The Dan Yorke Show

Gubernatorial Ken Block joins the show for a full hour in-studio appearance.

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In this episode, we sit down with H. Philip West Jr.—former Executive Director of Common Cause Rhode Island and author of Secrets & Scandals—to break down the legal and ethical fallout. West shares his firsthand account of a private meeting with Shekarchi, explains why Shekarchi’s bid tramples post-RISDIC "revolving-door" ethics reforms, and discusses the troubling conflicts of interest surrounding the commission’s vote.

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RWU Law Professor Michael Yelnosky joins the show.

Former Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi stepped down from his leadership post to seek a lifetime appointment on the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Former Law Dean and Professor Michael Yelnosky filed a formal ethics complaint, alleging the move violates the state's "revolving door" law, which requires a one-year cooling-off period for former legislators before taking state employment.

However, Superior Court Judge Richard Licht issued a ruling declaring that the state Supreme Court—as a constitutionally created entity—is exempt from the revolving door statute, clearing Shekarchi's path to continue his judicial candidacy.

In this episode, Prof. Yelnosky joins the show to react to Judge Licht's 29-page decision, analyze the legal reasoning, and outline what this means for Rhode Island ethics law moving forward.

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Steven King, Managing Director at Quonset Development Corporation, joins the show to discuss a new workforce housing initiative.

A factsheet provided by QDC:

Workforce Housing at Quonset Business Park

Quonset Development Corporation and Moran Properties are partnering to develop new workforce
housing at Quonset Business Park, helping expand housing options for the workers who support Rhode
Island’s economy.
Project at a Glance
• At least 140 new apartments
• One- and two-bedroom units
• Located on 6.89 acres along Gate Road
• 40% of the apartments designated
as Quonset Workforce Housing

• At least 10% reserved as low- and
moderate-income housing
• Construction is anticipated to begin
by end of 2027.

Who Will the Workforce Housing Serve?
Preference for the workforce-designated apartments will be given to people working:
• At Quonset Business Park
• In health care or education
• Within 25 miles of Quonset Business Park
• With the federal, state or local government
Keeping Rents Within Reach
The long-term agreement establishes maximum rents for the workforce-designated
apartments. Those limits will be based on average wages at Quonset Business Park,
household income levels in North Kingstown and state income guidelines for workforce
housing. Final rental rates will be determined as the project advances.
Note: rents provided in the QDC Board packet are ceilings for rent over the course of the
project’s 99-year lease and are not meant to suggest current pricing.
Site Map

Infrastructure Upgrades
With the upcoming completion of RIDOT’s “Missing Move” project, the housing
development will be situated adjacent to on- and off-ramps to Route 403, providing
residents with a direct connection to the highway in both directions. The ramps will
significantly reduce travel on local roads, including along Devil’s Foot Road and through the
West Davisville neighborhood.

A Public and Thorough Review Process
The housing proposal has undergone several years of public review and planning:
• December 2022: The Quonset Development Corporation Board approved a major
variance allowing workforce apartments at the site.
• January-May 2023: The North Kingstown Planning Commission considered the
proposal during four public meetings and a public hearing.
• May 16, 2023: The Planning Commission approved the major variance in a public vote.
• 2023-2025: Quonset conducted public processes to seek qualified development
proposals, negotiating with several housing developers, who eventually declined to
move forward.
• July 21, 2026: The Quonset Board considers the proposed agreement with Moran
Properties.

Benefits for North Kingstown
The development will generate additional revenue for the Town of North Kingstown.
Together with existing businesses at the Business Park, the project will help bring
Quonset’s annual contribution to North Kingstown’s municipal tax base to more than $15
million in property taxes and related payments.

What Happens Next?
Before construction begins, the project will be required to:
• Complete Quonset’s technical review process
• Secure all required state permits and approvals
• Establish a construction and anticipated completion schedule

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Bill Batholomew filling in for Dan Yorke talks to Ken Block, author of "Disproven: My Unbiased Search for Voter Fraud for the Trump Campaign", to preview tonight's anticipated speech from President Trump on election fraud in 2020.

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• The Latest Flashpoint: The federal Department of Justice has officially filed a motion to expedite their appeal in U.S. v. Amore (following their formal appeal to the First Circuit on June 3rd). This escalates a high-stakes legal battle over who controls Rhode Island's voter data.

• The Origin: This stems from a September 2025 DOJ demand letter seeking Rhode Island's complete, unredacted statewide voter registration list. When Secretary of State Gregg Amore refused to hand over private data without a court order, the DOJ sued.

The Core Conflict: Privacy vs. "Verification"

• What the DOJ is demanding: Full, unredacted voter files, including sensitive, non-public data: full names, residential addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers.

• The DOJ’s Stance: They claim authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) to enforce "list maintenance" and verify that RI is properly cleaning its voter rolls. They call it a "trust but verify" approach.

• Amore’s Defense: Amore immediately pushed back, stating the feds are welcome to public voter data, but he will not violate state privacy statutes or hand over sensitive, personal identifiers without a direct mandate. He argues the federal government is attempting to build an unauthorized national voter database.

The Political & Local Stakes

• The Big Picture: Rhode Island isn't alone. This is part of a coordinated, national push by the Trump Administration's DOJ, which filed similar lawsuits against a tranche of states with Democratic administrations.

• Local Backing & Coalition: Local and national groups—including Common Cause RI, the ACLU of RI, and SEIU District 1199NE—successfully intervened in the case to protect voter privacy.

• The Fear of "Purges": Voting rights advocates warn that centralizing this data into a federal "master file" shared with agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could lead to targeted voter purges and have a chilling effect on voter registration in immigrant communities.

Where It Stands Now

• A Big Win for RI (April 2026): U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy handed Amore a major victory, granting the motion to dismiss the DOJ's lawsuit and blocking the attempt to access Rhode Islanders' private data.

• The Appeal (Summer 2026): The federal government isn't backing down. They are aggressively pushing the First Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the dismissal, setting up a major constitutional showdown over the Elections Clause.

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In this segment, we break down the latest friction points in the upcoming Rhode Island Democratic primary. Governor Dan McKee addresses the recent political waves caused by Cumberland Mayor Jeff Mutter and the Cumberland Democratic Town Committee's decision to back primary challenger Helena Folks. We unpack McKee’s response, his defense of his record as Cumberland’s former 12-year mayor, and what this local endorsement shift means for his statewide re-election momentum leading into the September primary.

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