Opinion | EastBayRI.com - News, Opinion, Things to Do in the East Bay

Letter: In support of an assault weapons ban

To the editor: I never know day to day if another community will be devastated by gun violence once again. Even more worrisome is if I turn the news on and hear one of those communities is right … more

6/11/25

Letter: ‘No Kings’ in the USA — Join us June 14

To the editor: I had intended to write a much different letter this week with information on No Kings Day. I will get to that, but first I feel the need to express my horror and heartbreak at … more

6/11/25

Letter: Extolling the virtues of a state-based, single-payer healthcare system

To the editor: Attorney General Peter Neronha recently announced several important actions related to healthcare that seek to address the problems facing our state and all RI citizens. These are … more

6/11/25

Letter: Skip the parade and attend a No Kings Day rally

To the editor: On June 14th the nation will be subjected to the spectacle of a military parade the likes of which we generally do not have in our country, and to make matters worse, the chief … more

6/9/25

After House passage, assault weapons bill hangs over Smith Hill

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: When does the calculus of doing nothing outweigh the value of doing something at the Statehouse? That question will hang over Smith Hill until the resolution of the proposed … more

By Ian Donnis | 6/9/25

AG Neronha gets aggressive on R.I. health care crisis

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: When Attorney General Peter Neronha makes a presentation, he really goes to town. A case in point was the news conference in his office Wednesday, about confronting Rhode … more

By Ian Donnis | 6/2/25

Rhode Island is awash with conflicts

Politicians in the state no longer hide their conflicts of interest. It is probably because the voters have become anesthetized to abuses. Here are just a few recent examples. Speaker of the … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 6/2/25

Letter: Support bill to keep Rhode Island litter free

To the editor: I am writing to encourage East Bay readers to contact their representatives to voice support for House bill H 6207 pending in the Rhode Island legislature that would create a … more

5/29/25

Letter: The collapse of our democracy is no laughing matter

To the editor: In a recent letter to the editor, Zachary Cooper apparently thought he was being clever and funny when he made snarky remarks about elderly Rhode Islanders’ concerns for … more

5/29/25

Letter: A letter to Stan, my friend and yours

Editor's Note: Scott Cary, co-owner of Stingy Alley, submitted the following letter he sent to Stanley Fafara, owner of Jack's Bar who is in the midst of another battle with cancer, this one likely … more

5/28/25

Letter: Read all about it...in your local paper

To the editor: Hereabouts in our little towns we are fortunate to have local newspapers featuring unbiased local story reporting, and importantly, editing by responsible journalists. In an … more

5/28/25

This so-called Colony House in Newport is the oldest (1739-1741) of Rhode Island’s five surviving historic state house and court house buildings. It was the site of the May, 1790 convention that ratified the federal Constitution by a margin of 34 to 32, the narrowest of any state. Ironically, due to space limitations, the convention delegates also met and debated at the nearby Baptist Meeting House of Rev. Gardner Thurston, while vigorously defending Rhode Island’s famed separation of church and state. This anomaly was repeated in November, 1842 when the new state constitution was debated by the Law-and-Order Party, first in the East Greenwich State House and Court House, but then moved to the town’s Methodist Church for debate and a final vote of approval. These occurrences indicate that our Founders believed in freedom for religion; not freedom from religion. This fact was attested to by founder John Adams when he correctly observed that “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

In recognition of Rhode Island Statehood Day

Many American states conduct special observances on the date that they entered the Union under our Constitution. Rhode Island does not. Is that reluctance because of embarrassment over the fact that … more

By Patrick T. Conley | 5/28/25

Letter: We all benefit from knowing the truth

To the editor: Hereabouts in our little towns we are fortunate to have local newspapers featuring unbiased local story reporting, and importantly, editing by responsible journalists. In an age … more

5/28/25

Letter: Some more ways for worried locals to take action

Thank you for keeping us informed about so many opportunities in our local community. more

5/22/25

Rhode Island case against energy producers knowingly distorts facts

For those that are following, a two-hour hearing on April 15 in Providence County Superior Court marked the latest chapter in Rhode Island’s long-running … more

5/20/25

Support bill prohibiting sale of products from fur farms

To the editor: Kudos to Sen. Linda Ujifusa for cosponsoring the Trade in Farmed Animal Fur Products Act (S.25), which would prohibit the sale of new products made with fur sourced from fur farms … more

5/19/25

Whitehouse wants the Democrats to come back fighting

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: Three primary factors seemingly fueled Donald Trump’s win for the White House last year -- Democrats’ slow response to voters’ concerns about inflation and … more

By Ian Donnis | 5/19/25

Should Rhode Island raise taxes on its wealthiest residents?

STORY OF THE WEEK: Legislative leaders in Rhode Island have for years reflexively opposed efforts to raise broad-based taxes. The trend has been more in the other direction, with a four-point cut in … more

By Ian Donnis | 5/12/25

Letter: In support of mandatory stop signs at bike paths

In my 30 years of traffic management in some form, I don't make this recommendation lightly. more

5/9/25

Letter: Some antidotes to despair

To the editor: Day 100 of the current administration is upon us. With that formidable reality, I rise each day struggling to choose hope over despair. You may be feeling similarly—daunted by … more

5/7/25

Balancing interests for the leader of the Senate, who's the leader of the union

STORY OF THE WEEK: After Val Lawson won election Tuesday as the new president of the Rhode Island Senate , she faced a battery of reporters’ questions about her dual role as head of that … more

By Ian Donnis | 5/5/25

Letter: Bike path debate a model of respectful engagement and discourse

To the editor: Thank you for Mike Rego’s comprehensive article on the bill that I sponsored seeking reconsideration of the “rules of the road” on Rhode Island bike paths. And thank … more

5/1/25

Farewell to the longest-serving lawmaker in Rhode Island

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: The unexpected death of Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio at age 76 on Monday marks the end of an era in more ways than one. Ruggerio, widely revered by his … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/29/25

Do deportation efforts show 'a complete disrespect for the Constitution'?

STORY OF THE WEEK: If the sine qua non of President Donald Trump is about pushing boundaries, the apex of that tendency is coming front and center. The showdown over Kilmar Abrego Garcia in … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/21/25

Letter: On the paper's letters policy, and national politics

This paper’s decision, based on some opaque policy, to print letters to the editor on local issues only is their rightful business. This decision may rest on the belief that national … more

4/15/25