General Assembly passes protection for Rhode Islanders to get vaccines

Elaine Morgan was the only NO vote in the Senate

Steve Ahlquist

Charlestown's Sen. Elaine Morgan.
Whatever it is, she's against it

The Rhode Island General Assembly approved legislation on Tuesday, introduced by Senator Linda Ujifusa and Representative Susan Donovan, to protect coverage for routine childhood and adult vaccines under Rhode Island law.

This bill (S2379A, H7625A), which now goes to the governor, gives Rhode Island a clear statutory framework to ensure vaccines remain accessible, affordable, and grounded in public health science. It requires state-regulated health insurers in Rhode Island to cover vaccines recommended by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) without cost-sharing barriers.

“We don’t have to speculate about the risks of not protecting access to vaccinations,” said Senator Ujifusa (Democrat, District 11, Portsmouth, Bristol). “We can already see the consequences, with measles outbreaks emerging across the country as anti-vaccine messages have gained traction. Rhode Island is acting now to make sure cost and uncertainty never stand in the way of basic public health.”

“Vaccination has been one of the great success stories of public health, protecting not only the vaccinated but also entire communities,” said Representative Donovan (Democrat, District 69, Bristol, Portsmouth). “This bill ensures that here in Rhode Island, coverage for vaccines is protected and that our vaccine guidelines continue to be based on sound medical science.”

The bill comes in response to the Trump Administration’s war on vaccine science. Last year, the U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr replaced all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the independent panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine recommendations. The committee was subsequently reconstituted with new appointees, including individuals who have previously been skeptical of the efficacy of vaccines and the federal pandemic response.

The legislation ensures Rhode Island retains the authority to act promptly and responsibly to protect public health. It follows the lead of other states, including Massachusetts, and ensures that any vaccine recommended by the Rhode Island Department of Health is covered without cost-sharing for every Rhode Islander, whether they have private insurance, Medicaid, or state employee coverage.

The bill passed in the House, but 14 Representatives, Democrats, Republicans, and the one Independent, voted against it. 

Over in the Senate, the bill passed with only one vote against.  

EDITOR'S NOTE: That was Sen. Elaine Morgan who "represents" the northern half of Charlestown. She's a corrupt MAGA-nut who has achieved virtually nothing for her constituents. She faces a strong challenger, Samantha "Sam" Wilcox, Democrat, who currently serves as Richmond Town Council president. To stop Morgan from further embarrassing us, I urge you to support Sam Wilcox for RI Senate District 34. I do. - Will Collette 

Here’s the video of the discussion on the House floor: RI State Representative Charlene Lima vs Vaccines

The discussion on the floor is presented here, edited for clarity, where clarity was possible:

UPDATED: Legal problems could block Stefan Pryor's return to Rhode Island government

Secretary in name only?

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

UPDATE: Despite the issues detailed below, Pryor was confirmed by the Rhode Island Senate on April 1. Not an April Fool's Joke even though Pryor's several prior appointments didn't do much to improve life in Rhode Island.   - Will Collette

Since August, Stefan Pryor has spearheaded the state’s economic development strategy, including distribution of millions of dollars in incentives for businesses, researchers and recent college graduates.

But the Rhode Island Senate has not yet confirmed Pryor as state commerce secretary, more than seven months after Gov. Dan McKee’s nomination. And questions linger over the legality of Pryor’s authority to act without legislative approval, including by the Senate’s own legal counsel.

“We don’t believe the statutory authority exists,” Greg Paré, a spokesperson for Senate President Valarie Lawson, said in an interview Wednesday. 

John Marion, executive director for Common Cause Rhode Island, a nonpartisan watchdog group, voiced similar doubts during an initial confirmation hearing for Pryor before the Senate Committee on Commerce Tuesday night.

“Many department directors can serve on an interim basis, but commerce is not one of them,” Marion told the panel. 

Marion referenced the state statute empowering the governor to fill cabinet-level vacancies on an interim basis until Senate confirmation. It lists 11 director roles as eligible for interim appointments, but not commerce secretary. And, it expressly prohibits anyone beyond the 11 named department directors from taking on the job on an interim basis. 

The law doesn’t lay out consequences for interim directors who take the job before Senate confirmation. In Pryor’s case, the Senate is expected to give its blessing next week following the commerce committee’s vote Tuesday to advance the nomination.

Paré said the initial confirmation hearing was delayed due to scheduling issues, noting the commerce committee has only met once before this year, on March 10. 

Concerns over Pryor’s ability to serve in the $238,597-a-year job before Senate confirmation surfaced in August, as first reported by Providence Business News. McKee’s office insisted, and still does, that the appointment was legitimate, pointing to past precedent and the governor’s constitutional authority.

Trivia Night with Sam Wilcox our next state Senator (hopefully)

Sam Wilcox, candidate for Senate District representing northern half of Charlestown, announces campaign activities

Help me win Senate District 34 in November

By Samantha (Sam) Wilcox

As the Richmond Town Council President, I’ve worked to keep residents informed through regular newsletters and open communication. When elected to the State Senate, I will continue that commitment at the state level. We deserve leadership that listens, makes decisions grounded in facts, and communicates honestly and transparently.

