Happy Tuesday! I'm Dan McGowan, and the Knicks look like the 1996 Bulls right now. Follow me on X (Twitter) @DanMcGowan, or send tips to
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It sure looks like the Rhode Island House could see a shakeup in the coming days if House Speaker Joe Shekarchi chooses to apply for a vacant Supreme Court seat. He has until Thursday to decide.
My colleague Ed Fitzpatrick reports that House members are gearing up for a change that would lead to Majority Leader Chris Blazejewski of Providence succeeding Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat, as speaker.
Blazejewski would be the third speaker from Providence since 1980 (Matt Smith and Gordon Fox were the other two). Here's a look at each speaker (and their transition) since 1992.
Nicholas Mattiello
Tenure: 2014-2020
The Cranston Democrat ruled the House with an iron first, declaring that he was the “firewall” against progressives during his time with the gavel. But he lost reelection by 17 percentage points to Republican Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung. He is now a lawyer, lobbyist, and mulling a run for Cranston mayor in 2028.
Gordon Fox
Tenure: 2010-2014
A Democrat from Providence’s East Side, Fox was the first openly gay House Speaker. He also presided over the chamber when the General Assembly passed a gay marriage law. But his tenure ended with a dark cloud after FBI agents raided the State House and his home on the same day. He quickly stepped down as speaker, and ultimately pleaded guilty to stealing from his campaign account and accepting a bribe (when he was a member of the Providence Board of Licenses). He was sentenced to three years in prison, and now works for Crossroads Rhode Island.
William Murphy
Tenure: 2003-2010
The West Warwick Democrat is one of the rare recent speakers to pass the gavel on his own terms, winning the speakership in 2003 and ultimately handing it off to Fox in early 2010. Murphy remains a fixture at the State House, having become one of the most successful lobbyists in Rhode Island.
John Harwood
Tenure: 1993-2002
The Pawtucket Democrat succeeded Joseph DeAngelis after DeAngelis announced he would not seek reelection to the House in 1992. A legendary schoolboy hockey and baseball player, Harwood’s controversial tenure as speaker ended after he narrowly won reelection to the House against a write-in candidate.
🤔 So you think you're a Rhode Islander...
Who was the first chairman of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission?
(Answer at the bottom.)
Do you have the perfect question for Rhode Map readers? Don't forget to send the answer, too. Send me an email today.
The Globe in Rhode Island
⚓ Rhode Island legislators are expecting this week to witness a rare mid-session transfer of power involving what’s often considered the Ocean State’s most powerful political position — speaker of the House of Representatives. Read more.
⚓ Employees at Ocean State Media, Rhode Island’s joint NPR and PBS organization, announced Monday that they are forming a union with SAG-AFTRA. Read more.
⚓ The Rhode Island US Attorney’s Office committed a “massive breach” of trust when it did not disclose that a man who was released last week was wanted for homicide in the Dominican Republic, a federal judge said on Monday. Read more.
⚓ The highway ramp that partially collapsed onto train tracks in Cranston in late April is one of 94 Rhode Island bridges in “poor” condition and in need of significant repair or replacement, according to data from the state Department of Transportation. Read more.
⚓ Rhode Island’s largest hospital system is the latest target of the Trump administration’s efforts to get records of children receiving medical treatment for gender dysphoria, also known as gender-affirming care. Read more.
⚓ A barge carrying pilings bound for Logan International Airport in Boston nearly sunk Sunday off the coast of Rhode Island, the Coast Guard said Monday. Read more.
You can check out all of our coverage at Globe.com/RI
Also in the Globe
⚓ For those looking beyond the end of Donald Trump’s presidency and toward the future of the Republican Party and the durability of the MAGA movement, there may be no more revealing test than what happens Tuesday in Indiana. Read more.
⚓ Massachusetts still doesn’t require schools to notify parents when children are placed in a timeout. And some parents contend that keeping families in the dark allows schools to abuse the practice. Read more.
⚓ The Sox beat the Tigers, 5-4, on Monday night, overcoming a two-run deficit, shoddy defense, and a passing thunderstorm for their second victory in the last six games. But left fielder Roman Anthony came out of the game in the second inning after injuring his right wrist on a check swing foul ball during the first. Read more.
⚓ The Rhode Island Convention Center Authority meets at 9 a.m. Here's the agenda.
⚓ The Rhode Island Board of Elections meets at 4 p.m. Here's the agenda.
🏆 Pop quiz answer
John Tuohy of Cranston was named the first chairman of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission in 1987, but he died after being hit by a car in December of that year.
RHODE ISLAND REPORT PODCAST Ed Fitzpatrick talks to our colleague Emily Sweeney about her project on New England's Green Book locations. Listen to all of our podcasts here.
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