The House Finance Committee approved an $8.2 billion Rhode Island budget for fiscal 2014 unveiled by Democratic leaders Tuesday night that forgoes a corporate tax-rate cut sought by Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee, but includes the first state payment for the failed 38 Studios LLC loan guarantee. more

Armed with a new two-year contract, Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist says she’s staying the course with her five-year plan to transform education in Rhode Island – including closing the skills gap. more

BOSTON – As part of $563 million set aside by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Narragansett Indian Tribe has received a grant of $499,110 to support efforts to maintain … more

When the Rhode Island Senate voted in April to legalize same-sex marriage, it produced an unusual political dynamic: every Republican supported it. more

The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity has published a “snapshot” of its 2013 General Assembly Freedom Index, a scorecard that grades Rhode Island’s lawmakers on their “level of support of principles of freedom,” according to the center. more

More than 100 Rhode Island residents, business owners, state officials, local planners and lawmakers gathered at the Statehouse on Thursday night to kick off RhodeMap RI, a year-long project to create statewide economic development and housing plans that link with strategies for future development, transportation, land use and the environment. more

Entrepreneur and Moderate Party founder Ken Block announced his intention to run for governor of Rhode Island on Tuesday. Block has been active in the state’s political circuit since placing fourth in the 2010 gubernatorial race. more

U.S. policymakers must address debt loads projected to rise later this decade to avoid a 2013 downgrade, even as the latest budget projections are “credit positive,” according to Moody’s Investors Service. more

PROVIDENCE – Rep. Mia A. Ackerman, D-Cumberland, has introduced a bill on behalf of Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts that would create a tax credit for small employers that implement a wellness program for employees. more

While many of Rhode Island’s 91 special districts perform valuable services, their lack of mandated financial controls leaves them open to charges of poor fiscal management, according to a report released by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council late Monday. more