Ray Sullivan

This from WRNI today:

Just when you thought nothing much ever changes at the Rhode Island State House, along comes a group of Democratic legislators
April 6, 2009 - 10:48am
By: Scott MacKay

Just when you thought nothing much ever changes at the Rhode Island State House, along comes a group of Democratic legislators flexing their muscles and defying the House leadership. This group of pragmatic liberals may have more influence as the state struggles to fashion a spending and taxing plan for then next year.

Last Wednesday, minutes before the Rhode Island House began consideration of a midyear budget to close a $357 million deficit, a group of Democratic legislators huddled in a small hearing room outside the House chamber. After shooing a reporter away, the group pored over the details of last-minutes changes in the budget plan.

None of these lawmakers are household names. They include the recently elected, such as David Segal of Providence, Ray Sullivan of Coventry and Ed Pacheco of Burrillville. they have been joined by veteran Democrats, including Art Handy of Cranston and Edie Ajello of Providence. The loosely-organized group is said to number about 20 in the 75-member House.

Over two days, this group and their allies were able to accomplish something fairly remarkable at the capitol: upset the well-laid plans of the House Finance Committee and top House and Senate leaders.

They went to Speaker William Murphy of West Warwick and insisted that $25 million be added back to state aid to Rhode Island's reeling cities and towns. They pushed for caucuses to give the rank-and-file members a chance to comment on budget proposals before they are sprung for floor votes. And they won agreement from their leaders that House budget-writers will consider taxing upper-income taxpayers if revenues must be raised to close further deficits.

Many of the younger representatives in the group call themselves progressives, or progs for short. This is the 21st century euphuism for liberals.

Those charges were modest, considering the magnitude of government red ink in a state with a sinking economy. But that it happened at all is unusual, because legislative leaders usually punish mutinies by low-level lawmakers.

Why did the leaders buckle? Because they can count. They needed the votes of the liberal members to win approval of the budget by a margin big enough to withstand a veto by Republican Governor Donald Carcieri.

THIS MIGHT SEEM LIKE INSIDE BASEBALL. BUT THE COMPLEXION OF THE HOUSE IS CHANGING.

Murphy is seen in the twilight of his speakership and others are lining up to take his place. House Majority Leader Gordon Fox of Providence is interested in moving up and he was instrumental in helping the liberals with their agenda.

The collision course will come as these liberal members propose taxing wealth and the governor and more conservative Democrats push back.

There is no mystery why House liberals are increasing their power. It is the result of choices made by the VOTERS, WHO IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES RECENTLY HAVE SIDED WITH LIBERALS AND WITH THE PRACTICAL EXTINCTION OF THE RHODE ISLAND REPUBLICAN PARTY, WHOSE LEADERS DON'T SEEM CAPABLE OF RECRUITING EFFECTIVE CANDIDATES. WATCH FOR A VERY CONTENTIOUS JOUST AS LEGISLATORS STRUGGLE TO PASS A TAXING AND SPENDING PLAN FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR THAT BEGINS ON JULY 1st.