Play in the Joints of the Rule of Law

The law and its enforcement rightly (and inevitably) has some flexibility, but that only puts the responsibility on the citizenry to put up resistance.

A Lesson Already Learned on Social Issues

RI conservatives should have already learned that dropping social issues from their platforms not only won’t help them, but cedes critical ground to the opposition.

More Perspective on The Virus and Addressing the Harm

Take away the scary studies based on China and Italy and frightening “whatifs,” and it’s difficult to conclude that the economic harm has thus far proven worthwhile, leaving citizens to figure out what the thresholds should be.

Don’t Panic! Stop, Gather Perspective, Assess.

We can’t let the most-extreme cases and simplistic online simulations hustle us past a reasonable assessment of our current situation the lessons of history.

Don’t Forget the Other Side of the COVID-Response Ledger

Hysteria over the Covid-19 epidemic is missing important considerations that ought to affect our decisions, as well as highlighting changes to our society that should be reevaluated.

A Second Amendment Lesson for School Choice

Advocates for school choice can feel like they’re getting stuck, but a lesson from the Second Amendment movement might help them find new support.

Reduce Roadblocks Prohibiting Meaningful Work

In 2018, our Center published one of our most comprehensive policy briefs, The Right To Earn, which highlighted Rhode Island’s bottom-10 standing when it comes to over-regulation and the need for across the board occupational licensing reform. The Ocean State has also recently been ranked as having the worst state business climate in all of America.

Since then, we have been encouraged that reforms continue to move forward based on our report on the heavy burdens of “occupation licensing” laws in the state.

Governor Raimondo’s Team Explains Her Attempt to Infringe on the Right to Bear Arms

The governor’s tax and budget team plainly admits that her proposed tax on gun ranges and clubs is meant to infringe on Rhode Islanders’ civil rights.

RI General Assembly to Decide on Polygamy

The Uniform Parentage Act makes polygamy and the dissolution of the Western idea of the family inevitable; advocates and politicians should at least be honest enough to admit that a vote for the act is a vote to go all the way to its logical conclusion.

Why Young People Should Support the Second Amendment

Generation Z should take the opportunity of being young to rethink how we address gun violence to drop misinformation and prejudices.

Center’s School Choice Message Sprouts Roots

Recently, two prominent Rhode Island politicians have publicly supported our Center’s long-time policy idea – even echoing our own language – to advance educational freedom for Providence families and all parents across our state.

For years, behind the scenes, I have been advising politicians and candidates – Democrats, Republicans, and independents – on the benefits of educational scholarship accounts (ESAs).

Putting Children Over Bureaucracy

Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green is right to worry that adult agendas will derail any chance of reforming our system.

Brown Professor Would Fail a Future Dershowitz

A Brown professor who takes to Twitter to insist he’d fail a retired Harvard professor is sending a signal about what he considers elite universities to be for.

Lincoln Chafee is Running for President… Again

The former Rhode Island politician seeks the presidency with a new party and a change of heart towards the Second Amendment.

Q & A On TCI, The Transportation & Climate Initiative

Q. What is TCI?

The Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI) is a multi-state regional agreement designed to drive up the price of motor fuel (gasoline and on-road diesel). As a regressive tax, the TCI Gas Tax will disproportionately harm low-income families, especially those who live some distance from commercial centers or their workplace.

Tolls: What Happened to Gina Raimondo’s Promise to Hold off on Gantries Until After Lawsuit?

As public attention understandably turns to legal developments in the toll case and the very visible construction of toll gantries around the state, it is important to note how the governor explicitly broke her word on the critical matter of when toll gantries would go up and highlight the heavy financial consequences to which she has needlessly exposed Rhode Island residents with this completely unprincipled volte-face.

Larry Fitzmorris: Regionalization with Newport

Results from neither Newport schools nor regionalized schools justify Portsmouth abandoning its stable situation.

We’re Backing The TCI Gas Tax Proponents Into a Corner

It is not by accident that the proposed Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI) is losing support among many of the states it has targeted… to the point where some proponents are considering a Plan-B.

