On Jan. 14, Governor Dan McKee delivered the annual State of the State address, outlining his legislative priorities for the upcoming year, which include advancing education, raising income and supporting the health of residents.
McKee also laid out his plans for a proposed budget, which was later unveiled on Jan. 16 and includes a proposed assault weapons ban.
“Year after year, I’ve stood here and asked the General Assembly to send an assault weapons ban to my desk,” McKee said. “This year, I’m sending a budget to the General Assembly that — for the first time — will include a ban on assault weapons.”
Mia Tretta ’27 is a volunteer leader with the Brown University Students Demand Action chapter, which advocates against gun violence. “We’re grateful that Governor McKee is taking a stand on gun violence prevention and showing his support for a ban on assault weapons,” she wrote in a statement sent to The Herald.
“The next step is getting an assault weapons ban across the finish line,” Tretta added.
McKee’s budget proposal was not without controversy. In her rebuttal speech to the State of the State address, Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz said his proposed assault weapons ban was “completely out of place” in the 2026 budget.
An updated version of the Rhode Island 2030 plan — a working document that outlines policies and goals related to the state’s education, economic development, health, infrastructure and energy — was also released as a supplement to McKee’s address.
“This plan has helped move our state in the right direction,” McKee said at the address.
McKee highlighted Learn365RI, a state-led education initiative to increase out-of-school learning time, first introduced by the governor in 2023. Since the initiative’s introduction, the state has narrowed the testing gap between Rhode Island and Massachusetts by 34.4% for English Language Arts and 18.8% for math. He also pointed out a 4.2% decrease in chronic absenteeism for the 2023-2024 school year, attributing it to the state’s Attendance Matters campaign.
The proposed budget will increase funding for local education agencies by $40 million, McKee said, while allocating $2.5 million in grants for “out-of-school learning opportunities.”
The governor named Melrose Avenue School a standout school after the third-grade class performed at 100% proficiency on the state math test. McKee added that he doesn’t “think it’s a coincidence” that the school also had the “lowest chronic absenteeism rate” in the state.
“We were so proud and honored to have our school and students recognized by Gov. McKee,” Principal Beth Roman wrote in an email to The Herald.
The Rhode to Prosperity Initiative, another pillar of the RI 2030 plan, aims to raise household incomes across the state. As part of this effort, McKee said he plans to fund “1,000 new work-based learning opportunities in Rhode Island.”
McKee also emphasized strengthening public health, a goal which he says would involve “addressing the national shortage of primary care doctors” and providing student loan forgiveness for in-state primary care physicians.
In his address, the governor proposed dedicated, consistent funding to address homelessness in the Ocean State. He also highlighted Crossroads Rhode Island, a nonprofit organization in the process of creating nearly 300 permanent supportive housing units in Providence.
Earlier this month, 46 state legislators signed a letter urging McKee to declare homelessness a public health emergency in Rhode Island. McKee has yet to publicly acknowledge the letter, Senator Tiara Mack ’16 (D-Providence) told The Herald.
In her rebuttal speech, de la Cruz also said that the state does not effectively apportion taxpayer dollars toward housing units or education. She proposed a 10% cut of each state department’s spending budget.
McKee discussed the I-195 Washington Bridge — which was slated to start reconstruction in March 2024, faced difficulties with a lawsuit in September and now remains partially demolished.
“I can say with confidence that we are now on the right path to deliver a new bridge for our state,” McKee said.
Lev Kotler-Berkowitz is a sophomore senior staff writer covering city and state politics. He is from the Boston area and is concentrating in Political Science and Economics. In his free time, Lev can be found playing baseball or running around with his dog.
