Mattiello: Marijuana Legalization, Free Tuition Expansion Unlikely This Year

Friday, April 12, 2019

GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle

 

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Speaker Mattiello spoke with GoLocalProv on a wide range of issues on Thursday. -- including his doubts on marijuana legalization and expansion of the RI Promise program.

Rhode Island Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello told GoLocalProv in a one-on-one interview on Thursday that Governor Gina Raimondo's Fiscal Year 2020 budget counting on $6 million in revenue from legalized marijuana sales -- and proposing an expansion of the Rhode Island Promise free college tuition program to Rhode Island College are unlikely, citing regulatory -- and revenue --  concerns. 

Mattiello joined GoLocalProv News Editor Kate Nagle at the Rhode Island State House, where he spoke to those two issues -- as well as firefighter overtime, evergreen contracts -- and his opposition to Raimondo's proposed surcharge on guns and ammunition sales. 

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“Oh, I’m not comfortable, but I’m not uncomfortable with it either,” said Mattiello, when asked if he was good with the $6 million budgeted for legalized marijuana in Governor Raimondo’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget for Rhode Island.

“I have no gut feeling and no basis for challenging those numbers, however it’s not legal currently and I don’t know if there’s going to be a policy change relative to marijuana," said Mattiello. "I've been kind of neutral but I’m very concerned about our business industry that’s concerned about their workforce and being able to get a good, qualified workforce…[and] public safety, impaired drivers on the road and there being no test."

"And our regulatory system and our process…I don’t think is ready to handle legalization at this time," said Mattiello. "I’m kind of neutral but I have concerns. And I don’t want to speak for the Senate President but I’ve heard the Senate is less neutral and may be a little more negative.  If that’s the case we’re not going to achieve any revenues from marijuana and that’s probably another eight million dollars that we’re going to have to find."

"So we’ll see how it goes — but absolutely…it’s possible that marijuana is not legalized in this session," said Mattiello. 

Rhode Island Promise -- and More

Mattiello spoke to what he said he sees as a "difficult budget" -- and that the expansion of Raimondo's free college tuition is in doubt.

"I am concerned this is going be a very difficult budget, that revenues are going to be below expectations — just this afternoon, we talked about several revenue items that are not meeting expectations," said Mattiello.

"My speculation and guess right now is that we’re probably not going to have the revenues available to create any new programs.  [The expansion of the Rhode Island Promise program to Rhode Island College] is a new program," said Mattiello. "Wisdom is probably going to dictate that we should not create any new program with new spending until our out-year deficits are in order."

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Mattiello also spoke to the House passing the firefighter overtime bill -- and House labor on the evergreen contract proposal. 

"We believe that for 36 out of 39 cities and towns there will be no cost, because they were on a four platoon system," said Mattiello of the bill mandating a 42 hour work week before allowing for overtime. "For those towns the have gone to a three-platoon system, which holds a firefighter up to 56 hours, they’re going into their third day at the firehouse — unless they go to a four platoon system there will be costs associated. From my view and what I’ve learned over the years, it’s a quality of life issue, it’s fairness issue, it’s a safety issue."

As for the evergreen contract proposal approved by House Labor -- which would extend the terms of teachers contracts indefinitely once a contract expires -- Mattiello quipped the following. 

"The mayors that suggest that they’re going to be stuck in an oppressive contract — we’re talking about contracts that they’ve agreed to, that they’ve entered into two or three years before — so how oppressive could they really be?" said Mattiello.

And Mattiello -- who as an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association -- said he opposed to Raimondo's proposed surcharge on guns and ammunition. 

"I’ve already talked about the additional surcharge tax on guns and ammunition — they are taxed at 7 percent currently and that’s probably appropriate because every item gets taxed the same but guns and firearms, that’s a constitutional right, and yet we’re going to propose surcharging them?  That’s probably something that’s not going to move forward so we have to find that revenue," said Mattiello. 

 

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