Guns, Homelessness, and Deficit: Key Takeaways from McKee’s Speech

Gov. Dan McKee’s State of the State speech highlighted key issues like gun control, homelessness, and the state’s budget deficit.

Guns, Homelessness, and Deficit: Key Takeaways from McKee’s Speech
Guns, Homelessness, and Deficit: Key Takeaways from McKee’s Speech

Providence: Gov. Dan McKee gave his fourth State of the State speech on Tuesday. It was a lengthy one, clocking in at over an hour and 6,000 words.

He touched on several important topics, but here are five key points to note.

First off, McKee pushed for a ban on military-style assault weapons. This has been a recurring theme for the last three governors since the Sandy Hook tragedy. However, past support has often been blocked by leaders in the General Assembly.

McKee’s call for this ban at the end of his speech, along with its inclusion in his budget proposal, might give it a better shot this time around. It seems like his team believes it resonates well with potential primary voters, especially given the positive reaction from the audience.

But there’s a catch. The House of Representatives, which has the final say on the budget, isn’t obligated to keep the assault weapons ban in it. House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, who supports the ban, mentioned that he doesn’t think it belongs in the budget since it’s more of a social issue than a fiscal one.

Next, McKee addressed the growing problem of homelessness, linking it to the opioid crisis. He didn’t declare a state of emergency, which some had hoped for, but he did highlight the connection between substance abuse and homelessness. This could be a weak spot for his expected challenger, Helena Foulkes, who was at the helm of CVS during the peak of the opioid crisis.

McKee pointed out that issues like substance abuse, lack of housing, and mental health are all contributing to the homelessness problem. He plans to propose two dedicated funding streams to tackle this issue, even though the General Assembly previously shot down his idea to fund homeless services through a tax on short-term rentals.

Shekarchi argued that funding isn’t the main issue; there’s already plenty of money allocated that hasn’t been fully utilized. He believes the real challenge is connecting homeless individuals with available resources.

On the budget front, Rhode Island is facing a significant deficit of about $300 million. Foulkes criticized McKee for overspending while families struggle with their own financial decisions. McKee claimed his budget would provide a roadmap to close the gap, but he didn’t specify how he plans to generate new revenue or make cuts.

As the campaign heats up, Foulkes is likely to challenge McKee on various fronts, including the state of the Washington Bridge and a recent cyberattack on the public benefits system.

One of the biggest applause moments came when McKee called for the assault weapons ban, which got a strong reaction from the crowd, though not everyone was on board.

McKee also loves using dashboards to track important statistics. His speech highlighted four different dashboards, including one for available shelter beds and a quirky “Trashboard” to count litter pickups. It seems like he’s really into keeping tabs on everything!

This article originally appeared in The Providence Journal, summarizing the key takeaways from Gov. McKee’s 2025 State of the State speech.

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