Latest news with #RhodeIslandEthicsCommission
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ciccone can vote on assault weapons ban, other gun bills, R.I. ethics panel says
Jason Gramitt, executive director for the Rhode Island Ethics Commission, addresses commission members during its meeting on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Photo by Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current). Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone's side business selling guns out of his house does not prevent him from discussing and voting on an assault-style weapons ban or other gun legislation, the Rhode Island Ethics Commission decided Tuesday. The ethics panel's 8-1 vote follows the recommendation put forth by its expert staff, which concluded that Ciccone's federal firearms license is not a conflict of interest with the high-profile gun legislation pending at the Rhode Island State House. The four-page opinion, presented by Staff Attorney Lynne Radiches, invoked the class exemption within the state's ethics code, reasoning that Ciccone does not stand to benefit, or suffer, any more or less from state gun laws than the other 98 federally licensed firearms dealers in the state, including the other 79 with a Class 1 license. Ciccone, a Providence Democrat, referenced the same exemption in his letter to the Ethics Commission asking for advice. Ciccone has been a licensed firearms dealer for decades. Should he recuse himself from gun debate? Ciccone, who did not attend Tuesday's meeting, was unaware of the commission's decision until he was contacted by Rhode Island Current. 'I believe they looked at all the facts, and they came to their conclusion,' Ciccone said. However, the advisory opinion comes with an important caveat: If any of the gun bills under review by the Rhode Island General Assembly, including the assault weapons ban legislation, are amended in a way that impacts Ciccone, or fellow Class 1 license holders, more than other federal firearms dealers, Ciccone should recuse himself or seek a new advisory opinion. Ciccone, a longtime opponent to state gun restrictions, has already indicated he wants to see changes to the assault-style weapons ban in order for him to support it. Fresh off a marathon hearing before the Senate Committee on Judiciary on May 14, Ciccone said he still has questions over the legality of the legislation as drafted. However, Ciccone declined to specify what changes he'd like to see made, or whether he intends to back the controversial issue already named a top priority by Gov. Dan McKee. 'I am waiting to see what decisions the committee is going to make, what changes the sponsor is going to make,' Ciccone said. 'At this point in time, I don't know. It's up to the committee.' A committee vote on the assault weapons ban bill has not been scheduled as of Tuesday. Ciccone has served as a state lawmaker for 22 years, and been licensed to sell guns since the 1980s. But this was the first time he asked for ethics advice on gun-related legislation. Asked why now, Ciccone said he never served on the Senate Judiciary committee, and therefore had little sway over whether gun-related bills advanced to the full chamber. Now, as the newly elected Senate majority leader, Ciccone is an ex-officio member on all Senate committees, meaning he can vote to advance a bill to the full chamber. Ethics Commissioner Christopher Callahan cast the sole vote against giving Ciccone permission to vote on gun bills, pointing to Ciccone's leadership role as reason for his hesitation. 'My perception is that there is potential as a senior political leader that he may have greater influence on the outcome of the decision,' Callahan said in an interview after the meeting. Callahan, the retired head of the Rhode Island National Guard, was tapped by Gov. Dan McKee in April to serve on the state ethics panel. Commissioner Hugo Ricci Jr. disagreed. 'He has one vote, the same as any other lawmaker,' Ricci said during the commission discussion. 'He's not president of the Senate.' Some commission members questioned whether the 99 federal firearms dealers in Rhode Island is a large enough number to apply the class exemption. There is no minimum laid out in the ethics code, leaving it up to the panel to determine on a case-by-base basis whether belonging to an affected group constitutes reason to grant exception to potential conflicts of interest. 'It's not a perfect science,' Radiches, the staff attorney, told the committee. 'The big numbers, we love, like 13,000 teachers.' 'I don't think we should get into a finite discussion with facts that are presented as to whether 99 is not enough,' Commissioner Frank Cenerini said. The size of an affected group is one of several variables the commission must weigh when considering whether a class exemption applies. Other factors include the importance of 'the function or official action being contemplated by the public official' and 'the nature and degree of foreseeable impact upon the class and its individual members as a result of the official action,' according to standard language in ethics opinions that involve class exemptions. Common Cause Rhode Island Executive Director John Marion, who attended the meeting, said he was not surprised that the panel granted permission for Ciccone to vote on gun bills, given its 'liberal' application of the class exemption in recent history. However, Marion said he wished the panel had a more robust discussion of Ciccone's role in leadership. 'The majority leader helps set the agenda for the chamber, deciding what bills move and what bill dies,' Marion said. 'That's part of what the ethics commission can regulate.' Marion expects the need for ethics input on legislative conflicts of interest will increase under the new Senate leadership team, both for Ciccone and for Senate President Valarie Lawson. Lawson's day job as president of one of the state's two largest teachers' unions has already prompted concern by some of her colleagues about potential conflicts of interest. She has not requested an advisory opinion from the Ethics Commission since her election on April 30, though she said at the time she was considering it. 'Out of an abundance of caution, she is in the process of formulating a question to the Ethics Commission and will be submitting it to them soon,' Greg Pare, a spokesperson for Senate leadership, said in an email Tuesday. This story was updated to correct when Senate leaders can vote on bills in committee. 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Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ciccone has been a licensed firearms dealer for decades. Should he recuse himself from gun debate?
