Government
Public services and government action
Education Commissioner and Governor defend cops in schools despite ongoing violence
"I am certainly pleased overall with what the SROs have been able to do in the schools in Providence and around the state of Rhode," said Governor Daniel McKee.
Community groups repeat call to remove cops from schools
“Community investment and involvement is a long term preventative practice that supports the emotional, social, and mental needs of students. Cops in our schools traumatize and trigger our youth in Providence, who are primarily Black and brown- cops do not belong in our school hallways. What our schools need are more supportive adults, without the gun, without the uniform. Adults we can depend on to have the right intentions of restoring community when harm arises.”
Following recent violence, community groups call for immediate removal of all police from schools
"We must remember that this is not an isolated incident, but rather placed within a broader pattern and system of state violence that targets and endangers our students of color. This is not just about Jay-Juan, but about all young people that have experienced violence – filmed or not – at the hands of police and school resource officers."
Dozens testify to ban sex between law enforcement and those in their custody
"In Rhode Island, as we stand today, it is still legal for law enforcement to sexually assault people who have been arrested, detained or in their custody," said Representative Henries. "That also includes people who oversee probation as well as parolees... In power dynamics such as this, with law enforcement and authority, there is no such thing as consent. Permission is compromised in the face of authority."
Hundreds of millions in APRA funds wasted in McKee budget
Rather than making an impact with the ARPA funds, the Governor would allow it to melt away into the kind of small improvements to government buildings, airports and Ports that the average Rhode Islander will never see. McKee plans to dump these once in a generation ARPA funds into an infrastructure slush fund rather than invest in ongoing programs - like Medicaid, improving our responses to behavioral health, or building affordable housing - that could affect the lives of thousands of Rhode Islanders in need.
Unfilled staff vacancies, ongoing mismanagement causing severe problems at DHS
Speaking in Spanish, Lopes told reporters that she suffers from cancer, and has been unable to get SNAP benefits for two months. Lopes has faced long wait times when she calls DHS on the phone, and has found a there is a lack of staff able to speak to her in Spanish. She and her ten-year old child can't get answers to their questions or solutions to their problems from the state.
A fight for meaningful health insurance this Thursday at the State House
"The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that as many as 374,000 Rhode Islanders, including about 89,000 kids, benefit from this prohibition in the ACA. They have chronic conditions that could hit either the annual cap or the lifetime cap. That's a huge percentage. This bill will help protect them."
As Covid rages, conditions at the ACI become human rights violations, say prison advocates
"Me myself - my body got completely stained out," said Warren. "There's guards in there that wanted me to sleep inside moldy mattresses. The medical attention is horrible. Sometimes you apply and it takes weeks before you get any medication… The state doesn't care about prisoners."
McKee budget undermines state's response to the substance use crisis
"Without intervention," says EOHHS in their request, "rates will continue to fall behind the amount required to ensure service delivery, nor will Rhode Island be able to attract additional [substance use disorder] providers."
Surprise McKee budget item exempts motorcycles from sales tax
There's a new sales tax exception in the Governor's budget. It will affect motorcycle riders, putting extra cash in their pockets. But who are motorcycle riders? Into whose pocket will this money go?