This Just In: Supreme Court decisions cast a long shadow in RI
Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. If you haven't been to the beach yet this year, this might be the weekend to do it, with temperatures likely to approach 90 degrees both Saturday and Sunday.
No matter which side of the debate on abortion you happen to fall, today is a day that will go down in history. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which gave Americans a constitutional right to an abortion, erasing a nearly half-century-old precedent.
President Joe Biden called the ruling "a very solemn moment," while U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said it was "courageous and correct." The comments reflected a broader divide among citizens across the country.
Here in Rhode Island, advocates for abortion rights decried the decision while fretting about what it might mean for other hard-fought rights in America. But the Supreme Court decision has little immediate impact here, since Rhode Island has enshrined the right to an abortion in state law.
Rhode Island lawmakers did not act, however, on a bill that would have allowed abortion to be covered by Medicaid and state employee health insurance plans. The Equality in Abortion Act was not the only high-profile initiative that died for the year before lawmakers adjourned the 2022 session early this morning. Among the other casualties: an attempt to reform the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights, and another that would have clarified the extent of the public's right to access the shoreline.
One measure that seemed dead, only to be resurrected in the closing hours of the Senate session: a tax break for developers of large solar projects – much to the chagrin of municipal leaders.
In one of the biggest surprises of the Assembly's final night, House Republican leader Blake Filippi announced that he will not seek reelection this year.
Today's seismic news on abortion comes at a time when the fight over gun rights remains very much in the news. Yesterday's Supreme Court decision striking down a concealed-carry law in New York state could have implications for a similar law in Rhode Island. And the ink is barely dry on Rhode Island's new law banning high-capacity magazines, but a Chepachet gun store and four individual gun owners are already challenging it in federal court.
Meanwhile, two restaurants owned by state Sen. Josh Miller, who has long favored stronger gun control, have seen a surge in no-show reservations and negative online reviews in the days since the high-capacity magazine ban and two other gun bills passed the General Assembly.
On Sunday, the Democratic State Committee will decide which candidates in the 2022 election to endorse, but House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi has already lined up behind incumbent Gov. Dan McKee.
The Rhode Island Department of Health reported no new coronavirus-related deaths and 274 additional cases of COVID-19, along with 3,063 negative tests, for an 8.9% positive rate. There were 55 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, up from 54 reported yesterday, with fewer than five in intensive care. Rhode Island has reported an average of 261 new cases a day over the last seven days, down 13% from a week ago and down 30% from two weeks ago. For the past seven days, the test positivity rate was 7.8%, down from 8.0% last week.
Nothing seems to be typical this year when it comes to the consumer economy, so maybe this should not be a surprise: Rhode Islanders planning summer getaways are finding that international trips might be cheaper than staying in the country.
Although no cases of deadly avian flu have been confirmed in Rhode Island, officials believe it may be responsible for an unusual number of dead seabirds that have been turning up recently on the state's beaches.
A four-year effort to ease traffic in the Cranston Canyon stretch of Route 295 kicked off today.
This week's Walking RI destination follows an old trolley line in Lincoln. For a different type of outdoor fun, you could go kayaking, as Amy Russo did recently on the Wood River.
Three players with Rhode Island ties are getting shots with NBA teams. Bill Koch has the news of who is going where.
And finally, two years after the death of his father derailed a rising local golf star, Patrick Welch is getting back on track.
It's been kind of an exhausting news week, so I'm going to try to have a good weekend –and you do the same. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, please encourage a friend to sign up.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: This Just In: Supreme Court decisions cast a long shadow in RI
