Economics
Andy Boardman: No, the rich aren’t fleeing Rhode Island
Lincoln Chafee is in the news again – this time for a prospective 2020 presidential bid on the Libertarian Party ticket. Last time Chafee made headlines, the eccentric former Rhode …
Articles by Andy Boardman
Budget 2020
Andy Boardman: House budget proposal – Three winners and three losers
While you were sleeping Friday night, House leaders unveiled their state budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. The nearly 500-page document, handed to House Finance Committee members, reporters and …
Labor
Will Rhode Island limit non-compete agreements?
“Want to work? Sign on the line and don’t move.” Thus reads the headline of a 1998 Providence Journal story on non-compete agreements in Rhode Island. When Ann Marie Warren, …
Education
Andy Boardman: Middle class families struggle with lunch costs, too
If you didn’t hear about Warwick’s short-lived school lunch policy in local news, perhaps you read about it in the New York Times, NBC, NPR or another national outlet. On …
Taxes
The earned income tax credit helps low-income working families in Rhode Island
Happy Tax Day! Across the country, today marks the deadline for individuals and businesses to file their income tax returns for tax year 2018. In Rhode Island, it is the …
Medicaid
The appeal of corporatism: Lawmakers mull Medicaid fee on big businesses
This week, state lawmakers in the House Finance Committee considered a proposal to penalize businesses whose low-income employees receive Medicaid. On its face, the proposal appears to be a narrow …
Taxes
Updated: Help low-income workers: Raise the EITC to fight the Trump tax law
On Wednesday, House Majority Leader Joseph Shekarchi (Democrat, District 23, Warwick) introduced legislation to help Rhode Island’s business owners pay less in federal taxes. The legislation counteracts a recent federal …
Economics
Reimagining family policy in Rhode Island
A new report from the People’s Policy Project provides a useful framework for reconceptualizing and expanding policies aimed at helping families in Rhode Island. The ‘Family Fun Pack,’ written by …
minimum wage
Business interests mislead on the minimum wage
As part of her budget proposal for the coming year, Governor Gina Raimondo is seeking an increase in the minimum wage from $10.50 to $11.10. This increase, the governor said …
Andy Boardman: What’s fair? Evaluating the governor’s budget proposal
How should we make sense of this year’s state budget proposals? It’s important to focus on measures that represent the wellbeing of Rhode Island residents. Governor Gina Raimondo recently unveiled …