Latest news with #DiPalma
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
R.I. House poised to pass ban on assault-style weapons
Senator Louis P. DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat who introduced the Senate version of the bill, said, 'We are working to get it over the goal line.' Advertisement He said 24 of the Senate's current 37 members are cosponsors of the legislation. And he noted that a Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up 'The majority of Rhode Islanders support it and the majority of senators support it,' DiPalma said. 'It's going to happen in Rhode lsland. We need to make it happen now, before any incident occurs.' But Republican legislators and some Democrats oppose the legislation. Earlier this week, House Minority Whip David J. Place, a Burrillville Republican, voted against the bill when it came before the House Judiciary Committee. Advertisement 'There's a famous saying: Those that desire security at the expense of liberty wind up with neither,' Place said. 'Prohibition doesn't stop anybody from doing anything. Prohibition just makes us feel safe.' Place predicted that prosecutors would use the bill to 'stack charges' against those accused of crimes involving guns. 'The liberty I speak of is: When it's all said and done, no one that looks like me is going to be sent to jail for this bill,' he said. 'Unless I fire on somebody who comes to my door, that's the only circumstance for someone who looks like me is going to be charged for this bill.' Rhode Island Republican Party Chairman Joe Powers issued a statement blasting the House Judiciary Committee for voting 12 to 6 for the bill, which he described 'a blatant attack on the Constitution and an alarming escalation in the erosion of individual liberties.' 'This isn't about guns — it's about rights. Your rights,' Powers said. 'As a citizen of Rhode Island and the United States of America, you are guaranteed certain freedoms that no governor, no legislator, and certainly no radical political movement has the authority to revoke.' But Melissa Carden, executive director the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, said 39 of the 75 House members are cosponsors of the bill to ban assault-style weapons 'I am very confident,' Carden said Thursday morning. 'We know we have the votes on the floor in both chambers. This is really a historic day.' She noted it's 'fitting' and 'meaningful' that the vote comes one day before Advertisement Carden said believes Lawson will find a way to bring the legislation to the Senate floor for a vote. 'She is a gun safety champion,' he said. 'We have no reason to doubt her ability to get this done. We have confidence she will get it done.' Ten states, including Massachusetts and Connecticut, and the District of Columbia now ban assault-style weapons. The Rhode Island Anyone convicted of violating the ban would face criminal penalties, including fines of up to $10,000 and/or prison sentences of up to 10 years. The bill would provide exemptions for current and retired law enforcement officers, and anyone who lawfully possesses an assault weapon when the ban would take effect on July 1, 2026. Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Governor McKee's administration opposes bill to overhaul R.I. public records law
Advertisement Legislators also received letters of opposition from the state departments of Administration; Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals; Environmental Management; Health; Human Services; Revenue; and Transportation. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up In her five-page letter, Richards first took aim at a section of the bill that would provide access to the names of those who receive 'preferred license plates' through the governor's office, to the extent allowed by federal law. She emphasized that the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act ' completely prohibits the disclosure of this information and imposes civil and criminal penalties against state entities and individuals who violate its mandates.' She also said a 2024 state Superior Court decision affirmed that federal law's privacy protections specifically for 'preferred plate' holders. Richards also objected to a section of the bill that would provide the public with access to any subpoena 'issued by a governmental entity to a public body or a public official regarding official business.' Advertisement DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat, has said that proposal stems from McKee's refusal to disclose whether his administration received subpoenas in the investigation of a controversial education contract for up to $5.2 million awarded to the ILO Group in 2021. In October 2024, Attorney General Peter F. Neronha concluded In her letter, Richards argued that disclosing subpoenas would undermine criminal investigations. She said governmental bodies are often asked to respond to subpoenas and to keep them confidential, and many subpoenas served on governmental entities target third parties rather than the government itself. 'Disclosure of the existence and content of these subpoenas could impede ongoing state and federal investigations, ultimately harming the public,' Richards wrote. Another section of the bill would require public bodies, the attorney general, and court to reduce or waive public records fees if the request is made 'in the public interest.' Advocates have said that provision is tailored after the federal Freedom of Information Act, which allows requesters to appeal that public interest exemption to the agency providing the records. Advocates said many requests come from commercial entities clearly not motivated by public interest but that members of the media are seen as requesting documents in the public interest. Richards argued that courts are best equipped to make that determination. 