Senate Majority Leader Fank Ciccone III, right, listens during a State House press conference held by opponents to a proposed assault-style weapons ban on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. At left is Senate Majority Whip David Tikoian. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone III could be the deciding factor in whether the state passes an assault-style weapons ban this year. Unless he's not allowed to be part of the discussion. The Rhode Island Ethics Commission is slated to issue an advisory opinion at its meeting Tuesday on whether Ciccone's status as a federal firearms dealer prevents him from participating in deliberations and decisions on gun-related bills. Ciccone, a Providence Democrat, requested the advice of the state ethics panel in an April 30 letter, one day after he was selected Senate majority leader by a majority of his Democratic peers. Gun bills draw a crowd to R.I. State House for seven and a half hours of testimony It's the first time the 77-year-old lawmaker has sought an ethics opinion regarding his ability to influence gun-related policies, despite having served in office since 2003, and held a Class 1 federal firearms license since the 1980s, The Providence Journal reported. Ciccone did not respond to multiple inquiries for comment Friday. However, in an April interview, he downplayed the significance of his firearms business, based out of his home in Silver Lake. Ciccone said he only sells one gun per year, usually to a friend or family member. In his letter to the ethics panel, obtained by Rhode Island Current, Ciccone further made the case for why his side hustle should not force him to step out of discussions or votes on gun bills, invoking an exemption within the state's own ethics laws. The ethics panel's response could sway the outcome of the biggest issue on Smith Hill this year. Ciccone has already made it clear he doesn't support the assault-style weapons ban, at least as drafted by Senate sponsor Lou DiPalma. But Senate President Valarie Lawson is one of the bill's co-sponsors. Lawson and Ciccone serve as ex-officio members on all Senate committees, and could cast tie-breaking votes to determine whether the bill advances out of the 10-member Senate Committee on Judiciary — similar to the power exerted by former Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and former Majority Leader Ryan Pearson to advance a contested abortion access bill to the floor in 2023. The ethics code states that there is no substantial conflict of interest if an elected official or person in decision-making authority does not benefit, or lose out, to a 'greater extent' than anyone else in their business, profession, occupation or other type of affected group. The Ethics Commission has relied on this clause in previous decisions, granting, for example, approval for a state lawmaker who owns a fire alarm installation business to vote on legislation related to credit requirements for fire suppression systems, and for a lawmaker married to a dentist to vote on a bill regulating dentistry. Last year, the ethics panel ruled that Lawson, then the Senate majority whip, could vote on pension-related changes despite her job as president of one of the state's two largest teachers' unions. It concluded that Lawson would not benefit any more or less from pension changes than the other 68,000 retirees and active state workers and teachers, including 400 of her union co-workers. The ethics panel in 2002 gave similar advice to Ciccone when he asked for an opinion on potential conflicts on pension bills, given his career with the Laborers' International Union of North America and participation in the state retirement system. Ciccone contended the same logic should be applied to his ability to vote on gun bills, noting that there are 70 licensed federal firearms dealers across the state. 'Although this may appear to be a small group, it comprises the entire industry within the State,' Ciccone wrote in his letter. 'Consistent with the 'class exemption' set forth in [state law], 'no substantial conflict exists where the individual members of an entire group are impacted equally.' Ciccone also wrote that if a separate bill that only impacted a subset of federal firearms dealers were to be brought forward, he would seek a separate advisory opinion, or recuse himself from the vote. John Marion, executive director for Common Cause Rhode Island, said the size of an affected group is one of several variables considered in a potential conflict of interest. For example, the panel in many prior opinions stressed the importance of 'the function or official action being contemplated by the public official' and 'the nature and degree of foreseeable impact upon the class and its individual members as a result of the official action,' in determining if a class exemption was applicable. 'The Ethics Commission's work is very fact-specific, and without knowing all the facts involved in both legislation and his business, it's hard to prejudge,' Marion said in an interview. 'Like many things in our ethics law, it doesn't hang on a single number.' Noting Ciccone's long history in state politics and votes on other gun-related bills such as safe storage requirements — signed into law in 2024 despite Ciccone's vote against it — Marion said Ciccone should have likely sought an ethics opinion years ago. Especially because Ciccone has run afoul of state ethics rules before. In 2008, Ciccone was fined $1,500 for failing to report his positions as a state senator and a union consultant on 2005 and 2006 financial statements. However, Marion acknowledged that Ciccone's recent ascension to the Senate leadership team would warrant a new ethics opinion, even if he'd already requested advice in the past. Three Democrats who serve on the Senate Judiciary committee voiced opposition to the assault-style weapons ban legislation during a preliminary hearing Wednesday, while a fourth, Republican Sen. Thomas Paolino, has previously indicated he also does not support the bill. Gov. Dan McKee and House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi are both backing the assault weapons ban, with McKee making his priority clear by also including the policy change in his proposed fiscal 2026 budget. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ethics Commission offers one ‘yes' and one ‘no' on legislative conflicts of interest