To connect with residents across District 34, our next Town Hall will be held at the Ashaway Free Library. We’ll have coffee and treats. Come share your thoughts, concerns, and ideas. I look forward to seeing you!

Sam for Senate Town Hall Series – Stop #2

📍 Ashaway Free Library
🗓 February 28
⏰ 9:30 AM

Next Stops:
📍 Exeter Public Library – Thurs., March 12 @ 5:30 PM
📍 Cross Mills Public Library – Wed., March 18 @ 5:30 PM

Running a campaign across the largest Senate district in Rhode Island takes real resources (from postage to printed materials) to ensure voters in Richmond, Exeter, Hopkinton, Charlestown, and West Greenwich hear our message.

I hope you’ll join us for a fun evening of trivia and dinner in support of our campaign!

Sam for Senate Trivia Fundraiser

🗓 March 30 | 6–8 PM
📍 Downey Weaver American Legion Post 34
22 Whipple Drive
🎟 $25 Suggested Donation
🔗 https://secure.actblue.com/donate/trivia34

Your support will help us continue the momentum needed to win in November!

Other Upcoming Events:

**Show Some Love – February 24 | 6–8 PM | The Titled Barn**

Representative Megan Cotter is hosting her annual personal care drive to support RICAN and Exeter Social Services. Dinner is on her! Admission is one personal care item (soap, shampoo, or other hygiene products). A great way to give back and connect with neighbors. 

**Sue AnderBois for Lieutenant Governor – March 1 | 10am-12pm | Celebrated**

Sue AnderBois, a Providence City Councilor running for Lieutenant Governor, will be visiting Celebrated on March 1. I’m excited to learn more about her vision for Rhode Island and to share with her perspectives from our rural communities

As always, thank you for staying engaged and involved in our community. I hope to see you at one (or several!) of these upcoming events.

Together, we can bring thoughtful, responsive, and determined leadership to District 34.

Thanks to a MAGA gun nut, Charlestown and South County are about to become a culture war battleground

Charlestown to get ripped up over guns

By Will Collette

Dave Levesque has created 40 pro-gun Rhode Island
PACs and is targeting Democratic women in South County

Rhode Island just experienced its second mass shooting this year. First, Brown University and now the mass shooting at a Pawtucket hockey rink.

Quick to respond was Republican House Minority Leader Mike Chippendale (R-Foster). First, he gives us the rote thoughts and prayers line and then shifts to deflecting away from guns to mental health and the MAGA-inspired national controversy over gender.

Here’s a key section from Chippendale’s statement:

In the immediate aftermath of events like this, public officials often reach for simple explanations. When leaders say this tragedy was “caused by gun violence,” they are transparently reducing a complex human failure to a single talking point. In cases like this, the firearm was the means, not the cause, and violence of this nature almost always involves deeper factors – severe or untreated mental health struggles, instability, isolation, and warning signs that were missed or ignored. If we are serious about prevention, those realities must be part of the conversation.

Granted, there is always a reason, rational or not, why a person takes a gun (or two or more) and kills people. And yes, it is important to look at those reasons and try to figure out how to prevent them from sparking more carnage.

But Chippendale is wrong to dismissively say “the firearm was the means, not the cause."  The decision to kill for whatever reason combined with easy access to guns is what makes the United States the gun murder capital of the world.

This wrenching issue is about to become a central part of Charlestown’s political culture between now and at least through the September 8 Democratic primary.

Send lawyers, guns and money

I went over the end-of-year campaign finance disclosures for Charlestown’s four major political committees to see how they look at the start of the 2026 election year when they engage in the biennial struggle over control of the town.

I also took a look at the campaign figures for House District 36, held by incumbent Rep. Tina Spears. Gun lobby-backed Leah Boisclair is the figurehead candidate for the League of Rhode Island Businesses (LORIB) seeking to defeat Tina in the September 8 Democratic primary.

Just based on the money, it looks like the District 36 race will be Charlestown's first major election event, focused as it is on the Democratic primary that takes place two months before the General Election.

The LORIB candidate Boisclair is running as a Democrat despite having no known ties to the party. Her sponsor, entrepreneur Dave Levesque, set up 40 political action committees (PACs), one for each municipality plus a statewide PAC, to promote his pro-gun agenda. 

He’s also a devoted MAGA dude who vehemently opposes taxes on the rich such as the state’s new Taylor Swift law that levees a state surcharge on high-priced absentee-owned property.

Levesque is running MAGA-style candidates against virtually EVERY Democratic woman in South County. That includes Charlestown’s state senator Victoria Gu. Levesque is backing MAGA nut Westin Place (R) – Victoria beat him handily in the last two elections.

