Health care, economy, education and gun legislation top Raimondo’s agenda in State of the State address

Jan. 16--PROVIDENCE -- Setting ambitious goals for her second four-year term in the state's top office, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo on Tuesday night promised "to strengthen gun laws, end the overdose crisis, protect health care, expand job training, support businesses and provide our children with a world-class education."

In her fifth annual State of the State address to lawmakers, Raimondo proposed bold -- and in some cases pricey -- new moves on each of these fronts, without once mentioning the potential $200-million deficit that hovers like a storm cloud over this year's budget deliberations. She also never once mentioned the word "marijuana" days after coming out in favor of legalization.

But she covered a lot of other ground in her agenda-setting speech to a packed House chamber, calling on lawmakers to raise the state's minimum wage, from $10.50 to $11.10 an hour next January, to "put us on a pathway to a $15 minimum wage." (In Massachusetts, the minimum is already $12 an hour.)

Education was a dominant theme.

Raimondo promised that the new state budget she unveils on Thursday will include an additional $30 million in school aid for cities and towns, raising the total to $972.6 million next year.

She pledged $10 million to move Rhode Island a step closer to "universal public pre-kindergarten," saying in the prepared text of her speech: "Kids who go to high-quality preschool are more likely to graduate high school, more likely to get a good job and keep a good job, and less likely to commit a crime."

She also pledged her efforts to provide free college tuition -- now available at the Community College of Rhode Island only -- to full-time students in the last two years of a four-year degree program at Rhode Island College. Applause roared through the chamber.

"The number-one reason students drop out is cost," the governor said. "They can't juggle a full course load and two or three jobs to cover tuition."

"This small but smart investment -- a few million dollars in a $10-billion budget -- will change lives, strengthen our economy and help us fulfill our obligation to ensure that every Rhode Islander can get a good job," Raimondo said. The estimated first-year cost is $3.3 million.

"And before these four years are done, let's bring [the free-tuition Rhode Island Promise program] to the University of Rhode Island."

Raimondo did not ignore the proverbial elephant in the room: dismal student test scores compared with those of communities of similar size and demographics in Massachusetts.

Calling the recent test scores "unacceptable," she said: "Let's resolve to do whatever it takes to make Rhode Island's schools competitive with our neighbors and give every single one of our children a shot at a bright future -- no matter their background or their ZIP code."

Endorsed by the National Education Association Rhode Island in her bid for reelection last year, Raimondo did not raise any of the high-controversy issues in the state's long-running education-reform debate, such as the role -- and value -- of more aggressive teacher evaluations, graduation requirements and charter schools.

She focused instead on the "need to get even more serious about addressing our lowest-performing schools" and instituting "the highest-quality curricula in every school across the state, similar to how they do it in Massachusetts. ... We [also] need the courage to set an ambitious plan and stick to it."

In his televised response, House GOP leader Blake Filippi of Block Island said "rigorous accountability" has been lacking for both teachers and students.

"The days when unprepared students advance through school must end. A high-school diploma must mean something again," Filippi said.

Raimondo's speech drew mixed reviews. There were loud cheers at points, and some less enthusiastic responses popping up on Twitter. For example, the Rhode Island chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses fired off tweets warning against a minimum-wage hike. "Will only lead to more dark storefronts!" said one.

House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, who had his poker face on through much of the speech, commended the governor for "promoting education and helping our kids," and then questioned where she expected to get the money.

"I don't know if any of you were doing math compiling her agenda proposals -- and I like every one of them -- but the money is coming from somewhere, so you got to assess where the pain is before you can go forward," he said.

Echoed Senate President Dominick Ruggerio when asked about Raimondo's free-tuition proposal: "We're going to have to look at it when the budget comes out."

Here is a summary of some of the other issues raised and promises made in Raimondo's speech:

Health care: Citing the "constant attacks" on the Affordable Care Act by Republicans in Washington, Raimondo said: "Rhode Islanders with preexisting conditions and thousands of families who count on the ACA for coverage have a target on their back.... We have to take action to protect them."

"Let's pass legislation this year that protects the Affordable Care Act in Rhode Island. And let's take steps to lower premiums and reduce insurance costs for people and small businesses."

The state budget office has estimated it would cost $300 million if the state were to assume the full cost of Rhode Island's "Obamacare" program, which includes Medicaid coverage for people who would not otherwise be eligible. "Under that scenario, about $200 million for Medicaid expansion and another $100 million in tax credits for HealthSource RI would be required to maintain current coverage levels," a budget spokeswoman told The Journal in December.

Raimondo spokesman Mike Raia said the governor is not contemplating a takeover, but wants to put the important features, such as coverage of preexisting conditions, into state law.

Another Raimondo pledge: "a new initiative to address mental health in our schools ... to make sure that kids can have access to health care for their anxiety and depression just as they do for a broken arm or the flu." Details to come.

"And while we are talking about health care," Raimondo repeated her oft-stated support for passage of a law to protect the legal right to an abortion in Rhode Island, no matter what Congress or a reshaped U.S. Supreme Court might do in the future to the landmark abortion-rights ruling known as Roe v. Wade.

Guns: "Let's ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and let's ban guns in schools," she said. "It's time."

"Later this month, I will submit a comprehensive package of gun safety reforms that we know will save lives."

The economy: "We went from having the highest unemployment rate in America to now having more jobs in our state than at any time in our state's history. We went from having the worst roads in America to more road construction happening right now than at any other time in our lifetimes. More Rhode Islanders are on track to graduate from CCRI than ever before and thousands of people are getting good jobs because we worked with employers to build new job training programs that have become a national model."

She proposed an expansion of a current program that provides job training in schools. Details to come.

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