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House Speaker Joe Shekarchi on state spending, housing and his future plans
Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi holds what is often called the most powerful job in state government. That’s because the speaker controls the legislation in the House of Representatives and has broad influence over the state budget. The $13.9 billion spending plan approved by lawmakers earlier this month won praise for including more money for healthcare and education. And Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat, wins kudos even from some Republicans for keeping an open door and having a consensus-oriented approach. But Rhode Island’s budget has grown by 50% since before the pandemic and the…
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