Rhode Island Current

01/14/2026

RI Board of Elections votes unanimously to support all four pieces of election-related legislation pitched by Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore, including the first-in-the-nation online nomination paper portal.

Secretary of State Gregg Amore's proposal to let Rhode Island voters sign candidates’ nomination papers electronically – increasing access and fending off fraud — inched forward — with the Rhode Island Board of Election’s backing Tuesday.

01/14/2026

With a tough reelection battle looming, Gov. Dan McKee leveraged his 2026 State of the State address to appeal to voters' hearts, minds, and above all, their wallets.

https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/01/13/embattled-mckee-highlights-affordability-takes-on-trump-in-2026-state-of-state/

01/13/2026

New federal guidance reduces the number of vaccines recommended for all children from 17 down to 11. But 10 states in the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, including Rhode Island, will continue following guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

New federal guidance to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for all children from 17 vaccines down to 11 comes as states already are charting their own courses on vaccine policy.

01/13/2026

What a banana duct-taped to a wall has to do with a pitstop in West Greenwich Monday by U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on her "Returning Education to the States Tour."

U.S. Secretary of Education visited high school students in West Greenwich on her tour emphasizing what public education funding and regulation might look like once transformed by President Donald Trump’s administration.

01/13/2026

Construction will resume “as soon as possible,” Meaghan Wims, a spokesperson for Orsted A/S, project co-developer, said in a statement Monday.

A federal judge gave a temporary greenlight Monday to a mostly constructed $5 billion Revolution Wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island, reversing a late December order from the Trump administration that halted work.

01/13/2026

New analysis shows the stressful plight facing renters in Rhode Island, which saw 9th highest average monthly rent increases in the nation between 2024 and 2025. Via Stateline

Rhode Island made the top 10 list for highest average monthly rent increases between 2024 and 2025, according to a new analysis that shows rents climbing in the Midwest and portions of the South.

01/12/2026

Keep an ear out for tax relief and measures to lower energy bills and health insurance costs when Gov. Dan McKee delivers his State of the State Tuesday night. And after last year's criticism last year, governor irons out public access in rotunda and television coverage on House floor.

Gov. Dan McKee will emphasize affordability in his 2026 State of the State address on Tuesday night. The annual event sets the tone for the policy and funding debates that will play out over the rest of the six-month legislative session.

01/12/2026

Here's the book Rhode Islanders are encouraged to read in 2026 ... 'Happy Land’ by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

“Happy Land,” Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s historical fiction novel tracing an African American community in the hills of western North Carolina, is the 2026 statewide read for Reading Across Rhode Island with a kickoff celebration on Jan. 24 at the State House.

01/12/2026

Complaints pile up as R.I. Department of Administration rolls out new payroll system after six years of planning.

After a rocky first month for the state’s new payroll software, Rhode Island state employee unions are calling for the General Assembly’s oversight committees to hold hearings on complaints ranging from missing wages, incorrect pay, and problems with overtime, benefits, and deductions.

01/09/2026

“When pay problems happen once, that’s a mistake. When they happen repeatedly, that’s a breakdown. At this point, the risk and stress are being absorbed entirely by workers.”
— SEIU Local 580 President Matthew Gunnip

After a rocky first month for the state’s new payroll software, Rhode Island state employee unions are calling for the General Assembly’s oversight committees to hold hearings on complaints ranging from missing wages, incorrect pay, and problems with overtime, benefits, and deductions.

01/09/2026

Trump attorneys defend second stop work order but keep mum in court filings on the 'specific national security risks' that prompted it.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys representing the Trump administration offered little detail in court filings Thursday on the national security concerns that prompted them to suspend work on five offshore wind projects last month. They said the federal review was classified.

01/09/2026

Many left-leaning states and cities are trying to protect their residents’ personal information amid the immigration crackdown. But a growing number of conservative lawmakers also want to curb the use of surveillance technologies, such as automated license plate readers, that can be used to identify and track people. By Stateline

Many left-leaning states and cities are trying to protect their residents’ personal information amid the immigration crackdown. But a growing number of conservative lawmakers also want to curb the use of surveillance technologies.