Update: Murphy, Paiva Weed chosen to lead R.I. House
5:39 PM Tue, Jan 06, 2009 | Permalink
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By Katherine Gregg PROVIDENCE -- West Warwick Democrat William J. Murphy sailed to a fourth term as House Speaker and Newport Democrat M. Teresa Paiva Weed became the Rhode Island legislature's first female Senate president as state lawmakers opened their 2009 session this afternoon under a dark financial cloud. Murphy got the loyal backing of his party, with 67 of 69 fellow Democrats voting for him. His only opposition came in the form by a bid by House Minority Leader Robert Watson, R-East Greenwich. Watson, too, was backed by his party. The tiny six-member GOP block gave him his only votes. "We have our work cut out for us,'' Democrat Paiva Weed, 49, told her colleagues on the day before Republican Governor Carcieri is expected to unveil his plan for plugging a $357 million current-year deficit, during an uninterrupted 15- to 20-minute block of radio talk show and network TV time. "Our state and our nation are in the midst of an economic crisis,'' Paiva Weed said in an advance text of her speech. "Job losses, layoffs, company closings, foreclosures and rising rents have left many facing decisions they never thought they would have to make. At the state level, "significant changes must be made and proactive policies implemented to address these complex conditions,'' she said, and "we are ready to act.'' Paiva Weed did not lay out an action plan. At this point, no one in state government has. But she promised "a forward looking approach to developing long-term strategies to secure a stronger economic future.'' For example, she said: "we will work to create business-friendly policies to attract new companies to the state, but our MAIN priority will be growing the businesses that are already here in Rhode Island,'' and "support proper workforce training [and] retraining for experienced workers laid off in this economy.'' With all of the state's health and welfare programs on the potential chopping block, and hearings set to start later this week on a Medicaid waiver aimed at shaving millions of dollars off the cost of what is now -- but would no longer be -- a guaranteed government-paid health insurance program, she promised to "remain committed to addressing the needs of our most vulnerable populations -- particularly our elderly, our disabled and our children.'' Noting that she is the first woman to win the Senate presidency -- and top legislative rank in Rhode Island, she said: "Young women should know, anything is possible.'' Paiva Weed, 49, has served in the Senate since 1993. A one-time chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she became the first woman to attain a top leadership position after the abrupt 2003 New Year's Eve resignation of then-Senate President William Irons set in motion the election of then Senate Majority Leader Joseph Montalbano to take Irons' place, and Paiva Weed as Montalbano's successor. She is a lawyer at Moore, Virgadamo & Lynch, and a former assistant city solicitor for Newport. Paiva Weed's law firm represents the Newport Grand gambling venue, though she says she does not personally handle the slot facility's legal work, and has taken steps to avoid sharing in the firm's profits for Newport Grand's legal work. At the time she became majority leader, she said the keys to avoiding conflicts are "disclosure and recusal." Paiva Weed's election as Senate president was sealed in November when she beat back several competitors to win the endorsement of her fellow Democrats at a party caucus she called, in her then-capacity as Senate majority leader, days after the ouster by voters of her predecessor, Joseph A. Montalbano. In her speech today, she listed her priorities for this year. They included "transparency in the operation of the Senate,'' and a promise to work with the governor and House to "effectuate real change.'' Invited to deliver the opening day prayer for today's House and Senate sessions, Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Tobin said, "Give the leaders of our state the spirit of wisdom that they will know what is right, and the spirit of courage, that they will do what is right. Inspire in them a perfect blend of justice and compassion. Let them never hesitate to do good because of selfishness, anxiety or fear.'' In keeping with its own tradition, the Senate also invited a Catholic religious figure: the Rev. Francis A. O'Loughlin, pastor of Paiva Weed's hometown church, the Jesus Savior Church, Newport. But in a nod to the mixed religious makeup of Rhode Island, the House asked the Rabbi Peter W. Stein, president of the Rhode Island Board of Rabbis, to deliver a closing benediction. For the legislators, today's session had the mood and feel of a reunion, with timeout to vote on the first resolutions of the year. One honored former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell, who died last week. In the hour before the session began, the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition held what it called an "interfaith prayer vigil'' in the rotunda, with organizers saying they chose the time and place to "remind the assembly to be compassionate and use their wisdom and innovation to fight poverty.'' 
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YOU ARE ALL CLOWNS & JOKERS. LETS SEE IF YOU HAVE THE HEART TO HELP THIS STATE. I BLAME THE VOTERS YOU PEOPLE ARE USELESS. GET READY TAX PAYERS..
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Great! Can't wait for her new legislation!! No Road blocks> yes. No, nothing!! Yes.
Tooooooooooooo liberal? yes
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