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.

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:

House approves Fogarty bill to authorize state to enter international public health collaboration

Trump pulled U.S. out of World Health Organization. Kathy's bill would allow Rhode to get back in

Idiot

The House of Representatives passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown) that would authorize the Department of Health to participate in international public health collaboration networks.

Under the terms of the bill (2026-H 8365A), the department would be authorized to participate in a Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, which is an international collaboration coordinated by the World Health Organization for the purpose of disease surveillance and outbreak response.

“The U.S. officially withdrew from the World Health Organization on Jan. 22, 2026 because of an executive order from the president, which I found to be reprehensible,” said Representative Fogarty. “The impact of this withdrawal has repercussions on infectious disease surveillance, pandemic planning and vaccine initiatives. This bill would allow the Department of Health to participate in international public health collaboration networks for the safety and welfare of all Rhode Islanders.”

The department would also be permitted to enter into agreements with federal agencies, international organizations, academic institutions and public health authorities, as well as participate in training programs, data-sharing initiatives and technical assistance programs.

Dr. Jerome M. Larkin, director of the Department of Health, testified in support of the legislation, telling the House Committee on Health and Human Services, “The Rhode Island Department of Health does not already engage in these activities because the United States is no longer a member of the World Health Organization, so participating in GOARN allows the department to have better visibility of what is happening globally with infectious disease so we can continue to help keep Rhode Islanders safe.”

The measure now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Sen. DiMario, Rep. Fogarty introduce legislation to address loopholes in campaign finance law

Bills need action before General Assembly session ends 

Here is a prime example of the kind of election abuse
this legislation is designed to fight. From the League
of Rhode Island Businesses (LORIB) which set up
40 PACs and is running candidates against nearly
every Democratic woman legislator in South County.

Sen. Alana M. DiMario and Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty have introduced legislation to close a variety of loopholes in state campaign finance law.

“As elected officials, our constituents expect us to represent their best interests and not the best interests of wealthy donors,” said Senator DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham). 

“Furthermore, our state constitution charges the General Assembly with setting limits on political donations and ensuring that campaign donations and expenditures are clearly and publicly reported. But as with many laws that we pass, we have to keep an eye on them so that they work as intended. This bill seeks to close the gaps between intention and practice in campaign finance by closing loopholes that have become apparent over the years. It’s time for the letter of the law to reflect the spirit of open, fair and transparent campaigning set down in our constitution.”

The bill (2026-S 2720, 2026-H 7450) would strengthen Rhode Island’s campaign finance laws in a variety of ways, including closing a loophole that allows campaigns to receive unlimited donations from vendors if those vendors agree to allow an outstanding invoice for their services to remain unpaid for an indefinite period of time. The bill would set a time limit for unpaid invoices before they must be classified as donations.

“This is critical legislation that closes loopholes surrounding election donations and campaign expenditures,” said Representative Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown). “Our laws are clearly intended to place reasonable limits on the role of money in politics and make sure its influence is transparently reported. But we’ve been falling behind upholding these ideals as donors, candidates and political action committees have found and exploited loopholes since our laws were last updated. By addressing areas where our laws are coming up short, this bill will increase transparency and boost public confidence in the electoral process.”

The bill would also prohibit using multiple political action committees under the control of the same person or group of people to evade the annual $2,000 limit on contributions to a political candidate — a practice already outlawed in federal elections — and strengthen the penalties for illegal straw donations that are similarly used to subvert contribution limits.

It would also clarify the definition of an in-kind contribution, require campaigns to itemize payments to vendors, tighten rules for political action committees to stop them from scamming donors by spending the bulk of their funds on overhead and close a loophole that could allow corporations that are banned from donating to candidates in Rhode Island to evade the ban by donating paid personal services.

