by Joe Siegel
EDGE New England Editor
Monday Mar 8, 2010
n an unprecedented show of support for marriage for same-sex couples, five Rhode Island gubernatorial candidates have pledged to sign a bill that would allow gay and lesbian couples to wed in the Ocean State.
A rally at the State House on Wednesday, March 3, featured former U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, Attorney General Patrick Lynch, Treasurer Frank Caprio and Todd Giroux, who is openly gay. A representative for Moderate Party candidate Kenneth Block spoke on his behalf. And Republican John Robitaille opposes nuptials for gays and lesbians.
The event drew nearly 400 people, some of whom unfurled banners and carried signs in support of marriage....
William Lynch, the state Democratic Party chairman for the last 12 years and a candidate to succeed Patrick J. Kennedy, speaks with reporters at his law firm in Providence.
Newsmakers 1/31: William Lynch
Head of RI Democrats talks politics (click here for video)
Updated: Friday, 29 Jan 2010, 5:23 PM EST
Published : Friday, 29 Jan 2010, 5:22 PM EST
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - This week: State of the Democratic Party.
Democratic State Party Chairman William Lynch discusses the local and national landscape of the left.
His brother, gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Patrick Lynch has been fielding questions about a campaign contribution to someone under investigation by the state police and Chairman Lynch analyzes the Democrats bruising loss in the Massachusetts Senate race.
Mayor David Cicilline
Update: Cicilline offers 3-point plan to rebuild police (click here)
2:57 PM Mon, Mar 08, 2010PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Flanked by high-ranking officers and Police Chief Dean M. Esserman, Mayor David N. Cicilline announced a series of actions that he wants the chief to take in the aftermath of the three officers in a state police drug investigation.
Cicilline said he has directed Esserman to:
* Institute random drug testing in the police department, effective immediately.
* Review assignment rotation policies within the narcotics division.
* Review the department's protocol for loaning officers to other agencies.
Sgt. Stephen Gonsalves, narcotics Detective Joseph Colanduono, and school resource officer Robert Hamlin were among six people charged Thursday in "Operation Deception," a months-long wiretap investigation that targeted a high-level drug operation.
The accused drug dealer is Hamlin's younger brother, Albert; state police also arrested Khalid Mason, a felon with a violent criminal record, and Jameson Hassett, who is the son of a police officer.
On Friday, three narcotics officers and one patrol officer were placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
The original version of this story was posted at 11:02 a.m.
OPERATION DECEPTION: Mayor Cicilline Connection (click here for video)
Bryan Monaghan
ABC 6 News Reporter Mark Curtis has more on Rhode Island State Police's 'Operation Deception', including how the facts of the case hit hard for Providence Mayor David Cicilline, and those who work close to him.
Cicilline's police driver arrested in RI drug bust (click here for video)
Posted: Today at 2:15 pm ESTLast Updated: Today at 2:26 pm EST
PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- A drug arrest could turn into a political problem for Providence Mayor David Cicilline.
His former police driver was one of the officers arrested last week in the bust of a cocaine dealing ring.
People are now questioning Cicilline’s personal relationships as he runs to replace Rep. Patrick Kennedy in Congress.
Cicilline was already facing questions about his brother, who was recently released from federal prison.
The mayor says he has no plans to resign.