'Public bodies should not be in the business of determining whose request is in the public's interest and whose is not,' she wrote. Advertisement Richards claimed that every request made by a member of the public could be considered 'in the public interest,' leaving the government unable to collect fees for any records requests. She said the ability to charge fees forces people to carefully tailor their requests and it deters 'abusive requests that are unreasonably broad, unduly burdensome, or intended to disrupt the public body's business.' DiPalma said he added one new provision to this year's bill to address concerns, raised by the Richards objected to a section of the bill that would prohibit public bodies for charging for the denial of a records request. She said records requests are often denied 'in part,' so the bill would keep public bodies from 'charging a reasonable fee for the labor-intensive, yet necessary, function of review and redaction.' Richards also objected to the proposed doubling of fines for 'knowing and willful' violations of the public records law from $2,000 to $4,000 and for 'reckless' violations from $1,000 to $2,000. 'State taxpayers will bear the burden of fines levied against state public bodies because those fines would be directed to certain municipalities,' she wrote. 'To the extent the fines are instead levied against an individual public records officer, the fines may discourage public servants from serving the important role of public records officer.' In his letter, Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. objected to a provision that would require his department to release traffic accident data. 'RIDOT is deeply concerned that this language could compel the release of data that federal law explicitly protects from discovery, admissibility, or use in litigation,' he wrote. Advertisement Advocates said 42 other states make crash data available to the public, and some states go further by making data available through online portals so the public can see where crashes are occurring and demand safety improvements. But Alviti said, 'Requiring RIDOT to disclose federally protected data may place the state in direct conflict with federal law and compromise our ability to receive federal highway funding.' Also, he said the department would have to spend a lot time figuring out what data may be released according to federal and state law. 'It is important to note that RIDOT collects and maintains crash data solely for the purpose of designing and improving roadway safety,' Alviti wrote. 'The information referenced in this section is already available to the public through the Rhode Island State Police and local municipal police departments.' Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
Business Insider
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Booz Allen Stock Plummets: Here's What William Blair Predicts Next
NYSE:BAH) stock took a hit today, plummeting 16.5% after the company announced a weaker-than-expected fiscal 2026 outlook and plans to lay off approximately 2,500 employees – about 7% of its workforce – primarily from its civilian government agency division. Confident Investing Starts Here: The move comes as a direct response to shifting federal priorities. The Trump administration's aggressive cost-cutting measures, spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have slashed civilian contract spending. While Booz Allen's defense and intelligence units remain solid performers, its civilian segment has borne the brunt of the cuts, prompting the company to restructure that part of the business to align with the new policy landscape. Against this backdrop, the company reported adjusted EPS of $1.61 for the first quarter, in line with expectations, but revenue came in at $2.97 billion, about $60 million below estimates. For fiscal 2026, Booz Allen is projecting revenue between $12 and $12.5 billion and adjusted EPS of $6.20 to $6.55, both below analyst estimates of $12.82 billion and $6.92, respectively. Weighing in after the earnings call, William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma shared his take on the guidance reset, the impact of civilian contract reductions, and how these developments might influence sentiment among investors. 'Booz Allen on the earnings call indicated that several large civilian technology contracts have been descoped, which should contribute to a low-double-digit decline in civil revenue for this new fiscal year. However, it was described as a one-time reset. Civil revenue is expected to reaccelerate in the second half of the year… While shares of government IT peers may trade down in sympathy with Booz Allen results, sentiment may soon turn positive as investors focus on 2026 and outer years,' DiPalma opined. For now, the analyst anticipates BAH stock will remain 'range-bound until there is greater visibility,' and accordingly, maintains a Market Perform (i.e., Neutral) rating. (To watch DiPalma's track record, click here) Overall, Wall Street is somewhat more divided on BAH shares, a circumstance reflected in the Moderate Buy analyst consensus rating. That rating is based on 9 reviews, including 4 Buys, 4 Holds, and a single Sell. Shares are priced at $107.79, and the average price target suggests an upside potential of 27% for the next 12 months. (See BAH stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights.
