To The Editor: How laughable is this? “McKee won’t sign RI budget in protest over tax increases” (Providence Journal, News, June 27.) McKee submitted a $14.2-billion 2026 budget proposal to the General Assembly. The General Assembly increased it to $14.3 billion. McKee is quibbling over a minuscule increase in his already highly inflated budget? Laughable! Both the governor and the General Assembly should be ejected from office in the 2026 election for their profligate spending. Apparently, they have never looked at the other three small New England states’ budgets. Maine, with 30% more people than Rhode Island, has a 2026 budget of $11.6B; New Hampshire, also with 30% more people, will spend only $7.9B; while Vermont’s 683,000 people will spend $9.1B. Both the governor and the General Assembly should visit these states and find out how they manage to run their states without bankrupting the taxpayers. And, by the way, the three states mentioned generally fare far better than Rhode Island in measurable achievements – from road and bridge conditions to educational outcomes. For Rhode Island taxpayers, this is laughable but not funny! Lonnie Barham Warwick more

To the Editor: Col. Bradford E. Connor, Warwick’s former chief of police, and Joseph H. Crowley, a member of Mayor Picozzi’s School Budget Commission, have different ideas as to how best … more

It’s no wonder that the Warwick Neck Fourth of July parade has become a tradition. It’s too much fun to not keep going year after year. But it’s changed. That’s not a bad … more

To the Editor: If you are one of the thousands of Rhode Islanders with a Medicare Advantage plan through UnitedHealthcare, beware: As of July 1, 2025, the following Brown … more

Back in 2021 and 2022, when I was a member of the House of Representatives, I chaired a study commission that explored and recommended ways to reform the Coastal Resources Management Council. The … more

This legislative session will be remembered for hard work, thoughtful deliberation and collaboration that made possible many improvements for the people of Rhode Island. Faced with a budget shortfall … more

Americans are a people whose majority will outwardly claim to respect their nation’s armed forces. It’s not surprising, considering our nation’s origin story is rooted in an … more

To the Editor: It is always safe to assume that one has chosen the right path when the keyboard warrior  “A.H.” Liddle takes time to belligerently chastise them in the Warwick … more

My son Ted stood back, looking at the table. He held a tape measure and stretched it out. It was 6 feet long. We should all have intuitively known it was 6 feet. The metal-top table has been a … more

Like many Rhode Islanders, we know firsthand the frustration of trying to secure primary care in our state. Both of us and members of our families have encountered the same obstacles that countless … more

Out of a search that ballooned to nearly half a hundred qualified candidates, the state Council on Postsecondary Education thankfully decided they already had the best candidate right under their … more

In reference to the Beacon editorial of June 5 (“Not all roads lead to college”), it seems fashionable these days to pile on against our institutions of higher education for a litany of … more

To the Editor:   I like Kim Izzi. I think she does a good job as principal at St. Rose of Lima School in Warwick. That is why I feel obligated to push back against the devious and … more

“Looking good,” John Cavanagh said in a voice loud enough to be heard across Warwick Cove. The skipper of the 40-foot sailboat passing to our starboard looked over at John’s … more

Rhode Island has long championed personal freedoms, including the right to religious expression. However, a troubling trend has emerged: an increasing number of parents are claiming … more

In December, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Rhode Island's truck-only tolls are permissible, but the caps added to the 2016 law to protect local businesses are illegal. Accordingly, … more

In a flurry of activity, the General Assembly finished its 2025 legislative session Friday night, passing many bills that will affect thousands of Rhode Islanders in the years to come. Among … more

To the Editor: As I turn 75, I have a wealth of wisdom that I didn’t possess many years ago. I was baptized on the Fourth of July and have always kidded that I am, therefore, a … more

You know there’s going to be a parade long before the Pawtuxet Rangers raise their muskets and fire a volley into the air. I was too early for the volley and, in fact, seeing that it was … more

To the Editor: Bob Sweeney seems to suggest that there is a moral equivalence between the National Guard and Marines deployed to restore law and order in Los Angeles and the rioters and … more