On Politics

We’ve all heard that old New England adage, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. When it comes to education in Rhode Island, RIPR’s Scott MacKay has this collorary: if it is broken make sure you fix it before you change it.


At the end of the last General Assembly session, when nobody was looking, Rhode Island lawmakers decided to junk the state’s boards that oversee education. Without any hearings or studies, the Assembly, in its infinite wisdom, abolished both of the boards that made policies for higher education and kindergarten through grade 12.

As the General Assembly starts a new session on Tuesday, one legislative constant will remain unchanged -- a lot of the 113 lawmakers on Smith Hill are lawyers.

The ProJo's Political Scene says there are 24 lawyers in the legislature -- 15 in the 75-member House and nine in the 38-member Senate:

We’re offering a slight break from TGIF’s usual format this week with a look back at how 12 of the big questions of Rhode Island politics played out in 2012. As always, feel free to share your thoughts and comments on the blog or by email: idonnis (at) ripr (dot) org.

Question 1. Will Governor Lincoln Chafee offer a more coherent message that helps lift his slumping approval rating?

Cumberland Mayor Dan McKee appears headed toward a run for lieutenant governor in 2014.