Speaker-Elect Joe Shekarchi PHOTO: GoLocal It’s a new era in Rhode Island. Speaker-elect Joseph Shekarchi is poised to take the helm of the Rhode Island House of Representatives in January, following a tumultuous 2020. Shekarchi in the waning days of 2020 oversaw the passage of a stop-gap Fiscal Year 2021 budget that was heavy on spending from federal CARES Act dollars — but light on addressing the state’s significant fiscal realities moving forward. In 2021, Shekarchi will have to usher through a workable and sustainable Fiscal Year 2022 budget, that more than likely could see the full scale legalization of marijuana in Rhode Island — after the application period for expanded compassion center licenses closed in the waning days of 2020, with lobbyists and political insiders vying for a foothold in the industry.