Elected officials in Rhode Island have been trying to reinvent the state’s economy practically since the Great Depression -- and it remains a work in progress. During his State of the State speech on Tuesday, Governor Dan McKee cited an upbeat message. He says Rhode Island is flipping the script on outdated narratives about being an economic laggard. But polling shows Rhode Islanders do not share McKee’s optimism about the state being headed in the right direction. The state still lacks the kind of more diversified economy found in Massachusetts. And the possible move out of state by Hasbro shows how unexpected changes can quickly emerge. As president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce since 2005, Laurie White has a front row seat on these issues. So what are the top obstacles to building a better economy -- and does the chamber have any bright ideas for making things better?

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Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi starts 2025 in an enviable position. He has overwhelming support from the members who make up the House of Representatives -- and won re-election as speaker this week with 62 of 75 votes. Shekarchi has more than $3 million in his campaign account -- and that gives the Warwick Democrat a lot of flexibility if Governor Dan McKee decides against seeking re-election next year. But Rhode Island faces a tougher fiscal climate due to the end of federal COVID aid. Shekarchi has spearheaded efforts to create more housing, but progress has been incremental and the cost of a home or apartment remains unaffordable for many people. The state faces other challenges with healthcare and the economy, including the potential loss of the storied toymaker Hasbro. So what would it take to make up more ground on these difficult issues, and do state leaders have the right plan for moving forward?

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Ryan Pearson’s term as the second-ranking member of the Rhode Island Senate will formally end Tuesday. During a Democratic Senate caucus in November, Pearson lost a challenge to Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, and Senate Whip Val Lawson won the support to take over Pearson’s role in the legislative session starting next week. More fallout is expected. All this comes as legislators will wrestle with a big budget deficit and thorny issues including housing, healthcare and the economy. Pearson and his supporters say they were motivated by how Ruggerio, now 76, missed large parts of the last session due to various health issues. But was it a smart play to pursue the challenge against Rhode Island’s longest-serving lawmaker, and will that hurt the Senate’s ability to get things done in the new session?

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Almost 66 percent of Rhode Island voters approved a November ballot question asking if they wanted to borrow $120 million to create more housing. But there are also signs around the state of a housing backlash, with some residents and local officials opposing the development needed to expand the housing stock. And the median price of a home in Rhode Island is now $480,000, about 12% higher than one year earlier. Here we are as the state tries to dig its way out of a housing crisis that developed over many years. As executive director of the Housing Network of Rhode Island, Melina Lodge is on the frontlines of this issue. The network is a membership group for agencies committed to developing affordable housing. How does the high cost of housing affect Rhode Island? And do advocates like Lodge have a strategy for overcoming obstacles?

This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with head of the Housing Network of Rhode Island Melina Lodge.

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Rhode Island’s two-member U.S. House delegation has turned over in the last few years. In the Second District, Congressman Jim Langevin dropped a surprise announcement in 2022 that he would not seek re-election after 22 years in office. Then First District Congressman David Cicilline, initially elected in 2010, made his unexpected departure last year. That latter move opened the door for Gabe Amo, a son of West African immigrants, to become the first person of color to represent Rhode Island in Congress. Along the way, the moderate pro-business candidate beat 10 primary rivals.

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The intense downpours causing more street flooding in the region in recent years reflect the impact of climate change. At the other end of the weather spectrum, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee this week issued a statewide drought advisory.

But there’s some good news when it comes to the health of Narragansett Bay. Water quality has improved so much that Crescent Park Beach in East Providence will be reopened as a swimmable beach in 2026, after more than a century of non-use.

Jed Thorp is on the frontlines of these issues as director of advocacy for Save The Bay. The nonprofit environmental organization was founded in 1970 to protect Narragansett Bay. More than a half-century later, Rhode Island continues to wrestle with myriad environmental issues. So how does Thorp see the outlook, and is Rhode Island prepared for the environmental future? Political reporter Ian Donnis goes in-depth with Thorp on this week’s episode of Political Roundtable.

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Nirva LaFortune emerged on Rhode Island’s political scene in 2017. That’s when she won a special election to represent Ward 3 on the East Side on the Providence City Council. LaFortune brought a new perspective and she was the first Haitian-American to win political office in Rhode Island. Five years later, in 2022, LaFortune placed third while running for mayor of Providence. She now serves as executive director of City Year Providence, a nonprofit that recruits young adults for a year of service in the Providence schools. Last year, 24 City Year Providence Americorps members served full-time in six city schools, reaching thousands of students. So what does she think it will take to improve the Providence schools after years of talk? What are LaFortune’s reflections on her time on the City Council? And where does she think Democrats went wrong in taking on Donald Trump, now the president-elect? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with executive director of City Year Providence Nirva LaFortune.

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Rhode Island voters recently approved $73 million in borrowing to enhance the Institute for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies at Rhode Island College. The 60% vote in favor of Question 2 underscores public confidence in the idea that education can help improve the local economy. Voters also approved $87 million for a life sciences center at URI. At Rhode Island College, the man leading the charge is Jack Warner. He is being inaugurated today as RIC’s permanent president after more than two years as interim leader. Warner takes on the role at a time when many Americans wrestle with college-related debt. And with the Trump administration vowing to eliminate the federal Department of Education, Republicans and some other critics believe colleges in America have moved too far to the left. How will these issues affect Rhode Island? Can Rhode Island College really play a bigger role in the state’s economy? And what is Jack Warner’s strategic vision for RIC? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with president of Rhode Island College Jack Warner.

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Megan Cotter is a progressive Democratic state representative who first won election by just 32 votes in 2022. Republicans had high hopes this week of winning back Cotter’s seat, since voters in her district in Exeter, Richmond and Hopkinton lean conservative. But Cotter scored an eight-point victory over former Republican Representative Justin Price, winning the race by about 700 votes. She was victorious even though Donald Trump this week had his best Rhode Island performance yet and beat Kamala Harris in the three communities making up Cotter’s district. So what does the outcome tell us about how Democrats can compete more effectively in the Trump era? How did Cotter overcome her challenges as a candidate? And where does she think Democrats should go from here? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with state Representative Megan Cotter.

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Americans will finish voting Tuesday, although it remains unclear when a winner will be declared in the presidential race. It’s a more low-key election in Rhode Island, where the race for mayor of Cranston is among the top races. But a close vote is expected on ballot Question 1, which could set the stage for Rhode Island to hold its first constitutional convention since 1986. And next week’s election is a prelude to 2026, when Rhode Islanders will vote for governor and other statewide offices. So what do the current political headwinds mean for Governor Dan McKee? How would a Trump administration affect Rhode Island? And even if the state does stage a constitutional convention, would it make a real difference? This week on Political Roundtable, we have an in-depth election preview with two fellow political reporters, senior reporter with the Rhode Island Current Nancy Lavin and politics editor for WPRI-TV, Channel 12, Ted Nesi.

The post How a Trump election would affect R.I., why legislative incumbents maintain an edge, and more appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.