Political Roundtable

The Public's Radio Political Reporter Ian Donnis goes in-depth with Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha on this week's episode of Political Roundtable. The post R.I. Attorney General Neronha on healthcare, gun violence, and his criteria for a possible gubernatorial run in 2026 appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee named Marc Crisafulli as chairman of the I-195 District Redevelopment Commission last January. The thinking was that a seasoned lawyer and business executive like Crisafulli could help nudge forward development in the acres once covered by Interstate 195. The process has been unfolding for more than a decade and it remains a work in progress. The post Marc Crisafull...

In this week’s episode of Political Roundtable, Ian Donnis goes in depth with the executive director of the Economic Progress Institute, Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies. The post Political Roundtable: Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies on RI’s economy, how to reduce poverty, and the next General Assembly session appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Gabe Amo may be poised for a long career as an elected official in Rhode Island. For that to happen, Amo first has to defeat Republican Gerry Leonard in the off-year election Tuesday in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District. The post Gabe Amo on his run in CD1, the war in Israel, and Biden’s less than stellar approval rating appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Gerry Leonard calls himself a John Chafee-style Republican. But hard-right lawmakers who struggled for weeks to elect a new speaker typify the club that Leonard wants to join, the GOP caucus in the U.S. House. The post CD1 Republican candidate Gerry Leonard on his campaign, the war in Israel, and disarray in the U.S. House appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

One familiar face in Rhode Island's labor movement, Pat Crowley of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, is poised to take over the leadership of that union. So can labor maintain its local relevance? The post RI AFL-CIO’s Pat Crowley on organized labor’s current moment, meager progress on schools, and what to do about income inequality appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Jack Reed’s first term in the U.S. Senate coincided with the so-called “vacation from history.” That was the period between the end of the Cold War and 9/11, a time marked by a lack of conflict on the world stage. Now, things are very different. The state of war between Hamas and Israel raises concerns […] The post Political Roundtable: U.S. Sen. Jack Reed on Israel at war, disarray in the H...

David Morales was 22 years old when he was elected as the state representative for Providence’s Mount Pleasant, Valley and Elmhurst sections. Morales was raised by a single mother in a rural town in California and in 2019, at age 19, he became the youngest person to ever graduate from Brown University’s master’s program in public affairs. The post Rep. David Morales on fighting for the working cla...

Dr. Ashish Jha believes that an ounce of data is worth a thousand pounds of opinion. He makes that observation in his bio on X, formerly known as Twitter, where Jha has more than 320,000 followers. That shows how Jha, dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, has emerged as a leading voice on pandemic preparedness and an array of other health-related issues. The post Dr. Ashish Jha...

In a small state like Rhode Island, you might think it would be easy to create a good public transit system. But RIPTA has wrestled with a lack of funding virtually since its establishment in the 1960s. The post Scott Avedisian on RIPTA’s financial challenges, transit improvements, and what’s next for a downtown transit center appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

After growing up in poverty, Cherie Cruz got two degrees at Brown University before she was 40. The Pawtucket Democrat’s role as a Democratic state representative from Pawtucket is informed by different aspects of her life. The post Cherie Cruz on overcoming obstacles, being a state rep and fighting for criminal justice reform appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Gabe Amo made history when he won the Democratic primary in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District earlier this week. The Pawtucket native and former White House aide could become the first person of color to represent the state in Congress. The post Gabe Amo on his historic win in CD1, how it happened, and what’s next appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Rhode Island voters will decide the outcome of two primaries in the First Congressional District next Tuesday. The Democratic side of the race has gotten most of the attention, since the district is heavily Democratic and the primary winner has a strong chance of coming out on top during the general election. The post Political Roundtable: RI reporters on the Democratic fight coming down to the wi...

In the race last year for the seat formerly held by Langevin, Democrat Seth Magaziner beat Republican former Cranston Mayor Allan Fung by almost four percentage points. Magaziner kept CD2 in Democratic hands, but he has little seniority in Congress and Republicans control the House of Representatives. So how much can he get done, and how concerned is he that Donald Trump may be able to regain the...

Narragansett Beer used to be the best-selling lager in New England and it sponsored the Red Sox baseball back in the day. But by the turn of the century, Narragansett faced an uncertain future. Then in 2005, Rumford native Mark Hellendrung spearheaded a resurgence for the brand after buying it with a group of investors. The post Political Roundtable: Hellendrung on the resurgence of Narragansett B...

The last GOP governor was elected in 2006 and the party holds just 14 of 113 legislative seats. Now, can Rhode Island Republicans overcome their long-term challenges to play a more muscular role in local politics? This week, our guest is the new Republican chairman in the Ocean State, Joe Powers. The post Political Roundtable: Powers on next steps for the Rhode Island GOP, how Republicans can cour...

This week: Dr. Michael Fine who served as head of the state Department of Public Health from 2011 to 2015. He is now a writer, community activist and chief health strategist for the city of Central Falls. And Christopher Koller who served as the nation’s first health insurance commissioner. He is now president of the Millbank Memorial Fund, a public health foundation. The post Fine and Koller on t...

The Rhode Island Association of Realtors recently reported that despite national trends, the median price of a home in the state is still climbing. The median single-family home now costs $443,000, the most ever and a three percent hike from the same time last year. That cost helps to explain why Rhode Island faces a housing crisis. The post Political Roundtable: Santilli on housing, homelessness...

The Rhode Island House of Representatives passed the most recent state budget in just about three hours last month. That rapid pace reflects strong support in the chamber for House Speaker Joe Shekarchi. But will Skekarchi’s popularity translate into progress on Rhode Island’s toughest issues, including improving public schools and creating a stronger economy? And what does Mr. Speaker have to say...

Ana Quezada has won election four times as a state senator from Providence. Now, she’s targeting a loftier goal: the vacant seat in Rhode Island’s First Congressional District. The post Political Roundtable: Quezada on CD1, what voters say, and why she’s running appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Stephanie Beauté is hoping to translate her interest in politics into a seat in Congress. She ran as last year for secretary of state and is now part of the large Democratic field competing in the First Congressional District. The post Political Roundtable: Beauté on the economy, technology and why she’s running in CD1 appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Brett Smiley has benefited by presenting a fresh face as the mayor of Providence. But the city’s underlying fiscal challenges are never far from the surface. Smiley’s first budget proposed raising residential taxes by 5 percent. Conventional wisdom holds that the first year of a new administration is the time to raise taxes. But Rhode Island’s capital city faces other challenges, including the slo...

Gabe Amo is well known by political reporters and other people who play close attention to Rhode Island politics. The son of immigrants from Africa, Amo grew up in Pawtucket and most recently worked in the White House as deputy director of intergovernmental affairs. The post Political Roundtable: Amo on Philadelphia controversy, RI’s pension overhaul and why he’s running in CD1 appeared first on T...

“I do the work of the community for the community. And I will continue doing that if elected to Congress.” The post Political Roundtable: State Sen. Cano on jobs, schools and why she’s running in CD1 appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

As one of more than 15 Democrats running for the open seat in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, Don Carlson has had a broad range of experiences. The post Political Roundtable: Carlson on renewable energy, RI’s economy and why he’s running in CD1 appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .