Trouble in Paradise - Governor Faces Off With Shekarchi and Ruggerio

Trouble in Paradise - Governor Faces Off With Shekarchi and Ruggerio

One week ago Speaker of the House Joe Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio pledged their support to Governor Dan McKee’s failed decision -- until then -- not to mandate masks in schools. 

For months the two legislative leaders and McKee have presented a united front — photo ops, bill-signing ceremonies, and joint press events -- lots of smiles and gladhanding.

Those days are now over.

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Until yesterday, McKee refused to mandate masking in schools in direct contradiction of the guidance from the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Dr. Anthony Fauci. 

Neither McKee nor the two legislative leaders who supported McKee's stance could explain how the decision was based on science.

Shekarchi and Ruggerio refused to respond to questions from GoLocal regarding how the policy, or lack of policy, was consistent with the CDC guidance.

Moreover, Shekarchi’s office refused to explain at the time how the McKee policy was supported by science. 

“Sent you a statement - that’s it,” said Shekarchi’s spokesman Larry Berman -- who previously served in the same role under Speakers Gordon Fox and Nick Mattiello.

McKee on Thursday flipped on his school masking policy leaving Shekarchi and Ruggerio behind.

In Rhode Island, cases, hospitalizations and the transmission rate have increased by more than four-fold in the past five weeks. 

Now, Rhode Island's risk level is the highest in the northeast and is ranked by Covid ActNow as "very high."

 

Who Has Authority?

But, McKee was not done on Thursday. At his press conference, he announced that he was asking the legislative leaders to immediately call the legislature back into session to work together to strengthen the governor’s executive powers.

Shekarchi and Ruggerio voiced frustration with McKee in a statement, "When Governor McKee spoke with us this afternoon, he made no mention of reconvening the General Assembly, only that he was exploring declaring another state of emergency relative to the Delta variant and current set of circumstances.”

“We wish Governor McKee had been more forthright in our conversations. Governor McKee has mischaracterized the provisions contained in the budget, which he signed into law. He retains all of his executive authority relative to health and safety. Furthermore, as he believes the current circumstances require a new state of emergency, he has the full authority to issue one, and we support it. We will continue to work with the Governor to protect Rhode Island residents and businesses," the leaders said.

Greg Pare, spokesman to said in a follow-up email to GoLocal, “There is no need to convene.”

 

McKee Fires Back

As the frustration built on both sides, McKee’s office fired back.

“A couple points. In the last Legislative session, the General Assembly limited some, but not all of, the Governor’s power to respond to emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. While some of the Governor’s powers under the Emergency Management Act may have been limited, he still has constitutional and public health powers which he will use to prevent the spread of the Delta and other emerging variants in our schools,” said Alana O’Hare, spokesman for McKee.

“To this end, he is signing a new declaration of emergency targeting the Delta Variant. In addition to his authority under this new declaration of emergency, the Governor is also invoking his constitutional and public health powers to prevent the spread of infectious disease by requiring masking in all schools that have not already adopted a mandatory mask policy,” said O'Hare.  

O’Hare refused to answer if McKee was frustrated that the legislative leaders refused to bring the General Assembly back into session.

 

What Set the Stage

The McKee flip-flop on a mandated school masking policy was set up ten days ago when McKee announced at a press conference he was leaving the decision on masking at schools to individual school districts.

One of his gubernatorial rivals in the 2022 Democratic gubernatorial primary -- Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea -- criticized McKee for his refusal to mandate masks.

Eight days ago, McKee campaign told GoLocal in an email through spokesman Mike Trainor responded to Nellie Gorbea a statement claiming, “While we understand Secretary Gorbea’s political need for relevance around this issue, the simple truth is that she does not have access to the national and local reservoir of data and medical/science resources that the McKee administration has had as it continues to monitor this particular issue. It is unfortunate that she is choosing to politicize an issue as important as this.”

GoLocal had pressed McKee's campaign on what data and science data was showing that masking in schools was not necessary -- and the campaign could not provide any data or sources.