Politics

By IAN DONNIS & FLO JONIC

PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox says same-sex marriage legislation is dead for the year.

Fox, who is openly gay and a strong backer of same-sex marriage, says there is insuperable opposition in the Senate. He's sponsoring civil union legislation instead.

Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, a powerful opponent of gay marriage legislation, says she will support the civil union bill and predicts it will pass.

By IAN DONNIS

PROVIDENCE, RI – House Minority Leader Robert Watson is disputing the account offered by East Haven, Connecticut, police of his arrest last Friday.

During a speech on the House floor, Watson accused the police of orchestrating his arrest after realizing he was a state representative. Police say Watson smelled of marijuana and had trouble with field sobriety tests.

Watson says he did not smoke marijuana that day and was not under the influence.

By FLO JONIC

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – House minority leader Robert Watson says he "vehemently" denies driving under the influence last Friday night in Connecticut. Watson was arrested at a DWI checkpoint in East Haven, Connecticut.

Watson was arrested at 10 pm Friday at a DWI checkpoint where all motorists were stopped. According to an East Haven, Connecticut police report, Watson smelled of alcohol and admitted to drinking two-and-a-half beers at a friend's house.

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