Levesque is putting a lot of cash behind Carolina resident attorney Leah Boisclair, most of it coming from other LORIB PACs and from pro-gun groups. Boisclair’s campaign finance report shows around $25,000 came in during the final quarter of 2025, leaving her with a balance of $20,519.85 to start the year.

You should take a good look at who gave to each campaign because the numbers tell you a lot about the two candidates. As the adage goes, “follow the money.”

Tina Spears with Sen. Victoria Gu.
 Gu is also a LORIB target

Rep. Tina Spears support

Rep. Tina Spears begins the campaign year coming within $200 of matching Boisclair's gun cash. She has cash on hand of $20,306.21. She raised around $15,000 in the final quarter of 2025.

Of that $15,000, only $1,250 came from political action committees, including the state AFL-CIO, the RI Good Government PAC and PACs representing firefighters, construction and public employees.

There were lots of donations from people who appeared to be family, friends, colleagues from non-profits serving children and people in the district.

This list includes a number of well-known local leaders. Among them:

• ·       Charlestown Town Council President Deb Carney
• ·       Lifelong Charlestown activist Frank Glista
• ·       Former Charlestown Democrats chair Kathleen Marra
• ·       Rep. Carol McEntee, South Kingstown
• ·       Tomaquag Museum director Loren Spears
• ·       Jane Merner from Earthcare composting
• ·       Rob Lyons from Ocean House Marina

I’ll be on the list for the next report.

Very different funding profile for Boisclair

Leah Boisclair reported $25,000 raised in the last quarter of 2025. Here’s where her money trail takes us.

She donated $2,500 from her own law practice. According to her website, she focuses on defending clients charged with some very unsavory crimes. In a later article, I will dive in more deeply into the choices she made with her law practice. Meanwhile, here’s how she describes her specialties:

She reported $1,650 from the water and wastewater industry – five different companies including local firms AB Hoxie and Benn Water. She may have won with this business sector’s allegiance through a 2022 Ashaway case (detailed HERE). She represented a residential landowner who wanted to put in a large-scale commercial water distribution well. Benn Water was one of the project’s biggest promoters, but the Town of Hopkinton rejected the proposal.

Several metro lawyers have written checks to Boisclair’s campaign.

The two main hardcore Rhode Island gun PACs, the Gun Owners PAC and the 2^nd Amendment PAC, kicked in $4000.

Very little of her cash comes from Charlestown or the other towns in District 36. One of the rare local donations came from Bill Coulter, owner of Stony Hill Cattle and former chair of the Charlestown Republican Town Committee. Does that mean there won’t be a Republican contender in this race?

The biggest single block of Boisclair’s cash - $10,500 – came from six of Dave Levesque’s League of RI Businesses (LORIB) PACs. They all give their address as a law office at 1410 Reservoir Ave. in Cranston. This includes the so-called Charlestown LORIB. The other five PACs contributing to Boisclair are the ones purporting to be in Westerly, South Kingstown, North Kingstown, Newport and Block Island.

In the Secretary of State’s corporate database, there is only one registration and that’s for the umbrella organization:

As for the financial reports for the PACs themselves, the search trick is to use “The League” when using the Board of Elections database. Other variations don't work.

Then you will find all of them each with basically identical CF-1 Notice of Organization filings naming Levesque as Treasurer. They are all located in Moretti and Preetti's law office shown above, the same incorporator and the same borad.

The Charlestown LORIB PAC is no exception as the screenshot below shows. It's not located in Charlestown and there’s no one from Charlestown on it.

There is a lot of money shuffling among the LORIB PACs. For example, Charlestown’s LORIB donation to Leah Boisclair appears to be a pass-through from the Narragansett LORIB PAC. Narragansett is where Levesque lives. Narragansett LORIB pays Charlestown LORIB who then funds Leah Boisclair. That’s along with five other Levesque PACs.

It’s an elaborate web but what I see is this: It's all about Levesque. Vote for one of his candidates and you are voting for him. A vote for Boisclair is a vote for Levesque’s pro-gun, anti-tax-the-rich MAGA agenda.

Boisclair used to use her Facebook account as a promotional site for gun-nut groups in Rhode Island. She scrubbed those posting, but not before they were captured on screenshots. I have those images. You can count on seeing a lot of them between now and September 8 Democratic Primary where this race is headed. Between now and then, I plan lots more coverage of this important race.

The General Election funding race

As for the General Election, the campaign finance reports for Charlestown’s four major political committees yield few surprises. The four committees go into the 2026 election with the following cash balances:

• ·       Current town leader Charlestown Residents United (CRU), $2,391.90
• ·       Former town leader Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA), $9,170.15
• ·       Charlestown Democratic Town Committee (CDTC), $182.15
• ·       Charlestown Republican Town Committee (CRTC), $3,583.08

None of these committees raised almost nothing in the final quarter of 2025. Charlestown Democrats brought in $15. The other three committees reported no income.

That’s not unusual since in the past, Charlestown’s real campaigning rarely started before July 4.