Boston Globe
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Advocates push for updated R.I. public records law, seeking access to state's crash data
Advertisement 'When government hides information like crash data from the public, it is not just advocates and journalists that suffer,' Giles said. 'It is every Rhode Islander who walks, bikes, drives, takes public transit, or relies on emergency services. It is every family seeking answers after a tragedy.' Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Giles joined the legislative sponsors and advocates at a news conference in the State Library on Wednesday. 'Rhode Island should not remain a national outlier in secrecy,' he said. 'We deserve better.' The legislation is scheduled to come before the This is the third straight year that Advertisement DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat, said he saw the need for greater government transparency when he chaired the Senate oversight committee and found it difficult to get certain information. Also, he said the law needs to reflect new technology such as police body-worn cameras. 'We've waited too long,' DiPalma said. 'The time to to do it is now.' The proposed changes include: Body camera footage from use-of-force incidents would be made public within 30 days. Final reports of police internal affairs investigations would be accessible to the public, with personally identifiable information redacted. 911 call recordings would be more easily available to those directly affected. All documents discussed at a public meeting must be available to the public at the time they are being discussed. Requesters could seek a public interest exemption to, or reduction of, search and retrieval fees for public records. The blanket exemption for any correspondence of or to elected officials in their official capacities would be removed, but it would keep confidential records that are not related to official business. Fines would double for 'knowing and willful' violations to $4,000 from $2,000, and fines for 'recklessly' violating the law would double to $2,000 from $1,000. No fee would be charged for the first two hours of time spent searching for and retrieving documents (up from one hour), and no charge would be allowed for the denial of a records request. While this bill aims to reduce such costs, advocates noted that DiPalma said he added one new provision to this year's bill to address concerns, raised by the That section states that, 'If a person makes a request to view or copy a public record that is part of a series of contemporaneous requests filed with the intent to disrupt government operations, the chief administrative officer of the public body may petition the Superior Court for an order to relieve the custodian of the records from fulfilling the request.' Senator Louis P. DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat, speaks about his bill to update the state Access to Public Records Act. Edward Fitzpatrick John M. Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, said that after the 2020 election, there was 'a coordinated effort to really gum up the works at election offices around the country by making vexatious requests, particularly about Dominion voting systems. They weren't made in good faith.' Advertisement So the new provision aims to head off such requests, Marion said. 'It's not to deal with the requests that all of us make in the public interest,' he said. The legislation has been 'We often complete oversight hearings, and we feel that information has been withheld,' Serpa said. 'The withholding of information is counterproductive to the purposes of oversight meetings in the first place.' In December, DiPalma said residents might not mention the Access to Public Records Act when a politician knocks on their door. 'But I think when you say to somebody, 'Do you want your government to be open, fair, and transparent?' Of course, absolutely. No one will say no.' Charlie Galligan, a private investigator who spoke at the news conference, said, 'No disrespect to the speaker, but that sounds kind of dismissive.' Members of the public might not have a detailed grasp of the Access to Public Records Act, he said. 'But when they consume news, they're all the beneficiary of the APRA law. When the media is prevented from access, that does negatively impact the citizenry.' Scott Pickering, president of Advertisement For example, he said the Barrington School Department lost a court case and then pursued a series of lengthy appeals. Citizens began to question how much the legal battle was costing the school department, but the district refused to release that information, saying the documents were held by an outside law firm that wasn't subject to the open records law. So this legislation would close that 'loophole,' making records public even if they are held by a third party, he said. During the news conference, DiPalma quoted the late US Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis: 'Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.' Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
Boston Globe
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
As a gun dealer, can R.I.'s new Senate majority leader vote on assault-style weapons ban?
