Another budget season, another late night/early morning at the Statehouse. What did we learn?
n Business-friendly programs proposed by the governor were retained (or augmented), from dropping the minimum corporate tax to $400 from $450, to cutting employers' unemployment insurance taxes, to increasing funding for the Rebuild Rhode Island tax credit program, among a number of others.
n Retirees are beginning to exercise their clout, as more types of retirement income were shielded from state tax.
n The earned income tax credit received a boost, which will allow more low-income Rhode Islanders to retain a larger percentage of their salaries.
But the session's conclusion after dawn on Saturday, June 18, was a reminder of how things can go wrong. Marathon sessions are a recipe for small, unvetted ideas finding their way into law. Former House Finance Chairman Raymond E. Gallison Jr.'s resignation clearly had a negative effect on the process. Corruption is more than just an inconvenient story – it brings the function of government to a halt.
One potential antidote is the restoration of full oversight of the Ethics Commission on General Assembly members, which will be on the November ballot. It is up to Rhode Island's voters to give the commission back its teeth.
We all demand a high level of performance and integrity from our elected leaders. Rhode Island's voters should take responsibility for their part in making state government better. •