Katherine Gregg: Political Scene: Interest groups pepper R.I. candidates with surveys

Aug. 20--'Tis the season when candidates are deluged with questionnaires from interest groups asking: You with us or against us?

The gun lobby. The anti-gun lobby. The pro- and antiabortion-rights lobbies. The big teachers' union. The list goes on. Some of the surveys have already been followed by endorsements. Others, not yet.

In some races, especially low-turnout Assembly races, every endorsement, every Facebook post, every mention in a church bulletin can make a big potential difference.

"In the last election cycle one of the most anti-gun legislators in Rhode Island won by 21 votes," the RI 2nd Amendment PAC warned its members in a recent Facebook post that alluded to the 2016 defeat, in a primary, of then-House Majority Leader John DeSimone by gun-control advocate Marcia Ranglin-Vassell. "Does this sound like something gun owners could have stopped?" (Note: Based in part on its own survey results, the R.I. Coalition Against Gun Violence announced just last week its own endorsement of Ranglin-Vassell.)

Most of the surveys begin pretty much the same way.

As the Rev. Bernard Healey, the chief State House lobbyist for the Rhode Island Catholic Diocese, wrote legislative office-holders and candidates: "I am asking for your assistance to help the people of our state make educated and informed votes."

"Once the returned surveys are processed, we make the information available to parishes and others in our community as part of our voter education efforts. The results may be published on our website, and they may also be included as parish bulletin inserts. Pastors exercise discretion in how and when this voter education material is to be distributed and utilized in their local community."

Among the questions the church affiliate known as the Rhode Island Catholic Conference posed to candidates: "Would you support or oppose taxpayer-funded abortion? ... Would you support or oppose upholding Rhode Island's parental consent law for abortions for minors? ... Would you support or oppose laws that would allow physician assisted suicide?"

Another question deals obliquely with the church's lost battle to block same-sex marriage in Rhode Island: "Would you support or oppose legislation that provides adequate conscience protections for religious institutions and individuals so that they would be protected from violating their religious freedom and personal conscience?"

The survey also delved into candidates' stances on IDs on for "law-abiding undocumented immigrants," a ban on "all automatic weapons except those used by the military and police" and the expansion of tax credits for businesses that donate money to scholarships at non-public schools.

The Rhode Island State Right to Life Committee, in its own questionnaire, posed this question: "Would you vote to prohibit all government-subsidized health insurance plans offered through HealthSource RI from including coverage for elective abortion?"

The Planned Parenthood affiliate that tried -- and failed this year -- to get lawmakers to enshrine abortion rights in Rhode Island law asked candidates: "Will you support a woman's constitutionally protected right to choose a safe, legal abortion by sponsoring or voting for state legislation that would preserve legal abortion no matter what happens at the federal level?"

"Will you sponsor or vote for legislation that would add coverage of abortion services to Rhode Island's Medicaid program, as is the case in Connecticut and Massachusetts?"

The National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund sent candidates a five-page, 23-question survey. Among the questions: "Would you support state legislation restricting the possession, ownership, purchase, sale and/or possession of semi-automatic firearms and/or limits on the capacity of magazines designed for self-defense?"

"Would you support repealing the state's obsolete and unnecessary seven-day waiting period?"

Many of the questions came with a prompt to candidates on where the NRA stands, such as this one: "Would you support state legislation prohibiting an individual who has undergone a criminal background check from purchasing more than one firearm per month?" The NRA prompt: "There is no evidence that limiting the number of firearms a law-abiding citizen can purchase in an arbitrary period of time has lowered violent crime rates."

Needless to say, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence also sent out a survey before announcing its first run of endorsements:

Among the questions: "Would you be willing to publicly support a ban on guns in schools?" Prompt: "Rhode Island law permits anyone with a concealed carry permit -- that is teachers, parents, school administrators, custodians -- to enter school grounds with a firearm without notifying administration that they are carrying."

And then there's this: "We know poverty is a root cause of gun violence. Would you be in support of legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $15/hr?"

At some point, most of the surveys will produce endorsements. Stay tuned.

Bid to keep team

costly for city

From his statements Friday, it appeared Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien was not yet convinced the PawSox would actually pull up stakes and move to Worcester.

"While unclear if the Massachusetts subsidies are truly a done deal," he said, "no matter what, Pawtucket will pursue other innovative ways to invest in our quality of life, as a community and with our fellow Rhode Islanders."

There's this: the City of Pawtucket has paid close to $50,000 in legal and consulting fees so far this year -- and may end up paying more than double that -- for the city's fight to keep the Pawtucket Red Sox. The rundown so far:

The city paid a total of $33,491 through June to the Providence law firm of Orson and Brusini to represent Pawtucket "in all matters regarding the potential move of the Pawtucket Red Sox from McCoy stadium" to a new home.

The engagement letter signed by lawyer Theodore Orson is actually dated March 6, 2015, when the wealthy owners of the minor-league team were on a failed mission to win $120 million in public subsidies -- and free land -- to build a new ballpark on the Providence waterfront.

The State House debate this year centered on the proposed relocation of the team from one location in Pawtucket, the deteriorating McCoy stadium, to another: the downtown site where the Apex department store now stands.

The law firm's billings reflect the ups-and-downs of activity after a version of the stadium-financing bill whizzed from the Senate early this year to the House, where House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello declared it had too much taxpayer risk. State guarantees were stripped from the final legislation, making the anticipated borrowing costs significantly higher.

On May 21, the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency (PRA) hired Sterling Project Development Group -- at an overall cost of $85,000 -- to advise the city on the potential options for developing various parcels of city land, including the real estate "in and around" the proposed ballpark. The initial payment: $10,000.

The first task: "Change the image of the project from merely a ballpark to a sport, entertainment & commercial revitalization effort." (The first report -- due in 60 days -- has not yet been made public.)

On June 29, Grebien and the redevelopment agency hired former state Sen. Sean Coffey and his associates at Burns & Levinson at rates of up to $475 an hour.

According to the engagement letter, Burns & Levinson was hired "in connection with negotiations for the financing, construction and lease of a new stadium ... on a site to be acquired from the Apex Companies."

"It is not possible at this early stage for us to estimate with any degree of certainty how much time and effort will be required to fulfill your primary objective," Coffey wrote. (As of late last week, Grebien's deputy director of administration, Dylan Zelazo, said Coffey's firm had not yet submitted a bill.)

On July 24, the redevelopment agency refined an earlier agreement with Partridge Snow & Hahn. The updated agreement specifically named the firm as bond counsel for the envisioned sale of bonds to finance the public's $38-million share of the proposed $83-million new ballpark, acquisition of land for "the ballpark and related infrastructure" by direct purchase, "negotiated sale or eminent domain." Through June, the PRA had paid the firm $1,534.

Along the way, the redevelopment agency also engaged the services of MuniCap, a Maryland-based company that specializes in "tax-increment financing."

Among MuniCap's responsibilities: to help the city evaluate potential revenue sources, including "the use of special assessments to help ensure there are adequate revenues" to pay the debt. Payments through June totaled $3,475.

FWIW: The city has not gone public with the presentation it made to the PawSox owners two weeks ago.

Assembly may return

to OK new judges

Don't be surprised if the Rhode Island Senate reconvenes in mid to late September for a post-primary session to approve judges.

At this point, there are eight openings for two new judges in Superior Court, one in Family Court, two in District Court and three in the Workers Compensation Court. There are also openings for new magistrates, one in the Family Court and the other in the Traffic Tribunal.

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