Battle Looming Between Raimondo, Mattiello on RI Car Tax Repeal

Battle Looming Between Raimondo, Mattiello on RI Car Tax Repeal

Governor Gina Raimondo gave her State of the State speech on Tuesday night, touching upon her proposals to raise the minimum wage, give Rhode Island students two free years of college, and state retirees their first cost-of-living increase in five years.

Read the Speech HERE

Among Raimondo's proposals?  "Cutting everyone's car tax by at least 30%."

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"The budget I'll send you on Thursday will cut every Rhode Islander's car tax by 30%," said Raimondo in her speech, "Putting more than $50 million back in your pockets."

Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello, however, who has said that repeal of the car tax is a main priority this legislative session, said that he did not think the Governor's proposal goes far enough.

"I certainly appreciate the Governor's movement in the right direction but I'm not sure it's going to be enough to satisfy the citizens of state," said Mattiello, following Raimondo's speech. "I intend on going far enough to satisfy the citizens of the state - and I believe that's full repeal."

"We'll have committee hearings and get input from lots of different folks," said Mattiello. "We'll collaborate with the Governor and Senate - but my intent to serve the citizens of the state is to repeal an unfair tax, and right not I fully intend on going forward with it, unless the citizens tell me otherwise."

Mixed Reactions

Raimondo received a standing ovation from most in the House chamber after stating "the hardest part of college shouldn't be paying for it" with regard to her free tuition proposal -- which GoLocal learned Hillary Clinton had used on the campaign trail.

Another proposal that was met by some with support was for earned sick leave.

"It's one of our big focuses for us this year," said George Hollister Isman with RI Working Families, following Raimondo's remarks.

Republicans, however, took issue was a number of items in Raimondo's speech - with one State Rep boycotting Raimondo's keynote.

"We can’t move our state forward if our government continues to take steps backward," said House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan. "The failures with the new UHIP benefits system is another depressing confirmation that our government is broken. How could responsible leaders launch a program so vital to the health and welfare of its neediest citizens knowing that it would cause suffering? That question is made even worse by the knowledge that we spent $362 million, over a third of a billion dollars, to build the software. Do our leaders realize this is real money that is taken from the paychecks of hard working Rhode Islanders?

"How can any state where a third of its citizens receive some form of public assistance claim to be in good shape? A reporter recently asked me, how would we get people off welfare? The answer is simple: by growing our economy and providing jobs," said Morgan.

Representative Robert "Bobby" Nardolillo opted to skip Raimondo's address altogether, claiming it paralleled her justification for not going to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. 

"While I disagree with Governor Raimondo on many of her policy decisions,  the past two years I sat in the House chamber for her State of the State address. She has most recently stated that she will not be attending the new Presidents inauguration," said Nardolillo. "While I don't agree completely with all of the new Presidents stances, I find it completely disrespectful of our Governor not to attend on behalf of Rhode Island. I truly believe she is putting her sour feelings of the election results over building a bridge between our State and the new President, and his administration.  If this was Hillary Clinton being honored I believe with no question she would be there.   Once again, the Governor is putting herself, and her feelings, before the best interests of our State."

"I will not continue to sit and hear her deliver  "Talking Points" rather than "Action Points", which is truly what our state needs. I will not attend on behalf of those who have suffered in our pension system on her account,  those who have still not received their tax returns yet, those who are suffering because of the UHIP disaster,  those who continue to wait in day long lines at the DMV and finally on behalf of those who are fed up with her talking points!