Advertisement As Democratic majority leader, Ciccone can now sit in and vote on any Senate committee. So, he said, 'I thought it was time to officially ask for an opinion from them.' Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Senator Louis P. DiPalma a Middletown Democrat said last week that 24 of the Senate's 37 current members are co-sponsoring his But Ciccone said he considers the bill to be unconstitutional. 'It had some language in it that I don't think would've passed muster,' he said, citing a provision for a gun registry. Also, he said DiPalma's bill proposed banning 'a list of probably every single type weapon you could think of. He said he told DiPalma, 'This looks like an old bill rehashed, so I'm gonna pass on it.' Advertisement Last week, the bill came before the 10-member Senate Judiciary Committee, which is seen as being evenly split between supporters and opponents of the bill. The bill's fate could hinge on whether Ciccone, new Senate President Valarie J. Lawson, and Senate Majority Whip David P. Tikoian use their ex-officio powers to vote the bill out of committee and onto the Senate floor. Ciccone did not commit to voting the bill out of committee. He said the House might be making changes to the legislation, and he wants to see what the amended bill looks like. Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, a North Smithfield Republican, and 'bipartisan Second Amendment supporters' held a press conference last week to oppose the assault-style weapons ban. And Ciccone said he and Tikoian 'stepped into the room for awhile' during that press conference. Also last week, Ciccone withdrew 'I decided to pull the bill since there were several bills that were going to be heard that night,' he said. 'Let's find out what takes place. And my feeling would be that if nothing passes, then I would be looking to form some type of a committee or commission to study it.' So how many guns does Ciccone sell? 'If I'm lucky, maybe one, possibly two, guns a year,' he said. 'They're sold to people I know, friends.' He said he once sold a firearm receiver (the frame that integrates other components of a gun) to the late Senator Frank Lombardo III, a Johnston Democrat who Advertisement When asked if he had sold guns to any other members of the General Assembly, Ciccone said, 'I'm not sure. I'd have to look.' He said he makes no money on such transactions. He said he tells people to pick out a weapon and to give him the serial number. He said he then buys the gun from a wholesaler and sells it for the same price. Ciccone said he does it because enjoys it. 'I'm a hunter, so it keeps me active,' he said. 'Some of the people that I do sell to are my friends. They're hunters with me.' On Tuesday afternoon, casino workers are set to rally for l The late Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio was seen as the main reason that smoking is still allowed in Rhode Island's casinos. After But Ciccone said he shares Ruggerio's concern that the state would lose millions in revenue if it ends the casinos' exemption from Rhode Island's 2005 indoor smoking ban. He said he is trying to reach an agreement with Bally's and union officials. Ciccone said some patrons come to Rhode Island casinos because they can smoke here, and he fears those customers would go to four larger, resort-style casinos in Connecticut and Massachusetts if smoking is banned. 'Here you have a facility that's drawing people in that smoke,' he said. 'If you eliminate that, do you really think you are going to retain or increase your non-smokers into a facility that's not in the same manner as the other four?' Advertisement When asked about the health concerns of casino workers, Ciccone said, 'The testimony that they have provided is that after COVID, all of a sudden they had problems with the smell of smoking in there. Prior to that, there was not a problem.' Ciccone also explained why Senate leaders decided not to reject the He said the proposal would not have been controversial if it did not include raises for state Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr., who has come under fire over 'Knowing that other employees got (raises) and the governor felt that he needs this to retain his people based on the surrounding states, I think the consensus in our leadership was that this isn't a fight that we needed to get in right now,' Ciccone said. So does he think Alviti deserves a raise? 'Take the bridge fiasco away — I think he's been doing a good job in the state," Ciccone said. 'We've been fixing roads, bridges, with the exception of Washington Bridge. It has fallen apart. Unfortunately, I think anyone that was the director at that point in time would be a target.' Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
