UPDATED: Grebien Blasts Mattiello and House Over PawSox Failure, Legislation Posted for Thursday
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien blasted Rhode Island Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello for playing the PawSox legislation the “wrong way,” following the eleventh hour hearing at House Finance on Tuesday that resulted in no further action.
Then late on Wednesday, the house version of the PawSox bill was posted. The bill is expected to be amended as part of a last-minute push by Mattiello. The public has not seen the amendments as of Thursday morning.
Grebien made the remarks to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette during a break
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“I can tell you, if we don’t have a bill, (the PawSox are gone),” Donald R. Grebien said Tuesday night during a break in a House Finance Committee meeting considering the city’s stadium proposal. “The speaker and the House have played this the wrong way, and I think that everybody realizes that and we’re here and we have to have something on the table.
“They’re gonna make a decision. If by the end of the session we don’t have a bill, then I don’t think there’s any more discussion. I mean from the PawSox — if I were them. They haven’t threatened that but that’s just the reality. They’ve been here two years, working with us and the state of Rhode Island and Pawtucket’s been the only one embracing them,” Grebien said.
Speaker Mattiello responded to Grebien's comments on Wednesday.
“I’m protecting the interests of the taxpayers. I regret that we may not be moving fast enough for some people, but the interests of the taxpayers will always take priority," said Mattiello.
End of the Session PawSox Battle Continues in House Finance Hearing Tuesday Night
As GoLocal reported:
With the clock running out on the legislative session, resolution in the House’s embattled PawSox stadium bill still has not been reached.
At a House Finance Committee meeting Tuesday night, Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien urged the council to approve Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s newest version of the bill, which is currently under consideration.
“We are at the beginning of something great for the city of Pawtucket,” Grebien said in his testimony. “My message to you is simple: please pass this legislation!”
Updated Wednesday 1:11 PM, Updated Thursday, 11:30 PM
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