Finally, the matchups for Charlestown’s two Senate seats shows:

• Incumbent Sen. Victoria Gu (D) who has represented Charlestown south of Route One goes into the year with $28,299.50.
• Her opponent for the third straight time is MAGA nut Republican and LORIB-endorsed Westin Place who goes into the race with $566.66. He hasn’t gotten his infusion of LORIB and gun money yet.

Our embarrassing state Senator Elaine Morgan (R-MAGA) is again running for reelection to represent the northern half of Charlestown. She carries a cash balance of $3,248.27 into the year.

She faces a strong opponent in Samantha (Sam) Wilcox (D), Richmond Town Council President. Sam goes into election year with $7,533.71. I’m proud to say I am on her donor list.

Come and support Sam Wilcox, the best candidate for Senate District 34

October 28: Help Samantha Wilcox defeat MAGA Senator Elaine Morgan

Democratic South County women win passage of lots of good legislation

General Assembly powerhouses

By Will Collette

Thank you Tina and Victoria

In case you haven’t noticed it, most of South County’s General Assembly members are Democratic women. Among the few exceptions are Charlestown-connected Rep. Bob Craven of No. Kingstown, one of the body’s most powerful members, and two Westerly DINOcrats, Sen. Sam Azzinaro and Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy.

Then there’s MAGA outlier Sen. Elaine Morgan (R) whose contribution this session has consisted of embarrassing MAGA stunts including one where she impersonated a DOGE agent to try to get into a homelessness program in Providence.

The dominance of South County’s Democratic women shows in their remarkable output of significant legislation and, this year in particular, their ability to get these bills passed.

Now that this year’s General Assembly has closed, my inbox is filled with notices of bills passed. Sponsors of these bills include Charlestown’s Senator Victoria Gu and Tina Spears, South Kingstown’s Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee, Sen. Sue Sosnowski, Reps. Teresa Tanzi and Kathy Fogarty, and Sen. Alana DiMario.

Today’s roundup only includes bills passed at the end of the session, not the bills passed earlier. I’ve usually posted notices about those bills as they happened.

Rep. Megan Cotter (Richmond, Hopkinton, Exeter) scored her impressive achievements on bills to protect lives, land and homes in the past few weeks.

The greatest achievements are in the areas of affordable housing, land use and health care.

I congratulate them all. Trying to get anything done in the General Assembly is hard and often disappointing work but they can all take pride in their ability to get things done to benefit South County and the rest of Rhode Island.

Below, I’ve pasted in the reports on the bills that passed at the session’s close.

Charlestown Democrat Jennifer Douglas pays fine and turns in late reports to settle three-year-old case.

Unlike her opponent Elaine Morgan, Jennifer admits ‘I was wrong.’ 

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Editor's note: I supported Jennifer in each of her efforts
to topple MAGA Sen. Elaine Morgan. I am still certain Jennifer
would have been a far better Senator for Charlestown. - Will Collette

Three years, $2,000 in civil and criminal fines, and a trio of misdemeanor charges later, a former state Senate candidate finally turned in her overdue campaign finance reports, the Rhode Island Board of Elections announced Wednesday.

The resolution comes after Jennifer Douglas, a Charlestown Democrat, provided the state elections panel with seven missing campaign finance reports spanning 2021 to 2022. Douglas turned in the paperwork on Friday, May 9, a day after entering a no contest plea in Rhode Island District Court on three criminal misdemeanor charges of violating campaign finance laws, according to public court records.

Douglas in an interview Thursday said she failed to keep up with the paperwork due to a loss in her personal life.

“I went through a very difficult time and was only concentrating on my kids and myself,” Douglas said. “Things just got away from me.”

She emphasized that failure to file reports was different from misuse of campaign funds. 

“My campaign finances are to the penny right now,” Douglas said. “It wasn’t like I stole campaign funds, it was simply bad accounting, and a failure to do my due diligence.”

She added, “I was wrong. It played out the way it should have.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jennifer's opponent in her three election runs was Charlestown embarrassment incumbent Sen. Elaine Morgan. Morgan was also busted for campaign finance violations. In her case, Morgan was charged with illegally diverting money from her campaign account to finance personal spending sprees.  The Boston Globe flagged these items in the Board of Elections audit of Morgan's spending:

· In January and February 2020, Morgan spent $1,227 from her campaign account for personal use, including a $500 cash withdrawal; $584 in expenses for food, beverages, and meals; and $142 in miscellaneous expenses.

· In April 2020, she used her campaign account to pay for $73 in groceries from Aldi.

· In April 2021, she used her campaign account to pay $320 at a Chelo’s restaurant.

· In February 2022, she used her campaign account to pay $108 for “grooming expense” at V Nails and Spa By Han.

· In February 2022, she used her campaign account to pay $875 to Patriot Coins.

Dennis Algiere returns to public life

Former state Senator Algiere represented the southern half of Charlestown for years

By Will Collette

Dennis Algiere is one of the few surviving members of a nearly extinct species: a moderate Republican. Actually, Algiere had hoped to launch his political career but was told by the then old-school Westerly Democratic machine that he had to wait in line.

