HOT

Marvin Abney:

Elected in 2012, the state representative from Newport has embarked on a meteoric rise through the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It’s not the circumstances Abney would have chosen considering the fact that his predecessor, Ray Gallison, leaves among a cloud of controversy, but for Abney to assume what’s arguably the third most powerful post in the House, the Chairman of the Finance Committee, in just his fourth year, is remarkable.

Abney has a good opportunity to serve the state well as he boasts some much-needed financial experience, having served on the Board of Governors for the Newport Health Care Corporation and the Board of Corporators for BankNewport.

HOT

Kevin Jackson:

The Providence City Councilman who represents Mount Hope has taken some criticism for it, but he really deserves credit for helping make the skateboard park at Billy Taylor Park a reality. The idea behind the skateboard park, which some of the neighbors don’t like, is to expose inner city children to skateboarding—a cool idea. Moreover, the project was achieved with a $5,000 federal grant and free labor.

HOT

Patricia Serpa:

The veteran lawmaker, who represents portions of Coventry, Warwick, and West Warwick, was appointed to lead the House Oversight Committee amidst the shakeup in the House of Representatives this week. Serpa’s ascension to the helm of the Oversight Committee is a great opportunity as it gives Serpa the power to scrutinize state departments and agencies, and she’s a capable leader. But she has big shoes to fill since the position was vacated when Karen Macbeth, who led the committee effectively and aggressively, became a Republican.   

HOT

Emily Levy:

The CEO and Co-founder of PICCPerfect developed an antimicrobial, moisture wicking fabric that helps keep an IV in a patient’s arm. The medical accessory is as fashionable as it is effective. The Newport resident, who will graduate from Babson College this year, developed the colorful and stylish PICC line protectors while battling Severe Chronic Lyme Disease, which she was diagnosed with in 2007. PICCPerfect was this year’s Rhode Island Business Plan Competition’s “Student Line” Winner. 

PHOTO: Twitter 

HOT

Kenny Baker:

Did you know that the original Star Wars movies featured an actor playing R2-D2, the lovable, brave little robot? (Neither did I.) Well, at this year’s Rhode Island Comic Con, you’ll be able to meet Kenny Baker, the actor who portrayed R2-D2. It will be Baker’s only appearance in America this year. Rhode Island Comic Con, which was a smashing success in 2015, continues to load up for this year with big names. 

PHOTO: Wikipedia

HOT

Boston Red Sox:

It’s early in the season, but Red Sox fans have to be happy with what they’re seeing as of late, as the team sits atop the American League East Standings, swept the Yankees over the weekend, and star designated hitter David Ortiz is hitting the cover off of the ball. Can the Sox carry their winning ways into the summer? 

NOT

Ray Gallison:

The details are a fuzzy, but former House Finance Chairman Ray Gallison, who represented portions of Bristol and Portsmouth, resigned his seat this week due to “personal legal problems” and the federal bureau of investigation is involved, according to House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. Gallison is the latest in a long line of Rhode Island legislators who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law.

NOT

Stephen S. Neuman:

The Governor’s Chief of Staff was managing legislation to regulate DraftKings, a fantasy sports website, at the same time his wife applied for a job at the company earlier this year. This is a major conflict of interest and yet another controversy for Gina Raimondo to deal with in what’s been a tough year so far for the governor. 

NOT

Gina Raimondo:

Another week brings another public relations gaffe by the Gina Raimondo administration. This week, GoLocal reports that the daycare center at CCRI's Knight Campus (which had been there for eight years) was told they were no longer welcome at the school due to "space constraints" -- the same month that Goldman Sachs announced it was using the school for its small business initiative. The symbolism of this move plays into the worst caricatures of Governor Raimondo, with children being evicted while making way for Wall Street titans. And I'm sure local cartoonists are about to have a field day with this one. 

NOT

Nicholas Mattiello:

At this point, there’s absolutely no evidence that Gallison’s problems extend to the level of public corruption, so it’s premature to suspect that his problems reflect on the House of Representatives. However, the problem for Speaker Mattiello is that the general public will likely perceive the issue as an example of his poor judgment of character since House Finance Chairman is widely regarded as the number three position in the body. Oftentimes in politics, perception is more important than reality.

NOT

Water Privatization:

The City of Providence is going to consider selling the Providence Water Department in an attempt to shore up the city’s finances due to budgetary shortfalls and red ink as far as the eye can see. This is a bad idea on many levels, the least of which being the environmental concerns and the impact the move could have on our drinking water. Here’s hoping Mayor Jorge Elorza shelves this bad idea immediately. 

NOT

5th Highest:

Rhode Island has the 5th highest cost per prisoner in the United States, according to graphiq. The state spends roughly $18,000 more per prisoner than the national average. The state needs to address this issue and find ways to reduce the cost of imprisoning people in our state—even if that means releasing non-violent drug offenders. 

NOT

Gag Order:

The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation sent a memo to its employees reminding them that they’re “contractually bound to not make any derogatory or disparaging comments about Ms. Wall” (referring to former marketing director Betsy Wall). Why does the leadership of the Commerce Corporation feel as if it needs to remind its employees to refrain from badmouthing another former employee? One would think such a common courtesy goes without saying. Is there a lack of professionalism at the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation?