Mattiello Blasts Kilmartin on St. Joseph Pension Fund Bankruptcy
Mattiello Blasts Kilmartin on St. Joseph Pension Fund Bankruptcy
Since GoLocal was first to report the St. Joseph pension fund bankruptcy last week, the Attorney General has refused to answer any questions about his role in the approval of the sale of St. Joseph. In his first comments on the catastrophic bankruptcy, which may lead to a 40 percent cut to the benefits nearly 3,800 retirees, Kilmartin blamed, among many, the Rhode Island General Assembly.
"The Hospital Conversion Act is not all encompassing and the Legislature did not grant the Attorney General's Office the statutory authority to make sweeping demands that are outside the scope of the statute. Specifically, it neither gives the Attorney General nor the Department of Health the authority to oversee or manage private pension funds associated with the healthcare system," said Kilmartin in his first public statement, a week following the bankruptcy.
Kilmartin's comments are inconsistent with the law, his own comments when he approved the deal and drew a strong response from an incredulous Mattiello.
Speaker on the Record
"Well, I am not sure I agree with that assessment (that the Attorney General didn’t have authority). He certainly had the authority. And, he should have been looking at it (pension funds)," said Mattiello.
"If he has specific concerns he should bring it to my attention. We will address it," added Mattiello.
Mattiello pointed out that Kilmartin was a long-time member of the legislature and never made any effort to amend the HCA as relative to pension funds nor had Kilmartin brought any concerns to his attention.
"When pension funds are not funded approved folks get hurt and I've heard from constituents...I look forward to hearing what the Attorney General has to say," said Mattiello.
At the time of the agreement in 2014, Kilmartin said, “The transacting parties have worked diligently to provide regulators with the necessary documentation and information throughout this review process to make this decision, a decision I believe is in the best interest of Rhode Island’s healthcare marketplace, the community, the employees, and most importantly, the patients.”
Kilmartin said in his statement, “Conducting a hospital conversion review requires the commitment of a substantial amount of resources for the Office of Attorney General. I commend my staff for the time and careful consideration put into this review process.”
Other Issues Covered by the Speaker
Mattiello spoke to the status of the car tax elimination implementation, and what the General Assembly -- and House of Representatives -- would be taking up, when it reconvenes for a rare special session in September.
Mattiello also spoke to the prospects for any action being taken on the PawSox, as well as recent Progressive wins, including Dawn Euer in Senate District 13 -- and what that means for the General Assembly.