King of the Hill?

King of the Hill?

Now that the session is over, and the dust has settled, GoLocalProv asked state House members how they thought their new speaker, former Democratic Majority Leader Gordon Fox, had done.

From the outset, the challenges were formidable: the state was struggling with a persistent budget deficit, was still mired in recession, and the unfunded expenses of the pension system—and Fox came into office six weeks after the session started, replacing Bill Murphy as Speaker.

One state rep, Al Gemma, D-Warwick, said it was the “worst possible time” to be in a leadership role since the recession in the early 1990s. Gemma said Fox (pictured left) proved he was up for the challenge. “He fit the bill, he really did,” Gemma said. “Being thrust into that, with all these problems, I feel very confident with him at the helm.”

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The Scorecard

The list of accomplishments during the session bears that out, according to Rep. Peter Palumbo, D-Cranston.

Not only did the House pass a balanced budget—although Republicans criticize it for assuming $100 million in federal funding—but it also approved a funding formula for public schools—a historic move for a state that has been without one for at least 15 years. On top of that, the House approved a historic tax cut for top earners, a bill favoring the development of a wind farm off Block Island, and the expansion of gambling.

“Absolutely yes, I think so—I think he did a really nice job for the first year,” Palumbo said.

Challenger Says Fox Exceeded Expectations

The House was able to do all that heavy-lifting—and finish early, said House Minority Leader Robert A. Watson, R-East, West Greenwich. “We’ve never been done this early,” Watson said.

Even the fellow Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged Fox for Speaker, Greg Schadone (pictured right) gave Fox a positive review. “This Speaker has performed better than my expectations,” said Schadone, a moderate Democrat from North Providence. “I was glad that the school funding formula came out of the House along with some tax changes.”

But he questioned why the House had rushed to finish early, saying it could have addressed other big issues like unfunded mandates on towns and cities, regionalization of communities and school districts, and improving the regulatory environment for small businesses.

Despite his positive review, Schadone said he would run against Fox again in the next session, saying he would focus on cutting “out of control” social services and helping small businesses. “He did a relatively good job, but I think there are a lot of other changes we need to see,” Schadone said.

Keeping the House in Order

Watson (pictured left) said he initially worried that Fox would have a difficult time going from House Majority Leader—where he was in the midst of the floor debate—to being the Speaker. “I thought he would have a hard time leaving the microphone. The Speaker presides over the issues and the debate and the progress in the calendar,” Watson said. “A Speaker never gets involved in the debate from the rostrum.”

Watson said he told Fox that being Speaker was somewhat like being an air traffic controller—a role that he said Fox came into near the end of the session, during the debate on the budget. “He did really get a good grasp of how to use the air traffic controller approach of controlling the room,” Watson said.

Reaching out to the Right

Fox is widely seen as a progressive liberal, but Palumbo, a self-described conservative Democrat, said he thought he has been fairly treated by the Speaker on two issues that concerned him the most—cracking down on illegal immigration and being tough on sex offenders.

Palumbo said Fox had allowed him to introduce an Arizona-style bill on illegal immigration late into the session. Although Fox was criticized by anti-illegal immigration groups for denying a hearing on the bill, Palumbo said that at first he didn’t seek a hearing. He said he only later requested one when the bill stirred a controversy that captured national attention. “I have no animosity toward him as Speaker for that,” Palumbo said.

He also credited Fox with letting him bring a bill on sex offender registration to the House floor. The bill, which eliminates an appeals process and automatically registers offenders, passed the House, but not the Senate. “I’m pleased with him right now because of the fact that he allowed it to get through the House,” Palumbo said. “I know he’s a progressive and he got a lot of heat for it.”