On his own and as a Republican, Algiere went on to win Senate District 38 which he held for 30 years until declining to run for re-election in 2023. He was replaced by a smart young Democrat, Senator Victoria Gu.

During his long term, Algiere created an office that was a model of efficient constituent service. On the issues, he was usually center-left. These qualities meant he faced almost no challengers and usually won re-election unopposed.

I noticed a dramatic change in Algiere right after Donald Trump took the White House for his first term. He went silent. Algiere was never a self-promoter, unlike his local House colleague Blake "Flip" Filippi who would never pass up the chance to show off. Algiere pretty much stopped being the face and voice of state Republicans and that void was filled by such local radical MAGAnuts as Filippi, Sen. Elaine Morgan (who represented the northern half of Charlestown), and January 6 participant ex-state rep. Justin Price.

While others were surprised when Algiere made his 2022 announcement that he wasn't going to run, I wasn't. It had already seemed like Algiere had checked out of politics.

Accepting our hapless Gov. Dan McKee's invitation to serve on the Rhode Island Board of Education may be a one off. As usual, Algiere isn't saying whether this means he is coming back into the fray. All he said was:

“I am honored that the governor has asked me to return to public service. I am especially enthusiastic about supporting our students who deserve an innovative and accessible education system that can help them on the path to success.”

RI House GOP got the records they asked for after all. They just didn’t unzip them.

Republican effort to create an issue out of the Echo Village homeless site turn into humiliation for Mike Chippendale

Follows Charlestown's MAGA Senator Elaine Morgan's bizarre raid.

By Alexander Castro, Rhode Island Current

Rhode Island House Minority Leader Mike Chippendale blasted the state’s housing department at a March 19 press conference for not sending invoices detailing the $4.6 million spent on the ECHO Village pallet shelters in Providence. 

But the Foster Republican reversed course about an hour later even as he criticized the state’s demand for $495 to collect and release emails relating to the project.   

The Rhode Island Department of Housing actually did send Chippendale the information he requested, the minority leader acknowledged in an email after the press conference at the Rhode Island State House. 

The files in question revolved around Chippendale’s Access to Public Records Act (APRA) request for information on the 45-pallet shelter village that was approximately $1.3 million over budget when it opened in February. 

Curious as to why the project cost so much more than intended, Chippendale requested from housing officials the complete list of contractors and subcontractors involved in the construction, plus purchase orders, project budgets and any email correspondence from state officials relating to the project on Feb. 14.

Chippendale said to reporters at the 1 p.m. press conference that the state had only sent over one invoice for electricity costs. But after the press conference, the Minority Office’s legal counsel reexamined the files sent over by the housing department and found staff had not unzipped everything. 

“It appears that I did receive a file from Housing that includes some invoices attached within it,” Daniel P. Reilly, a former state rep and the minority leader’s legal counsel, wrote in an email to Chippendale Wednesday afternoon. “It appears that the file did not transfer over initially when I received it via Dropbox from Housing and was not sent to you.”

EDITORIAL ASIDE: Chippendale's spokesperson Daniel Reilly's parents William and Marielle currently hold second place on the RI Division of Taxation's list of income tax deadbeats. They moved to Boca Raton, FL leaving what now totals $2,377,830.58 delinquency. No word on what discipline, if any, will be meted out to Reilly for this screw-up.  - Will Collette

UPDATED: Charlestown State Senator Elaine Morgan’s racism continues to embarrass

Morgan is a disgrace

By Will Collette

UPDATED with the verbatim response from Morgan posted on-line by her. It appears at the end of this article.

Since her election in 2014, state Senator Elaine Morgan (R-MAGA) seems to aspire to new heights of stupidity and bigotry with every passing year. Morgan represents the northern half of Charlestown.

Morgan is crass, racist, ignorant and totally ineffective in representing her constituents. The contrast with her Senate colleague Victoria Gu who represents the southern half of Charlestown couldn’t be starker. Victoria is smart, classy and thoughtful, plus she delivers real results especially when it comes to coastal protection.

Yes, those are generalities, so let’s get to the most recent specific. WJAR reports that Morgan staged a late night, self-described DOGE-like raid on the newly opened ECHO Village Pallet shelters in Providence featuring new pre-fab one-room shelters. Apparently, this area became a new part of Morgan’s district.

Her Dogey fact-finding mission failed when her unannounced nighttime visit was turned away by security guards responsible for the safety and privacy of the site’s homeless residents.

How dare they!!!

So Morgan went to Facebook and posted this:

"I was not welcome [. – SIC] I was told by a Big Rolly Poly [SIC] Dark skinned man with a lanyard around his neck."

Apropos of nothing, she added:

"REALLY!! Guess I’ll be checking more into this HEAVILY FENCED GATED COMMUNITY [WTF?]. Where the smell of cannabis was overwhelming [SIC].”

According to WJAR, she changed the post several times and landed on this version:

"I was told by a Large Dark skinned [SIC] man with a lanyard around his neck. [SIC]'I was not welcome there [SIC] this is private property.'"

House of Hope photo

Laura Jaworski, director of the non-profit House of Hope that operates the facility gave this statement to WJAR:

"The state senator’s remarks are both uninformed and offensive. The language used to describe one of our staff members is unacceptable, and we will not tolerate the disparagement of our residents or our dedicated team…Furthermore, pulling up unannounced at night and demanding a tour of ECHO Village is entirely inappropriate. Our policies are in place to protect the safety, privacy, and dignity of the individuals we serve, many of whom have experienced significant trauma… At House of Hope, the safety and well-being of our residents and staff at ECHO Village are our top priorities. Our team works hard to create a compassionate environment where residents are connected with essential resources like case management and permanent housing supports."

Funding and Jurisdiction

Elaine Morgan conducted her raid without any authorization from the General Assembly or any other authority, despite her Facebook posting's claim that she is "with Fox News and Doge [SIC]." Did Elon Musk give her a DOGE badge or a subpoena? Did Fox News issue her with press credentials?

The project is well outside her district. The project was also funded by federal funds passed through the state and the City of Providence. As Senator Jack Reed pointed out:

“This project [Echo Village] is paid for entirely with over $4.5 million in federal funds that I helped deliver to enable the state to expand and improve its homelessness prevention services.  We need a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to ensure that no Rhode Islander experiencing homelessness is without access to safe, warm housing that protects them from the elements.”

The Preserve Residences, from their website.

Morgan whines about fencing and security. In fact, that fencing and security not only is designed to protect residents but also to accommodate the site’s neighbors. 

Echo Village is not, as Morgan claims, a “gated community.” No one but a fool would confuse the one-room pallet houses at Echo Village with, for example, the controversial Preserve Residences (see photo at right) in Morgan’s district which describes itself as “Your Own Private Luxury Retreat.”

This is not the first time Elaine Morgan abused her office to conduct her own private crusade. In 2015, I reported on a complaint filed against Morgan for using her then office as Hopkinton Town Sergeant to interfere in a complicated domestic dispute. The town sergeant does not have police power. 

Hopkinton Police took no action against Morgan on this complaint nor on another complaint filed against her. The Hopkinton Town Solicitor refused to release any details about either of these cases other than to acknowledge their existence citing Morgan’s privacy rights, a novel defense of a public official who allegedly broke the law. Find more detail and documentation HERE.

What can we do about Morgan?

Being an ignorant racist has never seemed to bother her constituents enough to dump her. Further, being such a jerk has earned Morgan some national prominence as in 2015 when she called for Syrian refugees to be imprisoned in camps because of their religion.

She even made the renowned FRED list (Fanatical Republican of the Day) list a record 9 times for her far-right nuttiness.

She even got through the 2024 election unscathed despite her 22 year old son Ian’s no contest plea to Westerly Police charges of third-degree sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl he had met online. His plea came in September shortly before the election.

What makes Ian’s misdeeds relevant is Morgan’s long record of promoting legislation to crack down on sex offenses including third-degree sexual assault. But of course she also supports a sex offender in the White House.

In 2022, Morgan was busted by the state Board of Election for illegally looting her campaign accounts to go on personal spending sprees (ever classy, she laid the blame on her deceased husband while making the contradictory claim that she "takes full responsibility"). MAGA-leaning voters in Richmond, Hopkinton and Exeter stuck with her. With some pride, voters in northern Charlestown usually support Morgan’s opponents by wide margins.

Since her MAGA-leaning constituents seem to like her racism, corruption and ineffectiveness, what can be done?

The RI Constitution does not allow for recall elections against state legislators. Some towns allow for recall elections of local elected officials. Example: the Gun Lobby’s unsuccessful effort to oust the entire Exeter Town Council by recall election in 2013. But municipal recall ordinances don’t apply to state legislators.

However, I suggest exploring whether her conduct, especially her abuse of power and racist verbiage, warrants a complaint to the RI Ethics Commission. Using her position as a state Senator to stage an unauthorized raid on a non-profit public service outside of her jurisdiction seems ripe for a sustainable ethics complaint, but I’m not a lawyer. I would invite those who ARE to weigh in on this subject.

I blame King Donald

The new regime of King Donald and President Musk has given license to people like Morgan to feel emboldened to say and do some truly terrible things.

All over the country, racists, white nationalists and Nazis have been liberated to run amok.

Triggered by Trump’s implied blessing, Morgan deputized herself as a one-woman posse and set out to bust those alleged pot-smoking homeless people in Providence who were trying to get a night’s sleep without being rousted by some Hopkinton fruitcake.

I think Morgan's response speaks for itself without any additional commentary from me.  - W. Collette

MAGAs Want to Spread Hate, Fascism and Disease. Don’t Let Them

We are all on the edge

By Frank Carini / ecoRI News columnist

A racist thug who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection confronted a trio of police officers last weekend who defended the Capitol during that violent attack and accused them of being cowards.