Senator DiMario and Representative Fogarty’s legislation was supported in committee by the Rhode Island Board of Elections, the Campaign Legal Center and Common Cause Rhode Island, the latter of which wrote “together these changes will make our campaign finance limits and reporting more effective and reduce the role of money in our politics.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: LORIB has targeted Charlestown state Rep. Tina Spears as well as our state Senator Victoria Gu. The authors of the legislation, Rep. Kathy Fogarty and Sen. Alana DiMario are also targets, as are Rep. Teresa Tanzi, Rep. Carol McEntee, and Sen. Bridgette ValVerde. Many of these challenges take the form of putting up a DINO (Democrat in name only) candidate up against a real Democrat in the September 9 Democratic Primary. That's the case in Charlestown where a pro-gun lawyer specializing in defending clients charged with sex crimes is up against our hard-working state Rep. Tina Spears.    - Will Collette

Stand up for our neighbors

End debacles like Roger Williams and Our Lady of Fatima Hospitals

Kathy Fogarty and Linda Ujifusa introduce bills to pushback on private equity hospital take-overs

For more on this study, CLICK HERE.

Sen. Linda Ujifusa and Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty have filed two companion bills to protect Rhode Island’s health care system from abuses associated with private equity ownership and the corporate practice of medicine (CPOM).

The legislation is based on model legislation developed by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), informed by analyses conducted by researchers at the Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research (CAHPR) at the Brown University School of Public Health. The bills would strengthen transparency, oversight and accountability for corporate actors operating within Rhode Island’s health care system.

The first bill (2026-S 2492, 2026-H 7720) addresses private equity ownership in health care, in which financial firms acquire or exert control over hospitals and medical practices in ways that prioritize short-term financial returns over long-term patient care and workforce stability. National research has linked private equity ownership to hospital closures, reduced access to care, and deteriorating working conditions for health care staff. 

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.

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.

Lawmakers approve outdoor dining change to help Matunuck Oyster Bar after devastating fire

Saves some jobs, gives some breathing room to recover

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Appreciation for South County’s acclaimed Matunuck Oyster Bar transcends political party, evidenced by the Rhode Island General Assembly’s universal support to change state outdoor dining regulations on the restaurant’s behalf.

Companion bills sponsored by South Kingstown Democrats, Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee and Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski were each approved by their respective chambers in separate, unanimous votes Thursday. 

Each chamber must still give the rubber stamp to the other’s bill — a process known as concurrence — before the legislation heads to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk. McKee has already indicated his support.

The eleventh hour proposal, introduced in the Rhode Island State House one week earlier, offers a temporary solution after a fire permanently closed Matunuck Oyster Bar on May 20.

Perry Raso, restaurant owner and oyster farmer, has cooked up a plan to host diners in a neighboring marina parking lot this summer, which requires a few tweaks to existing state regulations governing al fresco eateries.

Bevy of bills by area legislators advance

As the end of this year's General Assembly nears, local legislators push to get bills passed

Senate OKs Gu bill protecting parking at shore access points

The Senate approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Victoria Gu to protect the public’s access to the shore by establishing requirements that must be followed before parking can be reduced or restricted near any Coastal Resources Management Council designated right of way.

The bill is part of a package of bills sponsored in the Senate by Senator Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown) and in the House by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) to protect public shoreline access.

The bill (2025-S 0716aa) would set requirements that municipalities, private agencies and other organizations would have to follow before they could reduce or restrict parking near designated CRMC rights of way. These requirements would include submitting a comprehensive parking plan, analyzing the impact on accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act and conducting a public comment period of at least 30 days. It would also allow the CRMC and DEM to enforce these requirements and impose fines and penalties if they are violated. Any fines and penalties would go into a newly created Rhode Island Shoreline Access Improvement Fund, a restricted receipt account that will be used to support projects enhancing public access to the shoreline.

The bill now goes to the House, where Representative Cortvriend is sponsoring its companion (2025-H 6093).

“Sometimes, local governments — often pressured by nearby property owners — will remove or reduce public parking near beach access points. This makes it harder for the public to visit, since fewer people will come if they can’t park nearby. This legislation provides guardrails and a public, transparent process if there is any effort to reduce or restrict the parking available near a CRMC-designated right of way to the shore,” said Senator Gu.

