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Providence Journal
PROVIDENCE Former Senate Majority Leader John “Jack” Ravens is set to take a seat on the state Public Utilities Commission after winning confirmation Tuesday.
Despite the opposition of some senators who argue that Revens lacks the experience in energy and utilities issues that would qualify him for the $139,000-a-year position, his appointment was all but assured after he secured the support of Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and other members of Senate leadership.
Indeed, it was two members of the leadership team Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey and Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin who spoke in support of Revens before the 29-to-9 vote in favor of his appointment to the commission that sets electric, gas and water rates in Rhode Island and implements state energy policies.
Staffers are coming and going and where it stops nobody knows.
One Job, Two People Combined Salary $319,162.63
Presently, the top position has two people serving Shekarchi’s new JCLS executive director Henry Kinch has come over from the judiciary where he was the clerk of the court for Providence County and, the executive director Frank Montanaro continues in his role. Montanaro continues to receive his salary but is only working on certain aspects of his job.
According to Shekarchi’s spokesman Larry Berman who was also spokesmen for former speakers Gordon Fox and Nick Mattiello told GoLocal is a statement, “Frank Montanaro has a temporary title of director of facilities, operations, and capital projects. He is helping in the transition in the short-term while finishing with various capital projects that he was previously overseeing.”
RI climate bill moves forward in Senate providencejournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from providencejournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
5 States That Might Legalize Marijuana in 2021 Monday, 01 February 2021
In 2020, the number of states that ended pot prohibition reached 15 (and the District of Columbia), as voters in four states Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota legalized marijuana through the initiative process. Since 2021 is not an election year, any states that attempt to legalize marijuana this year will have to go through the much more cumbersome legislative process, but at least a handful of them are poised to do so.
It is no coincidence that the early progress toward state-level legalization has been led by states that allow for voter initiatives. State legislatures badly trail public opinion on the issue, and beyond that, the legislative process itself is messy, beset with horse-trading, and progress of a bill is beholden to key legislative gatekeepers the committee chairs and majority leaders.