While there were plenty of surprises on the national front, election results in Rhode Island held little drama or surprise. To the extent there are unanticipated results, they are in the margin – although Trump lost, he made a better showing than expected. Patricia Morgan, arguably the most coherent Republican to run for anything in […]
Preface (2024) Looking back on my essay after 24 years, finishing this preface the day before Election Day in 2024, I am struck both by how prescient my original thoughts were and how shocked I would later be by the end stage of Trumpism, utterly horrified by the attack on the Capitol on January 6, […]
On Thursday, May 16, at the Rhode Island State House, the Cannabis Policy Coalition, composed of Rhode Island small business owners, cannabis licensees, medical patients and professionals, university professors, concerned citizens, and aspiring cannabis business owners, hosted a press conference with Representative Leonela Felix in support of House Bill H7855. This bill aims to level […]
This month I spoke with Jennifer Stevens of the RI Commission on Prejudice and Bias, who was kind enough to share how they are working hand-in-hand with law enforcement and members of the general public to create a safer community for all. Richard Laliberte (Motif): Tell our readers about the RI Commission on Prejudice and […]
It appeared to be a straightforward solution initially. With a persistent homelessness crisis and a shortage of affordable housing, Rhode Island devised a plan to swiftly set up tiny pallet shelters as temporary relief for individuals living without housing in Providence. The state purchased 45 of these basic 64-square-foot shelters from a company that constructs […]
Indoor prostitution, or sex work solicited in closed spaces, was decriminalized in Rhode Island from 1980 to 2009, empowering sex workers with the ability to report crimes committed against them by clients. Decriminalization was in part created by a legislative loophole in the RI Supreme Court’s 1998 ruling, State v DeMagistris, which focused on criminalizing […]
In November, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank released a report showing that a record number of Rhode Islanders are seeking food assistance, with communities of color and families with children at the greatest risk of hunger. The 2023 Status Report on Hunger has four major findings: • A record number of Rhode Islanders need […]