Amid mask fight, some returning lawmakers asked to take COVID tests before session starts [The Providence Journal]

PROVIDENCE - On their first day back from a six-month break, Rhode Island lawmakers approved $119 million in federal windfall spending and were poised to approve a passel of new judges and magistrates.

They were also over-rode two of Governor Dan McKee's vetoes, including one of a bill guaranteeing the payment of auto body shop markups pushed by a persistent State House lobby that parceled out more than $99,000 in political donations last year.

In the Senate, the returning lawmakers found rapid COVID-19 test kits on their office desks, which they were asked to take before coming to the Senate floor, with no reported positives.

The House opted not to do so.

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House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi explained in an opening-day email to colleagues: "Like many of you, I have been disheartened by the reports that our constituents are forced to wait in long lines at state-run COVID testing sites, and I share their frustration that they are waiting far too long to receive test results.

"I don't think it is prudent at this time to be distributing test kits to our members at the State House."

The most contentious issue of the day: masks.

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While the Democrats who hold a 98-to-15 majority in the two chambers wore masks, as they have through months of off-session committee hearings, the leader of the tiny House GOP caucus protested the requirement in advance.

Anticipating the issue, Shekarchi sent out an email on December 20 that said, "For those who do not comply with the mask mandate, we will offer an accommodation and permit seating in the House Gallery (facing the Rostrum).

"The gallery would be set up in similar fashion to the Veterans Auditorium last year, where a member or members could vote via their iPads and participate in the debates with a microphone that would be stationed in the gallery."

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But House GOP Leader Blake Filippi of Block Island wrote back, "The Minority Caucus has determined that maskless House Members may not be involuntarily relegated to the House Gallery.

"They have a right to conduct legislative business on the House Floor. No rule of the House can de facto usurp this right."

Instead of relegating maskless Republicans to the galleries, Filippi suggested any Democrat who is uncomfortable go to the House gallery, which "would be safer for them: away from the bulk of members, regardless of masks. "

In the end, however, only three of the eight House Republicans present foropening-day went maskless. Even Filippi wore a mask.

When asked why, he said: .I am being polite and we are in close quarters...and I am choosing to wear this mask out of my own volition. I am not wearing it because of any unlawful executive orders or any dictates from the speaker.

"This is my personal choice," he said.

But a handful of lawmakers with seats close to wear the unmasked Republicans - Rep. Justin Price, David Place and Robert Quattrocchi - sit in the chamber, moved into empty seats elsewhere.

And so it began.

Before the day was over, McKee had signed the legislation earmarking the first 10% of Rhode Island's $1.13 billion in federal American Rescue Plan dollars to a plateful of broadly described efforts, from "affordable housing" to "small business relief," with "retention bonuses" included for various groups of child care workers.

In his welcome back speech, Speaker Shekarchi lauded the opening day approval of "the first down-payment on $1.1 billion dollars in federal funds that will boost our economy and assist families and businesses."

Looking ahead to the next six months, he said: "A good deal of our work - as was the case last year - will focus on the health and economic issues related to the pandemic, which still has us in its grip."

"We are presented with an historic opportunity to make critical long-term investments to ensure our state is in a better place for everyone. Including businesses, workers, families, children and seniors — for decades to come," he said.

FEDERAL MONEY:

McKee's initial proposal released early in the fall was for $113 million and among other things featured $45 million in assistance and $12.7 million for retention bonuses for childcare workers.

State lawmakers kept most of McKee's proposal and added $6 million to the childcare worker program, bringing the total price tag to $119 million. With the additional funding, workers can claim up to $3,000 in bonuses per year instead of $2,000 per year under McKee's original plan.

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The small business aid includes $32 million in aid to businesses with less than $1 million in revenue hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other pieces of the spending plan include $15 million for affordable housing developers, and $13 million for the hospitality industry and $12.5 million for the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

JUDGES:

The Assembly was set to confirm five of McKee's appointment to lifetime judgeships and approve two new magistrates.

The judges are Kevin McHugh in Superior Court; Jeanine Perella McConaghy and Shilpa Naik in Family Court; William J. Trezvant in District Court and George J. Lazieh in Workers' Compensation Court.

The magistrates are Gina K. Lopes and William P. Rampone.

VETO OVERRIDES:

The lawmakers over-rode two of the governor's summer vetoes, including one obliging the state's auto insurers to pay auto body shop markups and a less controversial measure creating a registry for Airbnb, Vrbo and other short-term rentals bedeviling communities like Newport.

Of the auto body shop bill, McKee's veto message said: "The National Association of Insurance Commissioners ... ranks [Rhode Island] 7th in the nation for highest auto insurance premiums. As we look to restart our economy after the pandemic, we cannot implement measures that may drive costs even higher for consumers and small businesses."

The brother of one of Shekarchi's former clients - Johnston body shop owner and developer Thomas Casale - lead a campaign for the override, that included the submission of an op-ed to The Journal.

The op-ed,said in part: "The governor was mistaken...The act does not add any new costs at all. Payment of industry standard markup and sublet services have always been honored by most insurance companies.

"However, a small number of mostly out-of-state insurers take their customer's premium payments, but after an accident, they want to get away without paying for what is necessary to repair the vehicle."

The auto body shop owners also handed out at least $99,050 in political donations between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2021. The vast majority of those dollars went to state lawmakers.

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