Projo Politics Blog

June 28, 2009 - July 4, 2009 Archives


Gov. Palin to resign as Alaska governor

palin_205.jpg 5:02 PM Fri, Jul 03, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Peter Phipps    Email

WASILLA, Alaska (AP) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, raising speculation that she would focus on a run for the White House in the 2012 race. The former......

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Leaking men's room makes for a swampy State House

1:23 PM Fri, Jul 03, 2009 | | Comments (4)
By Cynthia Needham    Email

The flood of legislation never materialized from the State House this week, but the water did. From the men's bathroom that is. A broken flush feature on a urinal in a first-floor men's room led to a not-so-minor flood that......

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Update: Greyhound owners criticize Carcieri's Twin River veto

6:12 PM Thu, Jul 02, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Katherine Gregg    Email

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Making good on an earlier warning, Governor Carcieri has vetoed legislation allowing Twin River to operate 24-hours a day, seven days a week, while also forcing the owners of the Lincoln track and slot parlor to drop......

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R.I. Senate launches municipal pension study

6:10 PM Wed, Jul 01, 2009 | | Comments (6)
By Katherine Gregg    Email

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Municipal employees were spared the ax during the last pension-cutting drive at the State House, but not the attention of state lawmakers who have now launched a "Special Senate Commission to Study Municipal Pensions.'' The resolution......

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R.I. Senate approves commission to study marijuana law

3:34 PM Wed, Jul 01, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Katherine Gregg    Email

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Backers of the successful drive to legalize the sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes have now won Senate support for a study of what, if anything, is being accomplished by criminalizing use of the plant for......

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RI State offices closed Monday; federal offices Friday

12:29 PM Wed, Jul 01, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Steve Peoples    Email

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- There's a little confusion on Smith Hill about when the state will officially celebrate Independence Day. July 4, as most of us know by now, falls on a Saturday. The federal government will be closed on Friday,......

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Carcieri signs state budget

8:03 PM Tue, Jun 30, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By News staff    Email

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Carcieri on Tuesday reluctantly signed into law a $7.8-billion budget package that raises Rhode Island's gas tax by 2 cents per gallon, cuts millions of dollars from cities and towns, and trims pension benefits for thousands......

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Update: Carcieri urges referendum to toughen ethics code

6:24 PM Tue, Jun 30, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Katherine Gregg    Email

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Carcieri Tuesday urged the General Assembly to give voters a chance to extend the state's ethics code to cover legislative votes and official actions taken by Rhode Island lawmakers. Reacting to a ruling Monday by the......

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Senate passes sex-offender registration bill

6:21 PM Tue, Jun 30, 2009 | | Write a comment
By News staff    Email

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The state Senate on Tuesday approved a bill in which registered sex offenders who temporarily live in the state for at least 14 days would have to register at the police station in the community where they......

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Senate approves Twin River all-night gambling bill

4:49 PM Tue, Jun 30, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Katherine Gregg    Email

PROVIDENCE, .R.I. -- The Senate has voted and sent to the governor a bill to allow round-the-clock gambling, seven days a week at Twin River, while also forcing the owners of the bankrupt track and slot parlor to drop their......

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Governor Carcieri signs state budget

2:56 PM Tue, Jun 30, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Maria Armental    Email

By Steve Peoples State House Bureau PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Carcieri said Tuesday afternoon he's signed the $7.8-billion state budget behind closed doors in his office. The spending plan becomes law Wednesday, the beginning of the new fiscal year. The......

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Harrah's meets with Murphy, signals interest in Twin River

1:06 PM Tue, Jun 30, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Katherine Gregg    Email

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Two top executives from Harrah's Entertainment, the Las Vegas-based company that financed the 2006 drive for the proposed Narragansett Indian casino in House Speaker William J. Murphy's hometown of West Warwick, were back at the Rhode Island......

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Amazon.com cuts R.I. business ties

6:42 PM Mon, Jun 29, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Maria Armental    Email

By Steve Peoples State House Bureau PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Internet giant Amazon.com has severed ties with all Rhode Island businesses, a move intended to shield the massive online retailer from the General Assembly's push to begin taxing some online......

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Patrick Lynch assembles campaign team for likely gubernatorial run

5:45 PM Mon, Jun 29, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Katherine Gregg    Email

PROVIDENCE,, R.I. -- Term-limited Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch has assembled a campaign team for his likely run for governor next year. To lead his fundraising efforts, Lynch has tapped Democratic fundraising consultant Scott Gale, the president of the Fundraising......

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Lombardi considers Providence mayoral run

6:00 AM Mon, Jun 29, 2009 | | Comments (2)
By News staff    Email

If it wasn't clear that Providence City Councilman John J. Lombardi was interested in running for mayor, his new Web site might do the trick. On Wednesday, the Democrat, who represents Federal Hill, launched "Lombardi for Providence," a slick political......

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Mark your calendars, campaign watchers

6:00 AM Mon, Jun 29, 2009 | | Write a comment
By News staff    Email

While we're still trying to figure out what lawmakers will do this week, it's worth noting an important date that's a year away. Almost exactly one year from today -- June 30, 2010 -- will be a big week......

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R.I. Senate sets one-day session Tuesday

10:45 PM Sun, Jun 28, 2009 | | Write a comment
By News staff    Email

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- While the legislative Web site signaled the likelihood of a Senate session on Monday, the chamber's leaders have decided instead to return to work at 4 p.m. Tuesday, for a one-day session, and then possibly not return......

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