Happy Saturday! Here's another edition of my weekend column for WPRI.com -- as always, send your takes, tips and trial balloons to [email protected] and follow me on Twitter, Bluesky and Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Nesi's Notes SIGN UP NOW 1. Does Rhode Island's state government spend too much, or too little? A brand-new RIPEC report, released on the eve of next week's State of the State address, offers plenty of fodder for those who see overspending as the problem. Rhode Island leaders have increased spending from state general revenue -- that is, excluding federal funds -- by an average of 7% a year since 2019. Even after you adjust for inflation, that represents nearly $800 million in additional annual spending compared with before the pandemic. And it's the reason why Governor McKee needs to close a deficit estimated at $300 million in the budget bill he will unveil next Thursday. Nevertheless, it's not hard to find people who think Rhode Island isn't spending enough, particularly if the state wants to offer public services that match its wealthier neighbors Massachusetts and Connecticut. Nor are those people limited to progressives who want free school lunches, or retirees who want to restore their pre-2011 pension benefits. Just last year, lawmakers were widely praised for increasing Medicaid payment rates -- at a cost of $40 million -- in an effort to stabilize and support the state's health care providers. On this week's taping of Newsmakers, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi defended that decision and others like it, even if they're also part of the reason the budget is now back in the red. "We had the money. When we passed the budget it was balanced," he said, referring to the spending bill enacted last June. "And there were needs." 2. Governor McKee will deliver the State of the State, his biggest speech of the year, on Tuesday night. WPRI 12 will have live coverage of the governor's speech at 7 p.m. on TV and online, then a recap and reaction on the late news starting at 10. Tune in! 3. With bitter cold temperatures expected well into next week, tensions are rising over how to shelter Rhode Island's homeless residents. Governor McKee has insisted there is adequate shelter capacity, while advocates argue more needs to be done. State Rep. Teresa Tanzi has collected dozens of signatures from fellow lawmakers on a petition that urges McKee to declare a public health emergency around homelessness, a step that is also being urged on him by the Providence City Council and political rival Helena Foulkes. McKee has ruled out the idea so far, saying he does not want to sidestep existing rules and regulations, including the much-discussed issue of getting those unopened pallet shelters in compliance with the state fire code. But discontent is growing. "We're very frustrated," House Majority Leader Chris Blazejewski said on Newsmakers. "I know there have been calls for an emergency action -- if that's what it takes, that's what it takes. We've got to get these things open." He added, "Let's not forget the human element of this. These are people out in the cold, suffering." Speaker Shekarchi added that he called the governor Thursday night to stress the need for action. "Whatever it takes to help people -- we need to do it, and we need to do it now," Shekarchi said. McKee remained resistant at a news conference Friday, arguing that declaring an official emergency wouldn't accomplish as much as some think, and expressing a degree of frustration with advocacy groups. 4. Quick hits from Speaker Shekarchi on Newsmakers ... the speaker had breakfast recently with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks and is growing cautiously more optimistic that the toymaker might decide to remain in Rhode Island rather than bolt for Massachusetts ... truck tolls are likely coming back following the state's recent court victory, but probably not until the spring; lawmakers are still figuring out what if anything they can do to help local companies ... the speaker wants new legislation regarding pets after Kim Kalunian reported on how a veterinarian's mistake allegedly helped cause the death of a Johnston family's dog. 5. It was a challenging start to the new session for Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, as the 76-year-old North Providence Democrat battles both health ailments and growing dissent over his leadership. The vote to install Ruggerio for another term leading the chamber was 26-12, with nearly one in three Senate Democrats refusing to support him. Ruggerio himself voted "present," surprising those in the room; he acknowledged to reporters after the session that he'd had trouble hearing what was happening. And then it turned out nobody had procured a Bible to use for the swearing-in, so GOP Leader Jessica de la Cruz had to come to the rescue by opening her smartphone to a Bible app and having Ruggerio place his hand on that. When Ruggerio finally gave his opening-day remarks, the speech was notably brief. "In the spirit of service and collaboration," he said, "let us find common purpose in our shared commitment to our communities, our shared love for our state, and our shared hope for a better future." Former Majority Leader Ryan Pearson labeled it "the shortest opening remarks in my 13-year history" as a senator. Then, after the session concluded, Ruggerio failed to attend the reception for senators and their families. To top it off, Senate leaders announced they only plan to hold sessions once a week for now, while the House meets twice a week. The Senate president's office has insisted for months that he is strengthening and would be in command when the chamber kicked off the new term, but the first session didn't seem to help them in making that case. 6. Speaking of North Providence, Mayor Charlie Lombardi is facing new scrutiny for having town employees work on his private properties. 