By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Monday morning!
Its the first day for candidates to file their paperwork declaring their intention to run for public office this election year. The filing period begins today and runs through 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Candidates for federal and statewide offices must file forms with the Rhode Island Department of State Elections Division, 148 West River St., Providence. Candidates for state and local offices should file with their local board of canvassers.
Forms must be physically signed. They can’t be emailed or faxed. Forms are available online, or in-person at the Department of State or local boards of canvassers' offices.
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High tide in Westerly is at 4:23 p.m. Low tide is at 10:37 a.m. and 11:32 p.m. Sunset is at 8:24 p.m.
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The Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Congressional Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. More than 500 business and civic leaders are expeted to attend along with U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Reps. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo.
Gov. Dan McKee joins Reed and Amo at an 11 a.m. ribbon cutting for the renovated Coventry Community Learning Center at the Town Hall Annex aty 1675 Flat River Road.
At 1 p.m. in the Governor’s State Room at the State House, McKee signs legislation that provides enhanced penalties for motor vehicle offenses involving road rage. The legislation known as “Casey’s Law” (S3169A/H8384A) is named to honor Casey Bassignani, 23, of Johnston, who died in a rollover crash in November 2025 when an alleged road rage incident forced her vehicle off the roadway.
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts meets at 4 p.m.
Keith Ford, canvassing board clerk for the Town of Jamestown, was one of 67 graduates of Rhode Island’s new Election Training and Certification Program for local election administrators. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
A new 34-hour professional certification program for local elections administrators celebrated its first set of graduates in a ceremony at the Rhode Island Board of Elections offices last week. The training program aims to standardize election procedures across all 39 cities and towns and help frontline election workers tackle a growing list of responsibilities.
Gov. Dan McKee reviews a document outside the Providence County Courthouse before speaking to reporters on Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Alexander Castro
Gov. Dan McKee signed a three-year moratorium on new charter schools in Rhode Island, citing declining enrollment and funding concerns, while also marking a shift for the longtime charter supporter. “A disappointing flip flop,” Stop the Wait, a charter advocacy group, called McKee’s signature.
Maine’s Graham Platner is the Democratic candidate for what’s considered one of the nation’s most competitive battles for the U.S. Senate. Platner, who is challenging incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, is shown at a rally at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland on April 18, 2026. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)
By Jonathan Shorman and Jacob Fischler
As election watchers increasingly expect a blue tint to the November midterms, the question is now whether it will be blue enough to put Democrats back in the Senate majority, where they are now at a 53-47 disadvantage.
If Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee truly wants to make affordability a priority, he should veto legislation to increase the threshold for car repair costs before insurers are required to declare the vehicle a total loss, an insurance industry expert says. (Getty photo)
COMMENTARY
By Christopher S. Stark
Two bills sitting on Gov. Dan McKee's desk would significantly impact Rhode Islanders by increasing auto repair costs and insurance premiums. An insurance industry executive urges the governor to veto the legislation passed by the General Assembly to increase total-loss threshold for automobiles.
ICYMI
As Trump’s immigration dragnet grows, so do complaints of detention center conditions | Ashley Murray, D.C. Bureau
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