Political Roundtable The Public's Radio

Rhode Island has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to address the state’s housing crisis. Despite that, there are few tangible signs of progress so far, and there’s pushback from some cities and towns and even from some Democratic lawmakers. At the same time, the gusher of federal COVID aid that enabled consecutive state budget surpluses has dried up. Because of that, large deficits once again loom ahead in future fiscal years. And Rhode Island continues to struggle with issues like underperforming schools and the quest for a more vibrant economy. So what will it take to make more progress on key issues like the housing crisis and the state’s fiscal outlook? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with the number two official in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Majority Leader Christopher Blazejewski.

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As someone who grew up in Harlem and the Bronx, Brown University professor Tricia Rose has had a front row seat on the racial fault lines in American society. Her latest book is Metaracism -- How Systemic Racism Devastates Black Lives -- And How We Break Free. Rose’s book offers a new view of structural racism, how it works, and what is needed to make change. So are Americans ready to acknowledge the persistence of racism and how it affects our country? And how is the outlook for improving the situation in the heat of a high-stakes political year? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with director of Brown University’s Center for the Study and Race and Ethnicity in America Tricia Rose.

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The Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families recently sounded an alarm about a growing number of deaths and near deaths involving young children. The coalition is calling on Gov. Dan McKee and state lawmakers to take action to address the crisis. This situation has quietly developed over years and a number of different factors are responsible. So does Rhode Island have the will to do a better job in protecting the state's most vulnerable children? And what other steps are needed to improve the lives of young people in the state? This week on Political Roundtable, Political Reporter Ian Donnis goes in-depth with Darlene Allen, chairwoman of the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families.

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Rhode Island has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to produce more housing. But relatively little new construction has happened so far, and some cities and towns resist attempts to get them to welcome more residents. The median price of a single-family home in Rhode Island was $440,000 in February, an almost 15 percent increase from a year earlier. The high cost of housing leaves many people on the outside of home ownership, looking in, squeezing out those with less money. So what will it take for the state to make more progress, and how long? I’m Ian Donnis, and this week I’m going in-depth with Rhode Island Secretary of Housing Stefan Pryor.

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Cortney Nicolato became president and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island in 2018. It was a homecoming for the Pawtucket native and URI grad who had worked in the nonprofit sector in Texas for the previous 13 years. Nicolato took the helm of one of Rhode Island’s top nonprofits in the run-up to the pandemic. She helped introduce 401Gives, now Rhode Island’s largest philanthropic effort, which this year raised more than $3.7 million for almost 600 different organizations. Nicolato has also emerged as a leading advocate for confronting the state’s housing crisis. But what will it take to build a stronger economy in Rhode Island and to make more progress on other key issues? This week, political reporter Ian Donnis goes in-depth with United Way of Rhode Island President/CEO Cortney Nicolato.

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Jennifer Stewart won election as a state representative from Pawtucket in 2022. She ran on the idea that lawmakers should do more to help everyday Rhode Islanders with key needs like healthcare and housing. But these are complex issues that defy easy solutions. Stewart is one of a number of progressive lawmakers who have joined the legislature over the last decade, moving the General Assembly a bit more to the left. But Rhode Island still faces familiar challenges in building a stronger economy and improving public schools. What will it take to make more progress? And do progressive lawmakers have the vision to make it happen? I’m Ian Donnis and this week I’m going in-depth with state Representative Jennifer Stewart.

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