Lt. Governor Dan McKee appeared on GoLocal LIVE on Thursday and spoke about how he plans to fight National Grid's proposed 53-percent electric rate increase.
Noting that Grid has called itself the "provider of last resort," McKee urged Rhode Islanders to go the Empower RI website (www.ri.gov/EmpowerRI), an energy-shopping website that allows commercial and residential ratepayers to find the best electric rates for their homes and businesses.
McKee told GoLocal's Kate Nagle that he went on Thursday morning himself, and changed his home electric plan.
McKee plans to submit a position statement opposing the rate increase by the August 8th deadline. The PUC will hold a hearing at 9:30 a.m. on August 22, 2017, to consider National Grid’s proposal.
So far this session, Morgan has been quiet, but she is a tough partisan who takes on issues and drives the majority crazy - she can be relentless. She could be a dark horse candidate for Governor or Jim Langevin's worst nightmare.
Brand new to a critical position - the grade is incomplete, but his peers are confident in his leadership and slected him over rival Dan DuPont, former Senate Finance Chair.
More than two decades after leaving the Senate, Goldberg is still a power broker in the Senate. The game may have changed a bit and the fastball may not have exactly the same heat, but he remains one of the most powerful as a result of who his clients are, his institutional knowledge, and connections.
While others have fallen out of favor over time, Goldberg remains the most influential lobbyist.
Smiley joined the Governor to bring a more local flavor to the Governor's office. He has brought that, but also stumbled on with late night tweets and business relationships.
Rumors continue to swirl that he wants to run for Mayor of Providence again, but time is ticking.
It is hard to know how Ruggerio will lead the Senate. He was the perfect counter-balance to former Teresa Paiva Weed's leadership style. Will he be the pro-labor force that some business interests fear?
Or, will Ruggerio surprise everyone and become a force in changing the fate of Rhode Island's last place business ranking?
He has played the game at every level in RI politics. His efforts to help Speaker Nick Mattiello through the Ray Gallison and John Carnevale disasters stabilized the House.
He is the loyal, behind-the-scenes staffer that all elected officials appreciate.
Skenyon, a former top aide to Governor Bruce Sundlun and U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell, and once most recently been the Traffic Tribunal Clerk. He is the former Chief of Staff to then-Senate Majority leader Jack Revens in the 1980s.
While gearing up for her re-election her strongest legislative ally quits. The departure of Teresa Paiva Weed as President of the Senate is a big blow to Raimondo's legislative agenda.
Can she afford to continue to brawl with Speaker Nick Mattiello?
He was once considered to be Governor Gina Raimondo's biggest cheerleader in the House, but since taking the #2 slot in the House he has shifted to be a House power broker.
He sits on a campaign war chest that is unmatched in the legislature.
As Russ Moore wrote, "Shekarchi has an almost super-human knack and talent for making it seem like he agrees with everyone--even with people who possess drastically different political ideologies, at the exact same time. He employed ultra-progressive Warwick City Councilman-elect Jeremy Rix at his law office. Yet the business-friendly Democrats will also tell you that Shekarchi sees things the way they do as well. We've got to hand it to him--he's as smooth as a summer lake at dawn."
Today, he dominates RI politics. His agenda -- eliminating the car tax -- is the #1 legislative issue. He has bet his future and long-term legacy on this initiative. While Mattiello won a very narrow re-election by the narrowest of margins, he continues to lead the House with a strong hand.
His battles with Governor Gina Raimondo are epic. And, it will be interesting to see if there is an cooling in the Mattiello-Raimondo feud. Will the car tax plan pass as Mattiello has crafted? Will Raimondo's college program pass? And, who will Senate President Ruggerio side with on the big issues -- Raimondo or Mattiello?
