Opinion | EastBayRI.com - News, Opinion, Things to Do in the East Bay

This country has no plan for renewable energy (or anything else)

Governor Dan McKee signed into law legislation to increase renewable energy production and supply by requiring that 100 percent of Rhode Island’s electricity be offset by renewable production … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 5/23/23

Rhonda Swain with striped bass she caught when fishing with her husband Mike live lining Atlantic menhaden at night in Bristol Harbor.

Managers hope emergency action will save striped bass

More striped bass fishing trips are taken by anglers coastwide than any other species. This highly desirable fish has been overfished for the past few years, and last year, anglers killed … more

By Capt. Dave Monti | 5/23/23

Swift passage of abortion bill shows how Assembly has changed

STORY OF THE WEEK: For supporters like state Sen. Bridget Valverde and Rep. Katherine Kazarian, the legislative sponsors of the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act, passing the EACA was unfinished … more

By Ian Donnis | 5/23/23

Letter: Offshore wind critics and their disinformation campaign

To the editor: The recent rally and other calls to ban the SouthCoast Wind offshore wind farm has produced a remarkable number of complete misconceptions, misinformation and disinformation. I … more

5/19/23

Letter: Be factual, not emotional, about wind energy

To the editor: Our gang of wind turbine protestors claim that wind turbines are killing sea creatures (“A rally cry against offshore wind,” The Portsmouth Times, May 18). Let’s … more

5/19/23

Letter: Preventing criminal gun use requires facts, not fiction

To the editor: Every reasonable person favors preventing the criminal use of guns. But we are not going to make progress on that until the gun control lobby ends its campaign of misinformation … more

5/19/23

Letter: Questions unasked at the CNN Town Hall

The moderator of the recent CNN Trump Town Hall tried valiantly to ask pertinent, newsworthy questions to a declared presidential candidate, now convicted and under other legal duress. He … more

5/17/23

Letter: The state legislature’s plan to ruin the East Bay Bike Path

To the editor: It’s ludicrous that the state legislature can deem a motor not a motor, as in the pending e-bike legislation (covered in these pages last week) that deems e-bikes – … more

5/17/23

Gun control debates will heat up as the General Assembly winds down

STORY OF THE WEEK: Now that the May Revenue Estimating Conference is complete, the General Assembly session is expected to race to a mid-June conclusion, with a few contentious issues still hanging … more

By Ian Donnis | 5/16/23

Editorial: Yes and no to e-bikes on bike paths

Rhode Island needs to pass a law regulating electric bicycles and their use on bike paths. A bill before the General Assembly would do that, but the current version is flawed and potentially … more

5/10/23

Letter: ‘Right to Beat Arms’ contains no qualifiers

To the editor: Clay Commons is perplexed by the Supreme Court’s interpretation or lack thereof for the Second Amendment clause regarding “A well-regulated Militia …” … more

5/9/23

Whitehouse seizes the moment to call for Supreme Court reform

STORY OF THE WEEK: U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is a longstanding critic of efforts to move the U.S. Supreme Court to the right, so he’s remained in the spotlight as SCOTUS faces a wave of … more

By Ian Donnis | 5/9/23

Letter: How students are teaching us at the Portsmouth Dog Park

To the editor: For the last year, the Portsmouth Dog Park Committee has had the pleasure of working with students from Salve Regina University and the University of Rhode Island. We turned to … more

5/8/23

Commentary: Time for Rhode Island to put oil companies on trial

While Rhode Island communities experienced extreme drought, torrential rain, and flash floods last year, the oil and gas companies pouring fuel on our climate crisis were raking in record profits. … more

By Rep. Terri Cortvriend | 5/5/23

Letter: Turbines, a ghastly embodiment of man's arrogance

Beauty. The beauty of the earth. The beauty of the mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes—and, of course, the ocean. The Ocean State, our little Rhode Island, embraced by the … more

5/4/23

Letter: Want an easy way to make a real difference?

To the editor: Every now and then you may have the urge to help out your community in some way, but you may not know how. Please let me suggest to you an easy way to do that. On Saturday, May … more

5/4/23

A door, car and driveway may be hazardous to your health

I n mid-April, 16-year-old music prodigy Ralph Yarl was running an errand that most older siblings perform, i.e. picking up his younger brothers at a friend’s house. He went to a home on … more

By Arlene Violet | 5/2/23

Despite overhauls, pensions remain a hot topic in R.I.

STORY OF THE WEEK: Twelve years after Gina Raimondo spearheaded what once seemed an improbable overhaul of the state pension system, pensions remain a hot topic in Rhode Island. As the ProJo’s … more

By Ian Donnis | 5/2/23

Letter: No simplistic answers for questions on gun control

To the editor: First, the current state: There are 400 million guns in a country of 300 million people. Most people don’t own guns, or own one or two; this means that a few people have a … more

4/30/23

Letter: Indoor smoking should be banned in casinos

To the editor: As a therapist working very close to the Rhode Island border, I am concerned for the workers and non-smokers who are again being exposed to second-hand smoke inside the casino. I … more

4/30/23

Letter: Pray for change, because goodness matters

Prayer plays a prominent part in many American lives. Many pray for peace. Some kneel or bow in regular prayer. Others call for "thoughts and prayers" for victims. And some even make … more

4/27/23

Letter: Some progress on suicide prevention barriers – but not enough

In 2023, the next phase of suicide prevention barrier legislation is pending before the Senate (S586) and the House (H6002). A lot has happened since this odyssey began to install barriers on the … more

4/27/23

Letter: Urge your government to allow critical gun safety votes

To the editor: There are currently two pieces of legislation critical to our public safety which are making their way through our Rhode Island legislature. They would: 1) Ban of future sales of … more

4/27/23

Letter: Is nuclear an alternative to offshore wind?

In 2022, Rhode Island passed a law to change our renewable energy standard "to achieve the goal that one hundred percent of Rhode Island's electricity demand is from renewable energy by 2033 and each … more

4/26/23

The AG is getting vocal about issues today and in the future

STORY OF THE WEEK: In recent weeks, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has used Twitter to amplify the fight for continued access to mifepristone, cite the need for those with power to … more

By Ian Donnis | 4/25/23