Last week, I traveled to Boston to meet with other organizations from east coast states who oppose TCI, a regional compact targeting 12 states and Washington DC that seeks to impose a 5 to 17 cent per gallon tax on gasoline and diesel fuel, with the intent of forcing Rhode Island to drive less often and into more costly and less convenient electric vehicles and public transportation options.

Noah Shepardson: Serpa “Ghost Gun” Bill Makes Hobbyists Criminals

Despite heavy regulation of home gun-making already on the books, Rhode Island’s legislature is seeking to turn law-abiding hobbyists into criminals.

The Political Class Plans To Harm Rhode Island In 2020

The more freedoms we have, the more prosperity we will enjoy. The constitutional government of our great nation was formed to preserve our freedoms. But in the Ocean State, we reduce freedoms … and we suffer the consequences.

As the 2020 General Assembly Session begins, and we are once again looking at even more of status quo (or worse) based on the policy agenda from the political class, when will Rhode Islanders say enough is enough?

Instead of focusing on the real issues harming the business climate of our state… the insiders are looking to restrict the rights of citizens by stopping the use of plastic straws and bags. Give me a break.

TCI Gas Tax Unnecessary; RI Already Won the War on Carbon

As you probably know, Governor Gina Raimondo is proposing that Rhode Island sign on to TCI (Transportation and Climate Initiative), a regional carbon cap-and-tax program on transportation that would involve, among other things, Rhode Islanders paying an additional tax on gas and diesel of seventeen – twenty four cents+ per gallon. A couple of Justin Katz’ excellent posts about TCI are here and here

Let’s discuss the stated purpose of TCI. According to the governor, it is to save the planet by getting Rhode Islanders to give up their cars. This is not an exaggeration; below is what the governor says about TCI in this December interview with WPRI’s Kim Kalunian (starting at minute 03:15).

Change of Values as Culture Moves Progressive

Peculiarities in long-term polling suggest that our increasingly progressive society is becoming more materialist and more Balkanized, which should raise concerns about the future.

Fighting a Phantom Over Negotiations

Transparency in local contract negotiations will help, but calling for state-level legislation to force it is too easy at this point, because it will never happen.

Fighting Progressives at the Mall

Teenage brawls at Providence Place Mall provide a good example of how the advantages of progressive rhetoric lead to bad outcomes.

Stephen Skoly: Opioid Stewardship Fee Straining Patients and Healthcare Community

The well intentioned but hasty, ill formed Opioid Stewardship Act passed by Rhode Island lawmakers last session is now creating medication shortages and chaos within our healthcare community instead of properly addressing the problem.

Top-Down Economics Takes the Christmas Out of the Market

Insincere New Year’s pledges are one thing, but our non-free-market healthcare industry illustrates why we need the lessons of Christmas for our economic resolutions.

New Gas Tax: The Governor’s Unwelcome Holiday “Gift” to be Announced This Week

If the Raimondo administration gets its way and bypasses the General Assembly to sign on to a new regional carbon-tax scheme, called the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), Rhode Island motorists will find a plan to increase gasoline taxes in their stockings this year.

The TCI gas tax is a cap-and-trade tax on gasoline proposed by environmental extremists who purposely want gasoline to become so expensive — estimated at an extra 24 cents per gallon — that you will be financially forced to walk or bike to work and around town. We’re expecting an important announcement this week on the new tax…stay tuned.

Teacher-Prep Enrollment Down… It’s About Time

The key question we should ask when we hear that enrollment in teacher-prep programs has declined is whether that’s a bad thing.

Let’s Acknowledge RI’s Real Problem

As Brookings takes its “innovation industries” prescription national, Rhode Islanders might have questions about the organization’s effectiveness in their state.

Wexford: A Half-Empty Glass of Promises

Reviewing the tenants (and even contractors) associated with the Wexford complex in Providence raises the question of whether there’d be any economic activity there at all, but for the state government’s subsidies.

YOUR CART
  • No products in the cart.
0