William Murphy

Latest Articles

It will not be a dull year!

The governor’s race, gambling, drama on Smith Hill, and more is on tap in 2010
The New Year is shaping up as potent dope for the political junkie.
By DAVID SCHARFENBERG | January 06, 2010

A push for full-scale Vegas-style casinos is in the cards again. Can poker and craps save a state in freefall?
Just three years after Rhode Island voters killed plans for a full-scale, Vegas-style casino, big-time gambling is in the cards again.
By DAVID SCHARFENBERG | December 16, 2009

The ubiquitous Scott Duhamel

He’s everywhere! Plus, a new jewel in Cvanston, BeloJo notes, and more.
Saturday morning breakfast as Casa Diablo over the years has changed considerably.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | October 26, 2009

State House status

In a purportedly liberal state, the Rhode Island General Assembly has a stubbornly conservative bent. But can progressive politics make a dent in 2010?
Rhode Island voters, for all their supposed insularity, are an increasingly progressive bunch.
By DAVID SCHARFENBERG | August 12, 2009

Battle over open space in North Providence

Real estate
Will the last large piece of open space in North Providence turn into the site of 47 single family homes? That decision currently rests with the Rhode Island General Assembly and the Rhode Island Supreme Court. The outcome could jeopardize open space preservation statewide.
By STEVEN STYCOS | May 27, 2009

Is the party over for the GOP in RI?

A disastrous election in '08. A depleted war chest. Dismal approval ratings for the outgoing governor. Yet the faithful see hope for a Republican revival
In a state known for its political obsessions, there is remarkably little in the way of rabid protest here.
By DAVID SCHARFENBERG | May 13, 2009

Equal rites?

Why has Rhode Island lagged behind the rest of New England on same-sex marriage legislation?
New England has made a pretty good case, in recent years, for America's capital of queer.
By DAVID SCHARFENBERG | April 08, 2009

Voter apathy remains a primary staple

Talking Politics
The big story from Tuesday’s primary election, understandably enough, was the seeming upset by Michael J. Pinga of state Senator Stephen D. Alves.
By IAN DONNIS | September 11, 2008

Why care for me, but not poor RI kids?

Priorities
On weekdays this spring, I’ve been driving from my home in Newport to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, where I lie under a fabulous machine that’s saving my life.
By BRIAN C. JONES | May 08, 2008

The hippest guy in state government

State Rep David Segal brings some youthful cool to the general assembly
The idiosyncratic crowd indicated just how different this event was from your standard legislative money-maker.
By IAN DONNIS | September 26, 2007

State house stalemate

Carcieri takes another run at cutting state workers, but the outlook is murky
Many Rhode Islanders take an almost visceral delight in those occasions when a state worker is shown to be goofing off on the public’s dime.
By IAN DONNIS | September 12, 2007

Can Carcieri deliver a reduction in the state workforce?

Talking politics
With Carcieri moving toward lame-duck status, the General Assembly remains the wild card.
By IAN DONNIS | August 01, 2007

How high can Gordon Fox go?

The progressive practices a balancing act in the socially conservative RI legislature
Although House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox considers himself a Red Sox fan, he hopes the Yankees win the World Series this year.
By IAN DONNIS | May 09, 2007

The ProJo’s power behind the throne

Mark Ryan exemplifies the changes during 10 years of Belo’s ownership
Mark T. Ryan is a man of many descriptions.
By IAN DONNIS | March 28, 2007

The brain drain

Rhode island needs a more robust economy to retain the young and the educated
Rhode Island is lucky to have Kipp Bradford.
By IAN DONNIS | February 15, 2007

Advocates cite concern on bill for civil unions

Equal Rights
In the aftermath of Valentine’s Day, leaders of Rhode Island’s same-sex marriage movement are concerned that new legislation could prevent the eventual granting of full marriage rights for gays and lesbians.
By PETER IAN ASEN | February 14, 2007

Got Members?

