By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Friday morning!
There sure were a lot of empty Del’s lemonade cups in the recycle bin in the hallway between the Senate chamber and the lounge at the Rhode Island State House Thursday.
The hot button issue on the final and very warm night of the legislative session: a controversial three-year moratorium on new charter schools that won Senate approval, sending the legislation to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk.
But what will McKee do now since the legislation includes a reduction on the statewide cap on charter schools from 35 to 28?
McKee told reporters on Wednesday that he was OK with the moratorium but not the cap. Charter school advocates are urging the governor to veto the legislation. He has 10 days to take action before the legislation becomes law without his signature.
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High tide in Warwick is at 6:24 a.m. Low tide is at 11:14 a.m. Sunset is at 8:20 p.m.
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McKee signs the fiscal year 2027 state budget at a 10:30 a.m. ceremony at Children’s Friend Friendship Center on Point Street in Providence. McKee will be joined by House Speaker Christopher Blazejewski and Senate President Valarie Lawson.
The Providence-Newport Ferry is scheduled to start today and run through Monday, Oct. 12, with four daily roundtrips seven days a week. The schedule isn’t exactly geared for a workday commute.
Correction: Sorry, the link to a story in Thursday’s edition of SWELL on the House and Senate finance committees advancing legislation to create a study commission to study the Blue Ribbon Commission’s report went to a story about inflation. Here is the correct link!
Rep. Brian Newberry, a North Smithfield Republican, takes a breather on the House floor during the final day of session on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin, Christopher Shea and Alexander Castro
Lawmakers whipped through a very warm final day of the 2026 legislative session with unusual speed and agreement Thursday. Last day policies included measures to protect immigrants from federal immigration enforcement and expand expungement of criminal records, while banning new charter schools for the next three years.
The Rhode Island State House. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Janine L. Weisman
Rhode Island is now poised to join 41 other states — including the rest of New England, New York and New Jersey — that provide early rental lease termination protections for victims of domestic or sexual abuse if they are in fear of their safety under the Rhode Island Survivor Early Lease Termination Act. Gov. Dan McKee’s office confirmed he will sign the legislation passed this week by the General Assembly.
Forty-two states offer a dashboard making crash data available to the public, but not Rhode Island. The Vermont Agency of Transportation’s online crash data query tool is shown on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Screenshot)
By Nancy Lavin
A sweeping overhaul of Rhode Island’s public records law will have to wait another year, but lawmakers agreed to one noteworthy change this session. On early Thursday afternoon, legislation closing a loophole in the Access to Public Records Act, which does not expressly include state crash data in what’s considered public record, was sent to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk. Forty-two states already offer a public dashboard to look up crash data.
Robert Jacquard, left, and Michelle Reddish, right, were confirmed to seats on the Cannabis Control Commission during the Senate’s final day of the 2026 legislative session on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
The Cannabis Control Commission has a new chairperson, after the Rhode Island Senate's unanimous confirmation of Michelle Reddish on Thursday. Reddish, who has led the state’s Cannabis Office since 2024, now transitions from operational duties to policymaking as chair of the commission. The Senate also reappointed commissioner Robert Jacquard for a second term. Both Jacquard and Reddish will serve until May 17, 2031.
Predictions market sites are shown on electronic devices on Feb. 25, 2026. Online prediction market platforms, such as Polymarket and Kalshi, allow people to place bets on wide-ranging subjects such as sports, finance, politics and currents events. (Photo illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
By Amelia Twyman | D.C. Bureau
A group of 16 U.S. Senate Democrats, including Rhode Island’s Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, is calling on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to tighten its regulation of prediction markets, citing concerns over insider trading and other consumer harms as betting on future events grows in popularity.
ICYMI
You’re not dreaming. The Washington Bridge rebuild has finally started. | Christopher Shea
Trump says ‘great settlement’ of Iran war in the works, signing ceremony soon | Jennifer Shutt, D.C. Bureau
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