Previous RI Legislative News

Democratic primary candidates in Rhode Island governor’s race to take stage for debate

August 15, 2022 9:00 am

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Five Democratic primary candidates in the Rhode Island governor’s race will meet on the debate stage Monday. Here’s where the race currently stands.

Gov. Dan McKee took the lead financially with over $1.2 million as of June 30, according to a campaign finance reports released earlier this month.

However, a Morning Consult poll found that he is the lowest rated governor in the country in terms of constituent approval, with his approval rating amongst Rhode Islanders standing at 38%.

Polling data found Sec. of State Nellie Gorbea with 27% of voters, followed by McKee at 22%, and Helena Foulkes at 14%, with 20% of voters still undecided.

Tidewater Landing Project moves forward after Commerce Board approval

Project leaders say the Tidewater Landing project is in need of more funding due to the current economy. (WJAR)

The Rhode Island Commerce Board approved the Tidewater Landing stadium project on Monday night, according to Gov. Dan McKee.

The $124 million professional soccer stadium is planned for a site along the Seekonk River.

McKee said all parties came to an agreement, which comes after the developer asked for millions more from the state, claiming inflation increased the price tag

In a Facebook post on Monday evening, McKee said the state is not financially responsible for any cost escalations and that no state funding will be used before a permanent certification of occupancy.

The post also detailed profit sharing and repayment would be required for any capital event.

A 30-year commitment to field a USL Championship Division soccer team will also be required and repayment will be needed for early departure, among other conditions.

McKee said construction can now begin and that he looks forward to the groundbreaking.

2022 Rhode Island primary election voter’s guide

August 12, 2022 10:32 am

ABC6 News

This is an image of “I VOTED” stickers. (WLNE)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — With the 2022 Rhode Island primary election around the corner, ABC 6 News wants to help you be prepared to cast your vote.

The state primary allows Rhode Islanders to choose nominees from both the Republican and Democratic parties in races ranging from the governor, to local offices and representatives, to the Ocean State’s 2nd Congressional District seat, which will be open after Rep. Jim Langevin announced he will not run for reelection. 

Primary election day falls on Sept. 13. this year. Rhode Islanders will be able to vote at polls in every city and town from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., except for New Shoreham where the polls are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE TO VOTE

Anyone looking to find the closest poll to them can check here.

To vote in the 2022 primary elections, Rhode Island voters have to register to vote by Aug. 14. That can be done here.

PARTY DISAFFILIATION

The disaffiliation deadline, or the last day voters can change the party’s primary that they’ll vote in, is Aug. 15.

EARLY VOTING

Residents that want to vote by mail have to apply for a mail-in ballot by Aug. 23. Voters that require a braille or tactile ballot have to apply for one by the same day.

There will be a window for early voting before primary election day. The early voting period will run from Aug. 24 to Sept. 12. Voters can visit their normal polling location during normal business hours in the early voting window to cast their vote.

DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO VOTE

Rhode Islanders that are looking to vote will need a valid ID to do so. A driver’s license, Passport, Rhode Island Voter ID card or any other kind of identification listed on the state’s website, will be accepted.

CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR

• Incumbent Gov. Dan McKee (D)
• Matt Brown (D)
• Helena Buonanno-Foulkes (D)
• Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea (D)
• Luis Daniel Munoz (D)
• Ashley Marie Kalus (R)
• Jonathan Riccitelli (R)

PROVIDENCE MAYORAL CANDIDATES

• Gonzalo Cuervo (D)
• Nirva LaFortune (D)
• Brett Smiley (D)

*Mayor Jorge Elorza will not be running for re-election because of term-limits

2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SEAT

• Seth Magaziner (D)
• Allan Fung (R)

*U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin announced earlier this year that he won’t seek re-election to Congress

For more information on voting and primary elections, visit vote.sos.ri.gov.

Here’s why the exit numbers on Route 95 are changing

Route 95 is the last highway the state will renumber

PROVIDENCE — On Aug. 28, the old Route 95 exit numbers that drivers have known for years started to be replaced by new numbers, tied to the nearest mile marker.

The renumbering begins in the north and will work its way south. The work, paid for by the federal government, will bring Rhode Island in with federal highway standards. It is expected to last for a month.

The mile markers begin in the south, at the Connecticut border. For exits clustered less than a mile apart or exits that fork, a letter is appended to the number, Department of Transportation spokesman Charles St. Martin said.

For example, exits 22 A, B and C on Route 95 South, which lead to Memorial Boulevard, Route 6 West and Providence Place, will turn into exits 37 B, C and D, respectively, as they are roughly 37 miles from the Connecticut line. For other highways, the numbering begins in the east. Exits had previously been ordered sequentially, with no mileage in the equation.

Feds require renumbered exits

The renumbering effort has been going on since 2017 and started with Route 295. When the renumbering finishes at the end of September, all the highways with exits in the state will have exit numbers that correspond to mile markers.

Routes 195, 10, 37 and 24 were completed in 2020, Route 146 was renumbered in 2019 and routes 4, 78 and 403 were finished in 2018.

The renumbering also allows for new exits to be added to highways without forcing a renumbering of every exit, St. Martin said.

AAA Northeast spokesman David Raposa said the renumbering is important for future growth, and it’s what the federal government wants.

When the state opened the new exit on Route 295 in Johnston for Greenville, it didn’t have to renumber the whole system.

Old exit numbers still visible for a year

The old exit numbers will still be apparent for the next year, with little yellow placards attached to the signs, with the phrase “Old Exit (and its number)”

After a year, those placards will come down, St. Martin said.

Raposa said he thinks the change won’t affect most people in the state, who know where they are going, but it may require an adjustment for some.

“People tend to remember exits based on name, not number,” he said.

Sign changes covered by federal funds

The entire cost of the project, $1.2 million for Route 95 and $4 million for the numbering of other highways, is paid for by the federal government, St. Martin said.

“This doesn’t take away anything from any other projects,” he said.

Most of the signs will be modified, instead of being replaced, to reflect the new numbers. However, some signs, big and small, will be replaced on a case-by-case basis, St. Martin said.

Changes sent to GPS companies as they happen

All of the work, which should take a month, will be done at night to disrupt as little traffic as possible. The next morning, the sign crews will tell the state which exits they renumbered and the state will then contact mapmakers with updates on the new exit numbers, St. Martin said.

The companies are pretty quick with updating their maps, as evidenced by the state’s experience renumbering routes 195 and 295.

“If you have an older GPS system in your car, or a separate unit like a Garmin, you may need to update it to get the updated maps,” he said.

Maps that use real-time traffic data, like Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps, tend to be quickest to update, he said.

The Northeast has been the last part of the country to adopt the changes, including Massachusetts and Connecticut.