The day before Enrique Tarrio was brazenly harassing the officers — Michael Fanone, Harry Dunn, and Aquilino Gonell — through the lobby of a D.C. hotel that was hosting the Principles First conference where one of the officers received a “Profile in Courage” award, the 21st-century Nazi had been arrested again, this time for assault. (The next day, Feb. 23, conference attendees and hotel guests were forced to evacuate because of a bomb threat.)

“You were brave on Twitter,” Tarrio, a member of a hate group that promotes and engages in political violence and terrorizes immigrants, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community, told the officers. “You guys were brave at my sentencing when you sat there and laughed when I got 22 fucking years. Now you don’t want to look in my eyes, you fucking cowards.”

Gonell, a Dominican-American, was the officer honored. Dunn is Black. Tarrio is deplorable.

Jeffrey Epstein’s good friend who spews a firestorm of hate and lies from the Oval Office pardoned Tarrio and roughly 1,500 other insurrectionists soon after taking office.

This is who MAGA is. Goons and their admirers, such as Rhode Island senators Jessica de la Cruz, Gordon Rogers, Elaine Morgan, and Thomas Paolino, who support the thuggery. EDITOR'S NOTE: Elaine Morgan "represents" the northern half of Charlestown. - Will Collette

Christian Nationalists have plans for Rhode Island

Expect more school fights, book banning, roll-back of LGBT rights as radical right pushes their religious ideology

Steve Ahlquist 

Pastor David Aucoin is not a well-known figure in Rhode Island, but his Christian Nationalist organizing, which has had trouble gaining traction for years, is starting to bear fruit. 

I wrote about Pastor Aucoin and his Rhode Island Family Institute (RIFI) here when he announced that RIFI was sending three Rhode Island Senate Republicans to a Family Policy Alliance (FPA) “Statesman Academy” in Washington D.C. to “help train and equip legislators to have a Christian Worldview as they carry out their legislative duties.” (One of them was Charlestown state senator Elaine Morgan).

RIFI is networked with a host of anti-LGBTQ extremist groups, and on their site, they claim Robert Chiaradio as a board member. Chiaradio last year conducted a tour of Rhode Island school committees and school boards to testify against the life-saving Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Transitioning Student Policies mandated by the Rhode Island Department of Education and federal law.

Toward the end of Chiaradio’s year-long tour, he tapped into national Trump agenda trends. He targeted Title IX policies that allow transgender students to play sports on teams that reflected their gender identity. The Republican-controlled United States House of Representatives is currently targeting Title IX.

With Trump due to ascend once more to the Presidency, local Christian Nationalist extremist groups are poised to push the Rhode Island General Assembly to pass laws that target the rights of LGBTQ+ people (but especially trans children) and women.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We're already seeing the culture war disrupt local school systems. Steve recently documented the struggle for power between the radical right and those with more mainstream views over LGBT rights in Westerly and over the composition of the Chariho School Committee. In summer 2023, it was a move to install MAGA Republican Clay Johnson to fill a Richmond vacancy over Jessica Purcell who had properly won the seat under the terms of Richmond's town charter.

Charlestown's erstwhile Narragansett Indian foe attorney Joe Larisa represented the radical right faction arguing that Clay Johnson was properly appointed since the Chariho Act trumps Richmond's town charter. He had his ass handed to him when the court ruled that Larisa's argument that the Chariho Act supercedes the Town Charter when the Act clearly yields to the laws of the member towns. 

Now there's a dispute whether the Chariho Act mandates the naming of a chair at the first school committee meeting after an election. The far right wanted to delay that action until their newest member can take that chair. This time, Larisa argues in the Westerly Sun that the Chariho Act is "directory" meaning advisory. That's the opposite of the position he took in the Clay Johnson case where Larisa argued the Chariho Act was supreme and mandatory.

Charlestown still retains Larisa in case war breaks out with the Narragansetts. I think Charlestown should drop Larisa if for no other reason than he is a crap lawyer who changes his so-called "legal" views to fit his peculiar hard-right views.  - Will Collette

The people want bread and circuses. They will definitely get a circus

It's hard to accentuate the positive, but I will try

By Will Collette

The Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) got whipped again by Charlestown Residents United (CRU). All five CCA Council candidates were rejected. All five CRU candidates were elected.

The CRU picked up another Planning Commission seat.

The CCA's consolation prize, for what it's worth, was getting voters to reject most of the Charter revision questions the CCA opposed.

I am unspeakably shaken by Trump's win and the apparent loss of Congress to the MAGA mob, but there's nothing I can do about that except urge you all to get vaccinated and make whatever energy-saving improvements you need in your house before Bobbie Kennedy Jr. abolished the national vaccine program and the MAGA's wipe out green energy programs.

Over the coming weeks, we'll have time to ponder what else we must do, but for now, let's review the state and local results where for the most part, the good guys won.

