Rhode Island will reform education, clean up the environment and invest in alternative energy plans, Gov. Donald Carcieri '65 announced last night in his annual State of the State speech to the Rhode Island General Assembly. He also addressed the need to decrease taxes, reduce spending and accelerate economic growth.
Carcieri, a Republican who was elected to a second term as governor last November, praised Rhode Island's strengths, including its "first-rate transportation infrastructure," "high-quality, affordable healthcare" and "honest, ethical, open government." But, he said, "We have a lot more to do," and proposed a range of initiatives and reforms for the coming year.
His policy suggestions, which focused on education, energy, the environment and the economy, were to be followed today by the release of his budget for the 2008 fiscal year. Carcieri said he would propose $85 million in his budget for cleaning up Narragansett Bay, $70 million to improve state highways and $46 million to reform elementary and secondary education.
"We are finally beginning to close the education gap," Carcieri said, commending the statewide test results released yesterday, which showed improvement in Rhode Island students' reading and math skills, especially in urban schools. Still, he said, "Rhode Island urban schools will be our biggest challenge."
He outlined elements of what he called "Rhode Island's 21st-century education plan," which included finding a "fair funding formula" to ensure equity between education in urban and suburban communities. Carcieri emphasized that education could be improved by centralizing authority, and he suggested the possibility of a state-wide teacher contract, as well as merging school districts. "Thirty-six school districts in a state our size is just too many," he said.
Carcieri also took this approach to the unique problems of urban schools: Rhode Island - which has the seventh-highest percentage of students learning English as an additional language in the country - needs to "devise one curriculum and concentrate resources" for teaching students English, he said.
The governor mentioned a forthcoming partnership between the University of Rhode Island and the Central Falls school district. "Bringing the university's prestige and resources to (Central Falls High School) will be a wonderful boost to teachers, students and administrators," he said.
Carcieri said Rhode Island should meet 20 percent of its electricity needs with renewable sources - wind, water and solar power - by 2011. To meet the goal, the governor announced the creation of the Rhode Island Power Authority, which will manage and sell the state's renewable energy.
In addition to the $86 million allocated to clean up Narragansett Bay, Carcieri said Rhode Island would join nine other Mid-Atlantic and New England states in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a joint effort to reduce greenhouse gases. Rhode Island was one of the states that helped draft the initiative, but Carcieri decided against joining with the other states last year. His announcement makes Rhode Island the last of the ten states to commit to the initiative.
"Economic development will be the relentless focus of my administration," Carcieri said, promising to reduce state spending in order to balance the budget. He said he will adopt an "aggressive strategy to create an innovation economy," bringing more research and business to the Ocean State.
Carcieri's 35-minute speech was interrupted 22 times by applause from members of the General Assembly and three times by laughter.
Immediately after Carcieri's address, House Majority Leader Gordon Fox, D-Dist. 4, and Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, D-Dist. 13, gave the Democratic response. Fox and Paiva-Weed echoed the themes of the governor's speech - energy, education, the economy and the environment - and also discussed health care.
Fox emphasized the need for Rhode Island to "invest in higher education" and said he would not have risen to his position if not for his education at Rhode Island College. Fox also said the General Assembly is "working to eliminate property taxes" and will make further reductions to inventory and capital gains taxes.
"Rhode Island leaders have an obligation to combat global warming," Paiva-Weed said of the governor's promise to join the greenhouse gas initiative. She also said the General Assembly will work to improve water quality and increase public access to Narragansett Bay.
Paiva-Weed also expressed concern about the current state of health care in Rhode Island and said the number of uninsured children in the state has increased by 200 percent over the past six years. She cited recently adopted healthcare policies in Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont and suggested that Rhode Island should follow suit by adopting a "comprehensive" healthcare policy that includes insurance for children.
Providence resident Eva Simmons criticized Carcieri's education policy record. "I don't think he's done the right thing in the past," she said after the speech. "I think he spoke well this evening, but we'll see if it's carried out."
Carcieri has tried to improve education but has been limited by financial restraints in the past, Rhode Island District Court Magistrate Christine Jabour told The Herald. She expressed optimism for future efforts because "it seems like he's gotten consensus ... that will accomplish the goals he's set."
Despite the challenges Carcieri sees facing the Ocean State, he remains optimistic. "All problems become opportunities," he concluded.
