It was an amazing spectacle yesterday evening at the rostrum and on the floor of the Rhode Island House. (Is this what is called, in parliamentary terms, making a point of personal privilege?) From a front page article in today’s Providence Journal.

But, in a highly unusual move, Mattiello on Tuesday also joined a chorus of lawmakers slamming The Providence Journal for what they described as “unfair’’ coverage of the House Finance Committee’s hearings on a controversial $11.6-million grant program that, year after year, has entangled the General Assembly in controversy. …

When Mattiello finished speaking Tuesday, he received a standing ovation from his House colleagues.

I’m still holding out hope that the review of grants promised by Speaker Mattiello – and the subject of the ProJo’s criticism – doesn’t end with these committee hearings, which were woefully inadequate. If that doesn’t materialize, the ProJo editorial of today will be proved right and it will be clear that these hearings

… were never intended to scrutinize these grants. Rather, they were cynically designed to cultivate support for them by bringing in needy recipients who might tug at the public’s heartstrings.

Monique Chartier

Monique is a political gadfly, data junkie and contributor to the Ocean State Current and Anchor Rising.  Please consider supporting the terrific work of the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity here:

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