Charlestown Town Council

Rippy Serra (CRU) edged out Deb Carney to win the right to the Town Council President's chair. Unless he declines, Deb would move to the VP slot. Voters re-elected 3rd-place finisher Steve Stokes, elected new Councilor Craig Marr of Breachway fame and gave Peter Slom his first full term.

The best CCA finisher, is Sarah Fletcher who ran as a Democrat and had the good fortune to appear first on the ballot. She finishes in 6th place and out of the money.

Planning Commission

CCA leader Ruth Platner and her dog's body Bonnita Van Slyke were soundly rejected by Charlestown voters, with Platner finishing 9th and Van Slyke in last place. Platner seems likely to stay on in her role as Planning Commissar where she can continue to terrorize small businesses and homebuilders. Maybe she'll let Van Slyke take notes for her.

Platner tried to make dark skies the town's marquee issue, but it clearly bombed with the voters.

 

For Planning Commission, the top vote getter was CRU candidate Glenn Babcock. Here are the Planning Commission results:

Charlestown Charter Revision Proposals

Charlestown voters voted on 11 proposed amendments to the Town Charter. Charlestown ballot questions. The CCA opposed five of those questions and had reservations about Question 8 which would prevent Council majorities from blocking the Council minority from putting items on Council meeting agendas. 

The CCA got their wish on four of the five questions they opposed. 

Voters rejected Question 7 and Question 15. Together, those questions would have equalized the terms of office for the Town Council and Planning Commission at four years, staggered. Voters also rejected Question 10 which would have made the use of a Search Committee to fill Town Administrator vacancies optional. 

In a victory for the Westerly Sun, voters turned down Question 9 which would have made it optional for the town to post notices in a print newspaper. Yeah ok, the Sun needs the revenue.

Voters ignored CCA opposition to Question 14 by approving it by almost 20 points. This vote means that emergency rescue services will now be included in the Town Charter as a basic municipal service. Why the CCA opposed this question is beyond me.

Instead the CCA devoted so much of its energy to trying to make Charlestown's dark sky this year's imaginary political crisis. They tried to convince voters that only they, the CCA, can protect our wonderful dark skies by blocking all development and buying more open space, even though more than 60% of Charlestown's land area is already protected open space. 

They also put a lot of energy into pushing their point of view on the Charter revision questions, perhaps at the expense of actually getting their people elected. Maybe this will work out for them in the long-run, but short-term, the voters inflicted a crushing blow to CCA power.

State Results 

As expected, Rhode Island voters have re-elected Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo by comfortable margins which is very good news. Their work in the new MAGA Congress will be a key part of any strategy to defend democracy, our basic rights and the environment against the attacks to come.

Controversial state Question 1 to convene a state Constitutional Convention lost big, as hoped. The other four state ballot questions, all for good job-creating programs, were approved by comfortable margins.

In local General Assembly races, all of South Kingstown's Democratic women won either by default or by wide margins. 

In the rematch for Senate District 38 between incumbent Sen. Victoria Gu and MAGA dude Westin Price, Victoria won by a handy 15 points. This district includes the southern half of Charlestown.

Charlestown's state Rep. Tina Spears was unopposed and thus automatically re-elected.

In Senate District 34 which includes the northern half of Charlestown, MAGA state Senator Elaine Morgan (R) beat Democrat Steve Moffitt. Last night, her margin seemed insurmountable at over 20 points, but by morning, that lead was trimmed to 8 points. Still, that doesn't count so she wins and will continue to grace the State House with her toxic personality for another term.

In neighboring House District 39, there was another rematch. Hardworking state Rep. Megan Cotter (D) faced MAGA insurrectionist Justin Price. Pundits predicted this race would be very close since Megan only won by 22 votes in 2022 and the district is one of the most conservative in the state.

They were wrong. This time, Price was sent home to watch The Price Is Right by a margin of 8 points and 654 votes.

What's next?

On the national level, I really don't know except to know that it's going to be bad.

I just turned 75. After a lifetime as an activist, it's hard to face this kind of loss though I am happy at what's happened here at home. Almost 15 years ago, Tom Ferrio and I started Progressive Charlestown as a counterweight to the Charlestown Citizens Alliance.

We did a lot of other stuff - lots of national politics, environmental news, weather reports and public service announcements, cartoons, science and astronomy. Basically whatever interested us and might interest you. A total of almost 30,000 separate posts.

Over 15 million people clicked on our posts, 2 million in the past year alone and almost 42,000 just yesterday. We never considered "monetizing" the site and just did it as a combination public service and source of entertainment for us as well as for you.

We accomplished the main thing we wanted to do when we started this thing: to bust the CCA. Now that this has been done, I am trying to decide if I want to continue and, if so, how much I am willing to put into it. I'm talking to family and friends but would also like to hear from you. 

I would really like to see others step up to keep the site going. 

Please e-mail us at Progressive Charlestown with your thoughts about its future direction. On