social Security (which was Rep. Bob Craven’s bill).

He botched this year’s push for a modest shoreline access bill by failing to line up any support in the Senate. Serious legislators almost always get a sponsor for a companion bill in the other house in order to expedite legislative success, but Flip has never been a serious legislator, always more interested in personal publicity than achievement.

Flip tweeted this photo on Monday. I'm not sure if this is a before or after snap

It didn’t help that in 2015, Filippi blocked public access to the beach in front of one of the family properties, Ballard’s, on Block Island with a fence that ran down to the water and with a dumpster blocking the path used by Block Island Rescue to get to emergency calls on the beach.

Filippi was known to sponsor downright goofy legislation, such as numerous efforts to pass amendments to the Rhode Island Constitution and for Rhode Island to secede from the Eastern Time zone and join the Canadian Maritime Provinces in the Atlantic zone.

Filippi voted against every single gun bill (other than those proposed by gun nuts) and tried to block Rhode Island from codifying Roe v. Wade. Yep, that’s our Flip.

For all the support the CCA gave him, what do they have to show for it? 

Even though the CCA disliked Donna Walsh because she is a Democrat, Donna knew how to get things done and served her constituents well.

In his farewell remarks, Filippi singled out obstructionism as his only achievement. As WPRI described it:

“Filippi said his proudest moments included refusing to suspend the House rules during the final stages of the 2019 session, reining in the speaker’s powers; filing a lawsuit over the management of the committee that handles the Assembly’s budget; fighting the proposed Lifespan-Care New England hospital merger; and working on an effort to clarify Rhode Islanders’ rights of access to the shoreline.”

Filippi was vague about his reasons for leaving saying only that after eight years, he decided to make way for somebody new.

His colleague Mike Chippendale who immediately takes over as Republican Minority Leader did little to help to clarify. Chippendale said he wasn’t being pushed out and said it could have just been personal or business related.

In recent years, Filippi fought his mother and brother Steve in court over the family businesses. His mother accused him of deception and manipulation in court filings. So, yeah, maybe it’s business.

Whatever it is, he announced his departure with no apparent Republican contender to run for his seat. Since the one consistent thing about Filippi was his thirst for publicity, his abrupt departure from office raises a lot of questions about why he decided to leave when some conservative sources called him the RI GOP's "top star."

As of this writing, the only candidate is Democrat Tina Spears of Charlestown who has just won the party’s endorsement for House District 36.

The deadline for candidates to declare for office is Wednesday.

Flipper scores a “Win” but who actually benefits?

Charlestown state Rep wins a battle to protect the rights of out-of-state hedge funds

By Will Collette

On Tuesday, Charlestown’s peripatetic state Representative Blake “Flip” Filippi, a man of few identifiable principles or convictions, got to crow about dealing a setback to a House bill sponsored by former Charlestown assistant solicitor Bob Craven (D-North Kingstown).

Craven’s bill would have required bidders to show up in person at municipal tax sales on properties in default, ending the domination of hedge funds and out-of-state investors who bid on-line. The main supporter of Craven’s bill is Rhode Island historian laureate (yes, that’s a real title) Dr. Patrick Conley who, by his own count, has snapped up over 140 properties at tax sales.

Filippi prevented Craven’s bill from being voted on which resulted in the bill being sent back to committee. Filippi scored his win by smearing Conley and other Rhode Island tax sale aficionados as predators while casting the hedge funds - also called "vulture funds" - as a benign force that levels the playing field and prevents cronyism.

Neither Filippi nor Craven actually address the underlying issues of why people fall into arrears and lose their homes for tax delinquencies. For a family going through hard times or a senior citizen who forgets to pay, whether a local academic or a New York hedge fund takes control of their property is a distinction without a difference.

Under current law, the tax-delinquent original owner has one year to come up with the money to buy back their property. Some do. Most don’t.

Conley was the only person to testify in favor of the bill and argued that blocking out of state predators would be better for the state because those banks and hedge funds generally do nothing with the property except collect 16% interest on the tax lien – a very attractive rate of return – and let the properties fall into ruin.

Rhode Island-based buyers, Conley argued, are more likely to maintain the properties and in some cases, convert them into new affordable housing. I could not find any evidence to back up Conley’s claim in any of the extensive coverage given this issue by the Providence Journal.

Bill supporter Rep. Charlene Lima (D-Cranston) argued:

"If you get an out-of-state person or out-of-state bank, that house ends up falling apart, boarded up, delinquent with drug addicts living in there, and you try chasing down that bank from out of state ... it is impossible."

Filippi countered, without evidence, that Craven’s bill would protect cronyism and bid-rigging:

"I don't want a few people who are all friends who show up at every tax sale and they promise not to bid against each other so they all get 100%."

In my humble opinion, both sides in this debate are full of shit, posturing for their favorite special interest making claims without evidence.

However, if poor people are going to lose their homes to predators, I’d prefer them to be local predators. That way, we know where they live.

But what we really need is an examination of why tax defaults occur and what can be done to prevent them. For starters, an increase in truly affordable housing stock would help.

We know that factors like job loss, medical debt, soaring energy prices and rising food prices force many households to try to prioritize which bills they can pay and which they must postpone.

We are emerging from an economic crash caused by the COVID pandemic and now face high inflation arising from that pandemic and its effects on the global supply chain and workforce, not to mention Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting disruption of energy supplies.

It’s no wonder that people fell behind on their bills, including their property tax. Putting them out on the street or making them negotiate for their home with Dr. Patrick Conley or Wells Fargo Bank or Vulture Hedge Fund is not in the public interest.

And with all the troubles we have, I have to wonder about Flip Filippi’s priorities. Not only is he the champion of vulture hedge funds, but he’s decided to back Elon Musk 100% on his lame-brained schemes for Twitter, attacked a bill with no chance of passage that would make COVID vaccination compulsory. He also trashed a bill Teresa Tanzi sponsored at the request of local high school students to make the trilobite the state fossil.

Just check Flip’s Twitter feed to see what’s bothering him. Almost none of Flipper's gripes are remotely important to House District 36. 

Fortunately, there are two Democrats who have declared their intention to oppose Filippi in the November election – Tina Spears and Victoria Gu. Either one of them would be a huge improvement over Flip.