In recent years changes to parking near public rights of way have drawn complaints from members of the public who say that they serve to restrict public access to only those who already live on the waterfront.

House approves Fogarty bill that would allow driver education in an instructor-led virtual format

The House of Representatives passed legislation introduced by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown) that would allow virtual driver education classes.

The bill (2025-H 5731A) would permit instructor-led virtual instruction for driver education until July 1, 2027, and calls for an evaluation of the program.

“Not everyone has access to driver’s education classrooms, and many students prefer virtual learning, particularly those with physical or learning challenges,” said Representative Fogarty. “It also provides an alternative for families whose parents may not be able to take the time off to bring their children to driving instruction in traditional classrooms.”

Mary Maguire, vice president of public and government affairs for AAA Northeast, testified in favor of the bill, telling the House Committee on State Government and Elections, “During the pandemic, students could only take driver education virtually, and the format proved to be very effective. During the pandemic, we taught almost 100 virtual classes to more than 2,300 Rhode Island students. We found that our virtually trained students’ average test scores were almost identical to what they were before COVID.”

Under the terms of the legislation, the Board of Education would be required to provide a report comparing test scores of virtual versus in-person instruction to the speaker of the House and president of the Senate no later than Sept. 1, 2027.

The measure now moves to the Senate where similar legislation (2025-S 0832) has been introduced by Sen. Louis P. DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton, Little Compton).      

Senate approves Sosnowski legislation creating license to harvest invasive green crabs

Schoodic Institute/Suzannah Buzzell

The Senate approved legislation introduced by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown) that would create a license for the harvesting of green crabs.

The European green crab is an invasive species in Rhode Island’s coastal waters. Like many invasive species, the green crab poses a threat to the ecosystem and is particularly harmful for shellfish and eelgrass habitats, which serve as nurseries for native marine species.

The bill (2025-S 0938A) would authorize the Department of Environmental Management to offer commercial licenses for the taking of green crabs subject to a fee of $10.

“Not only are green crabs an invasive species, they are also a high-protein food source,” said Senator Sosnowski, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture. “Under current state law, they can only be caught with a $200 non-lobster crustacean endorsement add-on to the DEM marine license. A $10 license exclusively for green crabs would greatly increase access to the harvesting of a species that is endangering native sea life, including quahogs and blue crabs.”

The measure now moves to the House of Representatives where similar legislation (2025-H 6157) has been introduced by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown).           

Senate approves Sosnowski bid to make clean air, soil and climate a state constitutional right

The Senate approved a resolution introduced by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown) that seeks to add a Green Amendment to the state constitution.

The resolution (2025-S 0327) would ask the state’s voters to amend Article I of the state constitution to provide all people in the state with an inherent, inalienable, indefeasible and self-executing right to clean air, health and uncontaminated soil, a life supporting climate and the preservation of the environment’s natural, scenic and recreational values.

“When it comes to protecting the environment, Rhode Island has always been a leader, and I’m proud that the General Assembly has prioritized protecting the vast natural resources of our small state,” said Senator Sosnowski, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture. “This would ask Rhode Island voters to forever enshrine in our constitution the protection of these resources for present and future generations.”

If enacted, Rhode Island would join Montana, Pennsylvania and New York in preserving environmental rights in its constitution.

The measure, which would be placed on the ballot at the next statewide general election, now moves to the House of Representatives where similar legislation (2025-H 5732) has been introduced by Rep. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston), who chairs the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Senate passes DiMario’s textile recycling bill

UpriseRI

The Senate approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Alana M. DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham) that would create a public outreach campaign about textile recycling.

“This legislation is needed because most of the public does not realize that textiles can be recycled and that recycled textiles are a valuable commodity.  And by increasing the practice of textile recycling, we will also be able to extend the life of the state’s landfill, which is rapidly approaching its capacity.  At a time when we are striving to create a more sustainable way of life, this bill will move us closer to that goal,” said Senator DiMario.