Rep. Arthur Corvese, left, a North Providence Democrat, and Rep. Paul Santucci, right, a Smithfield Republican, each sought opinions from the Rhode Island Ethics Commission regarding potential conflicts of interest. (Courtesy Rhode Island General Assembly and Paul Santucci for State Representative) The state ethics panel has given the OK for one state representative to vote on the fiscal 2026 budget, but put the kibosh on another lawmaker's ability to advocate for his landlord's development plans. The pair of advisory opinions issued by the Rhode Island Ethics Commission on Tuesday address inquiries regarding potential personal or professional conflicts by state legislators. Rep. Arthur Corvese, a North Providence Democrat, sought the commission's opinion regarding his son-in-law's job with Meta. Gov. Dan McKee as part of his fiscal 2026 budget has proposed taxing global companies on the income they derive from digital advertisements in Rhode Island, which directly relates to Corvese's son-in-law's job as Meta policy director. Corvese already pledged in his written submission to recuse himself from any committee hearings at which his son-in-law, or one of his supervisees, testifies. But Corvese was unsure whether he could vote on the fiscal 2026 budget as a whole, should the final version include the proposed 10% digital advertising tax. The commission's opinion gives Corvese permission to vote on the budget as a whole — though not individual line items pertaining to the tax — noting that Meta and his son-in-lawr's financial standing is unchanged by the state's tax proposal. However, the commission did not give a similar rubber stamp to another state representative's inquiry regarding his business landlord's development plans. In a separate advisory opinion, the commission concluded that Rep. Paul Santucci, a Smithfield Republican, could not comment on or vote on any legislation related to his company landlord's plans to develop a 300-acre industrial park in his district because the pair are business associates. No legislation regarding the planned development has been introduced, so the question for now remains hypothetical. Should a bill be submitted, Santucci should recuse himself from the vote or seek further input from the commission. Neither Corvese nor Santucci immediately returned inquiries for comment on Thursday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ethics panel moves forward with rule change to subject lobbyists to gift limits
The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted to pursue a rule change to specifically make lobbyists among those prohibited from giving gifts over $25 to public employees and officials at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted Tuesday to pursue changing state rules to include lobbyists among those who are banned from giving gifts over $25 to public employees and officials. The 5-2 vote on part of a petition filed in December by Common Cause Rhode Island will begin the process of strengthening the 'gift rule' in the state's ethics code. The state already bans gifts over $25 to state employees from people who could stand to benefit from a relationship with them, but lobbyists are not included in that category by definition. The government watchdog group pushed for the ethics panel to clarify its authority over gifts made by lobbyists after an October 2024 report by the Office of Attorney General that found Gov. Dan McKee accepted tens of thousands of dollars of free consulting services while steering a multi-million dollar state contract to the ILO Group, which had ties to Chiefs for Change, the nonprofit providing the gift. 'We just don't think nonprofits should be able to give gifts to public officials when they're also simultaneously lobbying them,' said Common Cause Rhode Island Executive Director John Marion in an interview. Voting in favor were Chair Lauren E. Jones, Emma L. Peterson. Scott P. Rabideau Hugo L. Ricci, Jr. and Matthew Strauss. Opposed were Vice Chair Holly J. Susi and Frank J. Cenerini. Absent were Michael Browner Jr. and Jill Harrison. Common Cause Rhode Island had also asked the commission for two additional rule changes. The panel voted 7-0 to reject the organization's request seeking to require the disclosure of gifts of $25 or more if it is likely that the gift would not have been given but for the fact that the recipient holds a public office or position. Commissioners took no action on a request for a broad review of the section of the ethics code that applies to procurement, which has not been amended since 1993. The commission had postponed voting on Common Cause Rhode Island's petition in January in order to have more time to review the requests and the attorney general report issued at the conclusion of a three-year investigation. The probe found insufficient evidence to prosecute McKee for influencing the awarding of a federally-funded contract to help schools meet COVID-19 safety protocols in the wake of the pandemic, alongside summer and afterschool programs to address learning loss. Marion acknowledged that three distinct parts for one petition made for a complex request. 'It would have been nice if they moved forward on all three, but I'm glad that the very obvious loophole in the code of ethics that we identified is the one that they're moving forward,' Marion said. 'Disclosure, while important, is not trying to ban behavior that we think is wrong. What we're trying to do is stop behavior that we think is wrong.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
