McKee Discusses Education, Ethics, Armory, Offshore Wind and Matos on GoLocal LIVE

Thursday, July 27, 2023

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In a sweeping, nearly 30-minute interview on GoLocal on Wednesday, Governor Dan McKee discussed issues ranging from the effort to improve Rhode Island's education system to politics and more. 

 

 

 

 

Education — Learn 365RI

In April, McKee launched Learn 365 RI, which he sees as the linchpin to raise the income of Rhode Islanders and transform the state's economy.

“Since [then], I mentioned about going out with compacts to municipalities," said McKee. "In May, Newport was the first to sign — since then 31 communities have signed on to the compact which says that we’re going to meet or exceed Massachusetts levels by 2030. We’re going to increase attendance in all our schools and we’re going to increase our FAFSA applications." 

“We’ve appropriated four million dollars for programming into the compact communities. We’re going to be starting to announce those awards in the next couple of days,” he added. 

 

 

 

 

 

Armory — What Is the Future

 

McKee spoke about canceling the contract with the Philadelphia-based developer Scout to redevelop the Cranston Street Armory.

"The reason we’ve moved away from this proposal is because it was just too big a risk to the taxpayers — so the estimated 60 million dollars of construction costs, we’re hearing that could have been at least 50 percent higher with no cap for the taxpayer," said McKee. "And then operation costs all absorbed by the state, and then to put office space and pay rent, that was $750,000 to a million dollars a year that is just too high a risk."

"All options are open. Right now, as we have been public about, I have sat down with Mayor [Brett] Smiley because I see this more of a community project than a state project," he added. "We’re going to try our best to create a strategy where we facilitate some cash into an agreement but see whether the city of Providence can kind of steer this thing."

 

 

 

Offshore Wind — Will RI Be Able to Fully Realize the Future?

 

Last week, Pennsylvania-owned Rhode Island Energy (RIE) rejected the bid by Ørsted and Eversource to build an offshore wind project off the coast that would generate 884-MW.

“Specifically on the procurement that I asked for and the General Assembly approved that was just addressed by Rhode Island Energy — we’re not done with that," he said. "We’re going to continue to pursue ways to potentially lower that cost. The problem is that on the project that is being built right now with Revolution Wind, that was a kilowatt cost of 9.8 cents over twenty years. We can manage that rate."

"The rate that was discussed relative to this past proposal was closer to 15 cents, 16 cents range — I believe we need to lower that and we need to do everything we can do that," he said. "We’re not at all costs going to just jump into the water so to speak on any rate. We need to work to make sure that the rates are comparable in ways that we can be competitive."

 

 

Sabina Matos’ Congressional Campaign

 

"It was a difficult situation," said McKee. "The heart of democracy is the process of elections. I’ll let the authorities, whether it’s the Board of Elections or Secretary of State or our State Police or the Attorney General deal with the ramifications. The Lt. Governor has qualified like any other candidate to be on the ballot."

"I’m taking a position where I’m waiting — I do not plan to make an endorsement in that election," he said. "Let the voters decide on that."

 

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