Statement from Governor Lincoln D. Chafee Regarding the Re-election of President Barack Obama

I am pleased that the American people have chosen to re-elect a President who is moving our country forward and is committed to building a sustainable economy in which all Americans have the opportunity to prosper.

President Obama has been a friend to and supporter of the State of Rhode Island, which has been hit harder than most by the economic downturn. But we are seeing improvement, and I believe the President’s recovery efforts have had a significant role in our turnaround.

President Obama has proven himself to be willing to forge compromise to solve our most pressing problems. His health care overhaul was crafted based on models championed by my father and other moderate Republicans in an earlier, less partisan era. He is committed to strengthening the middle class, investing in American education, protecting our environment, and restoring America’s place in the international community through smart and responsible leadership. These are goals we all should share.

The American people had an important choice to make in this election, one that will have consequences not only for us but for our children and their future. The voters chose to continue building a better, stronger nation. I look forward to continuing to work with President Obama to find solutions that will benefit the people of Rhode Island and the people of our country.

Statement from Governor Lincoln D. Chafee Regarding the Passing of Senator Arlen Specter

I was honored to serve for seven years alongside Arlen Specter in the United States Senate. As members of the “mod squad,” we worked over weekly lunches to find bipartisan solutions to the country’s challenges, joining together to resist the increasing pull toward partisanism and extremism. I am particularly grateful that, as Chairman of the important Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Specter was generous to Rhode Island. I found that one of the best ways for Senators to get to know one another was travelling on foreign trips, and I was fortunate to travel throughout South and Central America with Senator Specter. During this trip, I got to know a man who was thoughtful, intelligent, and deeply devoted to his constituents and his country. He should be remembered as a man who put the people’s business above partisan concerns, a characteristic that is, sadly, increasingly rare.

Statement from Governor Lincoln D. Chafee Regarding Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist

I am very pleased to report that Commissioner Gist has undergone surgery and that it went extremely well, with no apparent complications. The Commissioner is making a fine recovery so far, and her doctors expect that she will be able to leave the hospital within a day or two.

The many messages of support that the Commissioner has received from across the entire community have been a great comfort to her during this ordeal. I join with all friends of education in Rhode Island in hoping and expecting that Commissioner Gist will make a rapid and full recovery and that she will soon be able to resume her important work on behalf of Rhode Island students.

Statement from Governor Lincoln D. Chafee

Today, I am pleased to announce that the United States Bankruptcy Court affirmed a plan that promises to return the highly distressed city of Central Falls to a financially viable community. As a result of this plan the city will have a balanced budget until 2017 including a sustainable pension and healthcare system for retirees. I want to thank Rosemary Booth-Gallogly, Robert Flanders, Theodore Orson and all the other people that worked tirelessly to see this through.

None of this would have been possible without collaboration on the part of the legislature, the unions, the city employees and the retirees. All of these people worked tirelessly and made great sacrifices to ensure that Central Falls will once again have the opportunity to become the thriving community it once was.

Statement from the Office of Governor Lincoln D. Chafee

This afternoon, Governor Chafee and State Police Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Studley visited RIPTA headquarters in Providence.

 
The purpose of their visit was for Lieutenant Colonel Studley, who will be assisting RIPTA with management and helping to improve operations, to get to know the employees with whom he will be working. It was also an opportunity for Governor Chafee to speak directly with RIPTA personnel about the situation and assure them of his support for the many hardworking, honest employees who were not involved with any alleged wrongdoing.

Statement from Governor Lincoln D. Chafee

This morning, a petition for writ of certiorari was filed with the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the State of Rhode Island.

The petition seeks a review of a 1st Circuit Court of Appeals decision which held that the federal government did not need to abide by the terms of the Interstate Agreement on Detainers (IAD), an interstate compact and federal law. The IAD, to which 48 states and the federal government are parties, authorizes any state or federal party to deny a request to transfer a prisoner to another party.

This is a significant states’ rights matter. The parties to this important interstate compact rely on the even-handed and fair administration of the detainer system to reliably move prisoners from one state to another. If the uniform rules of this agreement are applicable only to the states and can be disregarded by the federal government, it is in the best interest of all states to know that is the case immediately. That is the primary reason why the State of Rhode Island is pursuing this case before the Supreme Court.

Because of the important states’ rights issues at stake, Patricia Millett, a partner with the firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and the head of its Supreme Court litigation group, is handling this case on the state’s behalf pro bono, that is, at no cost to the Rhode Island taxpayer.

Statement from Governor Lincoln D. Chafee

Underage drinking is a major problem in Rhode Island and across the country.

With that in mind, the so-called “social host” law has been broadly designed to prevent such unfortunate incidents from occurring and to protect the young people of our state.

Throughout this process, Stephanie and I have taken this matter seriously and have been concerned and disappointed by the details of the event in question, as any parents would be.

Caleb will accept responsibility for his actions and, in addition to any legal consequences that result, we will continue to deal with this matter as a family. It is our hope that this event, however regrettable, has provided an opportunity for a dialogue about the dangerous and potentially harmful effects of underage drinking. Hopefully many parents took this occasion to speak with their children about this important topic.