How Long Without a Rhode Island State Budget? Guest MINDSETTER™ Marzullo
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Rhode Island and South Carolina are the only two states that have not adopted either a budget for FY21 or an interim budget. At this point it is troubling that there has not been a bipartisan call for the RI General Assembly to immediately reconvene. It certainly does not appear that the Congress will enact a second federal COVID-19 relief package before Election Day – not to mention that we could have more political chaos after the Election until the dust eventually settles. Can RI really wait until 2021 to act?
The Speaker’s dictate to recess until the Congress and President acts is only deepening our financial budget hole. Time is of the essence! The entire RI General Assembly has a duty to be at their desk in the State House to govern and be vigilant with the taxpayers money – as well as consider the pressing needs of adversely effected Rhode Islanders and communities impacted by this historic pandemic. Our people especially older adults, individuals of color, nursing home residents and numerous small businesses continue to be vulnerable and are hurting.
The Governor may be unintentionally harming Rhode Island by not spending the federal aid money more quickly and not strengthening the organizational capacity of service and recovery agencies during the balance of the year. There is no current authorization from the federal government to use relief dollars for state/local government deficits. The Governor would need Congressional approval and the President’s sign-off. Does the Governor and the Speaker know something that everyone else is missing?
Whatever the overall game plan is from the Executive Branch --- there should surely be formal engagement by the full RI Legislature on the use and spending of federal intervention monies --- with additional oversight and deliberation from the Joint Committee on Legislative Services (JCLS). Just a reminder as to the primary legal function of the JCLS:
It shall be exclusively the responsibility of the Joint Committee to act upon all administrative matters affecting the operation of the General Assembly,
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIf the JCLS is not actively addressing its legal obligation has the Speaker determined that there is no current impact on the General Assembly operations which warrants their convening and action(s)?
The evolving and further deteriorating situation begs for thoughtful decision making by all our elected legislators now! With a united voice the Governor, the Speaker and the Senate President should immediately call the Rhode Island legislature back into session to responsibly fulfill their oath to public office. We the People should expect nothing less for the public interest of all Rhode Island.
Vincent Marzullo is the Founder of USA Compassion Corps. For 31 years, he served as a federal civil rights and social justice Director in RI for the Corporation for National & Community Service – and was a previous Chair of the RI Federal Executive Council. Deployed several times as a Federal Disaster Cadre Coordinator when Presidential Declarations were issued, he supervised AmeriCorps ground support and long-term recovery assistance to aid FEMA response operations. He is also the President Emeritus of AARP RI and served three Rhode Island Governors.
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