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Newport Harbor. Photo: GoLocal
A coalition of business, tourism, hospitality, manufacturing and marine entities is calling on the General Assembly and the incoming McKee Administration to immediately enact measures to minimize the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and restore economic prosperity to the greater Newport region.
According to Erin Donovan-Boyle, executive director of the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce and spokesperson for the Restore Greater Newport Task Force, the next 90 days will be some of the most critical for Rhode Island’s economy and the livelihood of business owners and residents.
Restore Greater Newport is a coalition of private, public and government entities working collaboratively since March of 2020 to minimize the impact of COVID-19.
How long they actually stay is another question.
Democrat Raimondo is poised to resign mid-term to take a new job, in Washington, as President Joe Biden s commerce secretary. Her confirmation hearing was Tuesday. An committee vote on her nomination is anticipated next Wednesday, February 3.
The exact timing of Raimondo s departure is unclear. But Sen. Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, told Raimondo on Tuesday: I do not believe you will be serving as governor of the state of Rhode Island for very much longer.
Against that backdrop, McKee is preparing for his move up one flight to the governor s State House suite as soon as next week. He has set 5 p.m. Tuesday as the deadline for those seeking appointment by him as R.I. s next lieutenant governor to submit a letter of interest online to his transition team at www.mckeetransition.com/.