According to the most recent data, an estimated 28,860 tons of textiles from residential, industrial and commercial institutions were delivered to the landfill per year, and the state’s only landfill will reach its capacity by 2046.

The legislation (2025-S 0324) would create a public education outreach program to educate residential households and commercial businesses on the value of, and proper methods to, recycle textiles in the state.  The bill also contains a reporting and accountability requirement to measure if the outreach and education program is effective in helping individuals, businesses, and municipalities increase their textile recycling rates and divert textiles from the landfill.

It was developed with input from the Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, the League of Cities and Towns, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island (BBBSRI).  Organizations like BBBSRI recycle non-usable textiles and utilize the profits to fund essential programs.  In addition, cities and towns will benefit from reduced tipping fees if textiles are recycled properly as opposed to being thrown away.

The bill now heads to the House for consideration, where Rep. Raymond A. Hull (D-Dist. 6, Providence, North Providence) has introduced the legislation (2025-H 5293).  Representative Hull’s bill was approved by the House on March 20 and was passed by the Senate Environment and Agricultural Committee on May 28.

Kathy Fogarty bill would cut costs for follow-up breast cancer diagnostic procedures

Fogarty bill would eliminate cost-sharing for diagnostic or supplemental breast examinations

Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown) has introduced legislation to eliminate cost-sharing for follow-up imaging needed after an abnormal mammogram. The legislation was highlighted Tuesday at the State House during a press conference held by the American Cancer Society.

The bill (2025-H 5430) would prohibit an insurance company from imposing any cost-sharing requirements for any diagnostic or supplemental breast examinations.

“Thanks to federal law, most women now have access to mammography screenings as a free preventive service,” said Representative Fogarty. “However, if follow-up imaging is needed, it can lead to hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. And early detection of breast cancer is not possible without diagnostic follow-up. When it comes to cancer, cost-sharing requirements place difficult hurdles in the path of too many Rhode Islanders — especially those who can ill-afford it.”

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.

South County legislators host session with RI Energy on March 24

Charlestown's Senator Gu and Representative Spears among co-hosts

State lawmakers representing South and North Kingstown, Charlestown, Westerly, Block Island and Narragansett will hold a public forum with representatives from Rhode Island Energy regarding electrical and natural gas prices on Monday, March 24, at 6 p.m. at the South Kingstown High School Auditorium at 215 Columbia St. in Wakefield. 

They will discuss programs to assist ratepayers who are having trouble paying their bills and address questions and concerns from members of the public.

The hosts, all Democratic women representing South County communities are: 

House approves Fogarty bill to criminalize false reports of shootings and other dangerous events

“Swatting” penalties strengthened

The House of Representatives passed legislation introduced by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown) that would expand the crime of false reporting to include shootings or other dangerous events.

The bill (2024-H 7972) would amend an existing law that criminalizes false bomb threats that cause terror, anxiety, unrest or fear, prompting an evacuation or lockdown of a location or other law enforcement response.

“These false reports not only waste resources by mobilizing law enforcement unnecessarily, but they can be extremely dangerous,” said Representative Fogarty. “They can create risky situations at schools and other public places and tie up first responders who may be needed at legitimate emergencies.”

The phenomenon commonly known as “swatting” occurs when a false report of an ongoing emergency or threat of violence is made to law enforcement with the intention of prompting the mobilization of significant law enforcement resources. These calls are becoming more and more prevalent around the country.

Eleventh hour bottle bill reignites debate between environmental, business groups

Last minute bills often fail

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Disagreement over a state bottle recycling program is as pervasive as the piles of recyclable bottles and cans littering Rhode Island streets, beaches and waterways.

So it’s no surprise that controversy again clouded the bottle bill conversation Wednesday night. 

Hours of debate unfolded in an airless second-floor State House hearing room as a parade of proponents and critics sat elbow to elbow, waiting to make their case to the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. 

Their arguments, punctuated by the staccato of a cell phone alarm signaling the end of each two-minute speaking window, sounded nearly identical to years past. Environmental advocates backed the deposit-refund program as a means to reduce litter and incentivize recycling, while retail store owners and business groups railed against what they perceived as an unwelcome financial and administrative burden.

Yet the latest version of bottle bill legislation, introduced May 24 by Rep. Carol McEntee, a South Kingstown Democrat, is markedly different from prior iterations, leaving many of the most controversial components up to state regulators and beverage producers to decide.

Senate OKs Sosnowski legislation to create Rhode Island Lake Management Program

Fighting off invaders 

Chapman Pond, Westerly (DEM)

The Senate passed legislation introduced by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown) that would create the Rhode Island Lake Management Program.

The bill (2024-S 2153A) would create a restricted receipt account to aid with lake and pond management issues relating to the control of invasive aquatic plants.

“Local wetlands are being threatened by invasive aquatic weeds,” said Senator Sosnowski. “This bill would be a first step to start a program at the Department of Environmental Management. The situation is becoming worse with warming temperatures, and it’s creating biological imbalance in these freshwater bodies. We have to be proactive to protect our lakes, which provide us with recreation, flood mitigation and an important habitat to plants and animals.”

Conditions in many Rhode Island lakes, ponds and tributaries are threatened or degraded by the growth of aquatic invasive plants, harmful algal blooms, nutrient enrichment and other water pollution problems. Restoring conditions in the state’s freshwater resources is essential to sustaining the valuable ecosystem services they provide.

The measure now moves to the House, where similar legislation (2024-H 8093) has been introduced by House Minority Leader Michael W. Chippendale (R-Dist. 40, Foster, Glocester, Coventry).

Invasion of the (Water)Body Snatchers 

By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff

Indian Lake doesn’t look like the site of an alien invasion.

Two South County right-wing nuts win delegate slots to Republican National Convention

Lots of questions for Rhode Island Republicans to answer

By Will Collette

If you were wondering whether Rhode Island’s Republican Party had succumbed to Trumpmentia like the GOP nationwide, RI's April 2 Presidential Preference Primary provided an answer.

While, as expected, Trump (and Joe Biden) easily won, although both saw around 20% of primary voters vote for someone else or selected “uncommitted”, the more interesting results were seen in the vote count for individual delegates.

All of Rhode Island’s Republican delegates are pledged to vote for Donald Trump. Delegates pledged to other candidates, such as Nikki Haley, lost. That included prolific Westerly Sun letter-to-the-editor writer Scott Bill Hirst of Hopkinton who only received 751 votes out of 12,905 GOP votes cast.

The three slots for Congressional District 2 Republican delegates were filled by three peculiar choices. In order, the three elected were:

#1: Lacey McGreevey with 3,781. McGreevy was an unsuccessful Tea Party candidate for state Representative for South Kingstown in 2014 losing to present incumbent Kathy Fogarty (D).

#2: Justin Price with 3,749. Price was a Tea Party state representative from Richmond, first elected in 2014, the same year McGreevey lost. Price achieved national notoriety as an insurrectionist, MAGA devotee and far right crank. Incumbent Megan Cotter (D) ousted Price from office in 2022.

#3: Sean Todd with 3,326. Todd is a former East Greenwich town council member who first drew statewide attention for an incredibly sexist comment in 2017 that led to protests, calls for his resignation and ultimately his ouster from office in 2018.

All three are Trump delegates.

In Charlestown, 153 Republicans voted, giving Trump 86.9% which is higher than Trump’s margin statewide. 98 of them also picked Price over McGreevey.

These vote totals now justify challenging every Rhode Island candidate running as a Republican whether they support Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda: his national ban on abortion and punishment for any woman who gets one; his racism; his pro-Nazi, pro-Putin authoritarianism; his calls for violence and death for his opponents; His corruption and lies; And this is hardly an all-inclusive list.

If you are an “R” where do you stand on these issues?

Let’s take a closer look at the two top GOP vote-getters, Lacey McGreevey and Justin Price.