7. Mayor Smiley's demand to regain control of the Providence schools by July 1 led to another dust-up between him and the education commissioner. The mayor's other legislative priorities for 2025 include noise cameras and the "Superman" building. 8. The politics of immigration continue to shift in the wake of the election. Exhibit A is the Laken Riley Act, which would require undocumented immigrants to be detained if they're arrested for certain crimes; it is named for a Georgia student who was killed by a Venezuelan man in February. House Republicans passed the measure Tuesday as their first bill of the new year, with 48 Democrats joining them in support. But a majority of Democrats opposed the bill, including all four who represent this region: Gabe Amo, Seth Magaziner, Jake Auchincloss and Bill Keating. Two days later, though, an initial procedural vote to begin debate on the bill in the U.S. Senate split the region's senators: Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined a lopsided majority voting in favor of allowing debate to proceed, while Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey voted to block the bill. Enough Senate Democrats say they're prepared to join Republicans in supporting the bill on final passage that it should clear a filibuster. Amo, Magaziner and Auchincloss all offered similar rationales for their "no" votes, citing due process concerns when it comes to detaining migrants who have been arrested but not convicted. Auchincloss also suggested the bill might open a Pandora's Box by expanding the ability of state attorneys general to sue the federal government over immigration policy. As for Reed and Whitehouse, they haven't taken a position on the substance of the bill, which could be subject to further changes as senators negotiate ahead of a final vote. All this comes as the nexus between immigration and law enforcement has been making fresh headlines in Massachusetts, with Governor Healey ordering a review of the state's emergency shelters after a migrant was reportedly found with drugs and a gun in a shelter at a Revere hotel. 9. Sounds like it will be a tall order for Senator Reed to support Pete Hegseth. 10. Remember that behind-the-scenes D.C. fight for a seat on the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee, mentioned in this column last week? Jake Auchincloss won the day when the final roster was announced, with no slot for either Seth Magaziner or Gabe Amo, both of whom had been vying for one. It's now been 14 years since a Rhode Islander held a seat on one of the House's exclusive committees; the last one to do so was Patrick Kennedy, who sat on the Appropriations Committee during his time in Congress. 11. Six men from Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts have been prosecuted for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Tim White examines the status of their cases here. 12. Southeastern Massachusetts Democrats -- do you want to sound off about the state of your party post-election? Now is your chance. State Party Chairman Steve Kerrigan is holding a virtual listening tour around the commonwealth "to review the outcomes of the recent elections, celebrate successes, and identify areas for growth." The public forums for our region's two congressional districts are coming up: the 4th District, represented by Jake Auchincloss, meets Thursday; the 9th District, represented by Bill Keating, meets Feb. 13. Both events are at 7 p.m. on Zoom. 13. People in the news ... Matt Corridoni, the indefatigable former comms chief for Congressman Auchincloss, has a new gig at VoteVets ... Emily Howe, former executive director of the R.I. Democratic Party, is the new director of Clean Water Action RI ... Peter Chapman has been named president and CEO of the affordable-housing developer One Neighborhood Builders, succeeding Jennifer Hawkins. 14. Every American should read this op-ed by the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction. Fair warning, though, it will likely leave you deeply frustrated. 15. The Atlantic has been doing some great reporting on Americans' increasing isolation from one another: don't miss Derek Thompson on our anti-social century and Ellen Cushing on why we need more parties. 16. Set your DVRs: This week on Newsmakers — House Speaker Joe Shekarchi and Majority Leader Chris Blazejewski. Watch Sunday at 5:30 a.m. on WPRI 12 and 10 a.m. on Fox Providence, or listen on the radio Sunday at 6 p.m. on WPRO. You can also subscribe to Newsmakers as a podcast via Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you back here next Saturday. Ted Nesi ([email protected]) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesi's Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Bluesky and Facebook. Prefer your Newsmakers on the go?Subscribe to our podcast!Apple | Spotify