RI is overrun by archaic boards and commissions
Post-9/11 Rhode Island has only one state Emergency Management board, while a 1995 statutory commission to examine workplace sexual harassment remains inactive.
By MARY ANN SORRENTINO | January 31, 2007

How will speaker Murphy use his power?

A brain drain, looming deficits, and other challenges await solutions
It was no big surprise when House Speaker William J. Murphy recently presented his wife, Stacey, with a bunch of roses — as thanks, he said, for the nights he had missed dinner while working late at the State House.
By IAN DONNIS | January 10, 2007

Carcieri’s challenges

The governor faces a tougher political landscape in his second term
As Governor Donald L. Carcieri celebrated his 64th birthday on December 16, he could take satisfaction in any number of things.
By IAN DONNIS | December 27, 2006

Rhode Island in ’06: same as it ever was

Democrats on top, a casino quest, and a dose of corruption
Imagine a year when the Narragansett Indians were energetically pitching a casino, cynical Rhode Islanders had plenty of reason to reinforce their jaundiced views, and state house Democrats maintained the upper hand over hapless Republican opponents without even breaking a sweat.
By IAN DONNIS | December 20, 2006

Déjà vu all over again for RI GOP

Carcieri faces failure in having fostered a real two-party system
Lincoln Chafee should be the next head of the Rhode Island Republican Party.
By IAN DONNIS | November 15, 2006

Thousands of Rhode Islanders lack heat every winter

Mean season
There are many rites that mark the beginning of winter in Rhode Island.
By BRIAN C. JONES | November 08, 2006

Campaign winners and sinners

A pre-election dissection of the tasty, the terrible, and the in-between
It’s almost all over but the counting.
By IAN DONNIS | November 01, 2006

The battle of Rhode Island

Fogarty and Carcieri sharpen their competing visions for the state
Heading into the home stretch of the 2006 gubernatorial race, Lieutenant Governor Charles Fogarty has cause for hope and reason for concern.
By IAN DONNIS | October 18, 2006

Is Rhode Island still a state for sale?

The shoe yet to drop is the extent of private sector responsibility
As the star witness of federal prosecutors, former state senator John Celona of North Providence has sang chapter and verse about his arrogant, shameless, and corrupt dealings while having worked for an affiliate of Roger Williams Medical Center.
By IAN DONNIS | September 27, 2006

Down to the wire

Will Chafee or Laffey emerge victorious? Plus, Rhode Island’s other top primary races
So will Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey prove the ascending dragon-slayer who knocks off US Senator Lincoln Chafee, a favorite target of conservatives everywhere, or will the herky-jerky heir to one of the best brand names in Ocean State politics repel his challenger and live to fight another day?
By IAN DONNIS | September 06, 2006

Champions of the status quo

Protecting incumbents takes precedence over a reform that could diminish the influence of money in Rhode Island politics
Although the flameout in April of Matt Brown’s US Senate bid was the most prominent example, he’s hardly been the only Rhode Island candidate to run into a campaign finance-related hassle this year.
By IAN DONNIS | July 26, 2006

Caprios on the rise

Frank and David Caprio could challenge the Lynches as Rhode Island’s leading political family
Like professional athletes employing a well-worn phrase — the familiar expression about focusing on the task at hand and not looking too far ahead — brothers Frank T. Caprio and David A. Caprio strike the same muted tone in separately discussing their respective futures in public life.
By IAN DONNIS | March 02, 2006

Hunting with Cheney

It’s no surprise that “Big Time” poses a danger to others
That Dick “Sure Shot” Cheney lacked a necessary stamp for shooting quail when he accidentally plugged one of his hunting buddies sounds about right.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | February 16, 2006

The long wait for gay marriage

Although Rhode Island offers a hospitable home to gays and lesbians, equality remains elusive
Justice Brown-Duso is an outspoken nine-year-old with a big smile.
By BETH SCHWARTZAPFEL | February 15, 2006