You may not remember McGreevey since she was only a blip on the political scene with her 2014 state rep bid. But I remember her well. Here’s how I wrote about her in 2014:

Progressive Charlestown: September 17, 2014

Kathy Fogarty will now go on to battle Lacey McGreevy (R) in the November 4 general election. I swear I am not making this up, and working hard to not make this sound sexist, but when McGreevy announced her candidacy, she gave her frequent efforts as a beauty pageant contestant as her main qualification.  

Sarah Palin also included this in her resume, but she also had Mayor of Wasilla and a view of Russia from her window to complete her qualifications.

 

From McGreevey's campaign website

Here’s how she describes herself in her campaign bio: “Lacey McGreevy attended South Kingstown high school then went on to Southern New Hampshire University with a double major of marketing and fashion merchandising. She currently works as a trade show consultant and helps to keep women safe with princess pepper spray.” [emphasis added and I am NOT making this up.]

Kathy Fogarty went on to win the Representative District 35 seat by thumping McGreevey by 16 points.

Here she is with The Donald. Where is Trump's left hand?

McGreevey pretty much fell off the political map after that, perhaps too busy home schooling her kid. She was an early Trumpnik, even posting a link to Amazon and a $20 Trump pool float ring. On her Facebook page, she has only increased her love for Trump and posted photos of her and Trump. In one of them, you’re left guessing where Trump’s left hand is.

So, do you think Lacey is going to try running for local office again? What exactly does she stand for other than Trump-love and Trump tchotchke?

Finally, let’s look at Justin Price and how renewed RI GOP support for him raises questions about where they stand, not to mention whether they plan to back him if he tries a General Assembly comeback.

Price was a part of what I called “The Revenge of the Swamp Yankees.” In 2014, three of the best members of the General Assembly – Donna Walsh, Cathy Cool Rumsey and Larry Valencia – were beaten by three right-wing nuts: Blake “Flip” Filippi, Elaine Morgan and Justin Price.

All three were hard-right, but Price was really out there. In his four terms as state Representative, Price accomplished nothing other than garnering state and national exposure for his positions not only on guns and taxes, but - believe it or not - “chemtrails,” an obscure right-wing conspiracy theory that contrails from high-flying jets are actually spewing mind-altering chemicals on an unsuspecting public.

If there was even a germ of truth to this, I guess Price must have been an early victim.

His great legislative achievement was winning passage of a bill to create a “geo-engineering” study commission" to study chemtrails and other far right boogeymen. The commission never met and of course issued no findings.

Absolutely none of this is true.

Price managed to top that by being one of several serving state legislators to participate in the January 6 insurrection to overthrow the 2000 election.

He responded to calls for his resignation by claiming that (a) he didn’t actually enter the Capitol building though he has never said how deep into the fray he went and (b) that he saw Antifa actually lead the attack.

Both claims are bullshit and here’s why.

I worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years out of an office in the United Methodist Building just across the street from the Capitol. I know the area well and how the Capitol Police set up security cordons. For major events, police “do-not-cross” lines are set well away from the building.

It is virtually impossible for Price to have not breeched those lines and certainly must have done so if we are to believe his claim that “Antifa did it.”

As for the briefly popular Antifa conspiracy claim, we now know beyond a doubt that the insurrection was planned by Trump supporters as well as right-wing militias and white supremacists including the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.

The Antifa theory never made sense since there is no reason the Left would storm the Capitol to overturn Joe Biden’s rightful election victory.

But Price also needs to account for his conduct and subsequent statements. His Antifa claim is either a lie or an admission that he breeched his own sworn oaths. 

As a member of the Marine Corps and as a member of the General Assembly, Price sworn oaths to uphold the Constitution and to protect the country from “all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

If he truly believed he saw Antifa (or for that matter anyone), attacking police and the Capitol Building, why did he rise to defend against these enemies of the nation? It was his sworn duty, and he admits he did nothing. So is he a liar or a coward? 

Can Rhode Island Republicans explain why this ignorant man is going to represent them at their national convention? Oh, oh, oh…wait, I forgot. Donald Trump. Never mind.