Ian Donnis

The unexpected death of Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio at age 76 a week ago Monday marks the end of an era in more ways than one.

Ruggerio, widely revered by his members, was the longest-serving lawmaker in the state, a bridge to the now-distant 1980s. He was an old-school Democrat steeped in organized labor, but he defied simple definition as he ascended in the Senate while embracing a flexible leadership approach on charged issues including guns, climate change and abortion rights. Ruggerio’s passing elicited tributes across the partisan spectrum:

In a statement, Senate GOP Leader Jessica de la Cruz (R-North Smithfield) summed up the view of many: “President Ruggerio was an effective leader and a man who kept his word. He gained the admiration and loyalty of his colleagues and staff through mutual respect and [he] leaves a remarkable legacy of service and dedication to the legislature and to the State of Rhode Island. He will be greatly missed.”

Ruggerio died with his boots on, as the saying goes, refusing to relinquish power as his health steadily worsened. The president’s one-time heir apparent, Sen. Ryan W. Pearson (D-Cumberland) paid a political price for pressing for a change last year, losing his previous role as majority leader. So last week, Pearson was locked in a fight to succeed Ruggerio versus a slate composed of Majority Leader Val Lawson (D-East Providence) and Sen. Frank Ciccone (D-Providence). And Lawson and Ciccone came out on top.

THE POLICY BRIEF: For all of his advocacy on behalf of working people and other issues, President Ruggerio was seen as the chief obstacle on at least two significant issues: a ban of new sales of assault-style weapons and a long-running effort to cap the interest that can be charged by payday lenders in Rhode Island. Going into this session, Ruggerio indicated more of a willingness to consider a floor vote on the gun issue. What happens next is now more uncertain, in large part since Sen. Ciccone is known to be a strong gun rights supporter. Another issue is the long-running drive to raise taxes on upper-income Rhode Islanders. In years past, former Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey supported the issue, at least publicly, but it never gained traction among other legislative leaders.

THE UNION FACTOR: Val Lawson has had a rapid rise since first winning election to the Senate. She is not expected to relinquish her role as president of the National Education Association Rhode Island – a move, coupled with Frank Ciccone’s background as the former president and field representative for the Rhode Island Laborers’ District Council – that could amplify the influence of unions in a chamber with a longstanding pro-labor orientation. Asked last week if the potential rise of Lawson would raise ethical concerns, John Marion, executive director of Common Cause of Rhode Island, said via email: “Being the top leader of either chamber of the General Assembly comes with extraordinary powers over setting that chamber’s agenda and appointing members to, and chairs of, committees. The extraordinary powers of being the Senate president or Speaker of the House makes it more difficult to manage conflicts of interest because recusal is not always an effective tool when the buck stops at your desk. That’s heightened when your day job is leading an interest group that has significant business before the General Assembly and is involved in electioneering. Dominick Ruggerio, a former labor leader, and Teresa Paiva Weed recognized the challenge and stepped away from their day jobs. Of course the Rhode Island General Assembly doesn’t pay full time, so not everyone can quit their day jobs.”

And there really hasn’t been a lot of communication either. So, I don’t know. I think we’re going to have to see how this plays out as we head into next week.”

DISTRICT FOUR: The state Board of Elections tentatively plans to meet May 6 to discuss scheduling a special election to fill Ruggerio’s former District 4 Senate seat. Some of those seen as potential candidates include former Senate legal counsel Nicole Verdi and North Providence Town Council President Dino Autiello (both declined to discuss their plans ahead of Ruggerio’s funeral), former state Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell and three-time candidate Lenny Cioe.

POPE FRANCIS: David Wright captured the local mourning for a man widely admired in the most Catholic state in the nation even though he never came to Rhode Island: “Just before noon Mass Monday, the bells of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence tolled 88 times. Once for every year of Pope Francis’s life. Inside, right next to the altar, there’s now a portrait of the holy father draped in black. A steady stream of mourners kneel there and say a prayer. Among them, Diane Constantino. ‘It’s a sad day because he’s passed, but he died on a beautiful day,’ she said. ‘It’s the first Monday of Easter, Easter Monday, so it’s a time for joy. We hope that we get a beautiful, holy man as the next pope and we can only wish for the best.’ Pope Francis never set foot in Rhode Island. But his moral leadership resonated here, in the most Catholic state in the nation. A lot of folks admired him. ‘He had the common touch,’ said Monsignor Robert Mancini, rector of the cathedral. ‘People just loved him. They loved the pope anyway, but when someone is as personable and as down to earth as he definitely was, it’s easy to love.’”

 HOUSING: RI Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard calls the new state housing plan she released this week with Gov. Dan McKee an important step toward making progress against the housing crisis. At the same time, Goddard acknowledges being surprised by how the state has yet to streamline its housing governance – an issue targeted by a recent budget amendment by McKee. “This goes back to when I was being asked to consider to consult early on in August of ‘22,” she told me on Political Roundtable. “Someone said they want some help setting up the Department of Housing, and I thought, what? And I googled Rhode Island. And I saw this thing called the Housing Resource Commission, but you had to go to the Department of State’s website to get any information and there was no department. So right then I went, huh, what is this setup in Rhode Island? I was surprised to read that there [is] more than one organization with almost the same legislative top-line mission. I am surprised that funding decisions are, maybe with some organizations that don’t have direct line accountability.” Back in 2005, then-Gov. Don Carcieri tried to centralize housing efforts with a new Executive Office of Housing and Community Development, but the housing crisis continued to worsen.

HEALTH CARE: As the General Assembly moves closer to a budget vote in June, there’s huge uncertainty about how the Trump administration will affect Rhode Island’s budget. This complicates efforts to address the state health care crisis and how the reimbursement for public and private insurance here is less than in Connecticut and Massachusetts. That’s because even a small cut to Medicaid could blow a big hole in the state budget.

IMMIGRATION: A crowd of people protested outside Rhode Island Hospital last Thursday after advocates for immigrants sent an alert saying federal agents Tased a person they were trying to apprehend. In a statement, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos said that she and her office were “closely monitoring reports that ICE agents may be refusing a Rhode Islander their right to due process by preventing them from speaking with their lawyer. We are still learning all of the facts involved in today’s events, and I cannot speak with certainty about every detail of this incident. However, there are no circumstances under which we can tolerate the erosion of the Constitution. If this man is being prevented from speaking with his attorney, then I call on ICE to immediately allow him access to counsel.”

ENVIRONMENT: The outlook for a bottle bill in Rhode Island remains unclear. Advocates say Rhode Island is one of only two New England states without a bottle law and they say its absence restrains efforts to improve local recycling. Opponents have organized into a coalition, Stop the Rhode Island Bottle Tax, and they object to how the legislation would add a cost of close to 10 cents on most glass, plastic and aluminum bottles and cans sold in the state.

2026 IS COMING: Helena Foulkes has been keeping a low public profile while continuing to raise funds for a run for governor next year. Her campaign has canceled two scheduled appearances on Political Roundtable without being willing to commit to a new date. Foulkes is nonetheless scheduled to take part in a podcast – “What I’m Hearing from Rhode Islanders – And How It’s Shaping My Perspective. A Conversation with Helena Foulkes” – at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 30, with Julie Owens, CEO of the Social Enterprise Greenhouse.

PODVILLE: Speaking of pods, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse talked with Gavin Newsome about climate change.

KICKER: The finding that Rhode Island is – or remains – a top destination for wealthy people seeking a luxury home offers a reminder of the classic exchange between two noted authors.

Fitzgerald: “The rich are different”

Hemingway: “Yes, they have more money.”