Politics in Rhode Island can be a breathtaking ride. Recent actions taken by politicians show the highs and lows of the players in power. For example:

GOOD
Treasurer Seth Magaziner and Attorney General Peter Nehrona are supporting a bill sponsored by Senator Dawn Euer (D-Jamestown) and Representative Joseph McNamara (D-Warwick) that would protect Rhode Island borrowers from predatory student loan practices. Regrettably, far too many entities in the student loan business do not provide accurate information about the loan, often resulting in higher interest, longer debt and more likely to make the student likely to default. General Nehrona's office will investigate and enforce violations of the student loan standards contained in the legislation. Kudos to all!

BAD
The Rhode Island House approved overtime after 42 hours, well below the 53 hour a week federal overtime standard for firefighters. It’s another money grab. According to RIPEC and its latest report (FY 2016), Rhode Island pays the highest cost in the nation already for fire protection. In terms of personal income, the cost to RI taxpayers is $6.08 per $1000. States like Texas weigh in at $2.48 per $1000 and $3.15 in New York, both states that have a density of skyscrapers and security issues. Add in the practice like that in Johnston where firefighters scoop up overtime in their last 3 years to bulge up their pensions (the pension is based on the last 3 years of work); you have a fiscal train wreck caused by those legislators who suck up to unions.

GOOD
Treasurer Seth Magaziner gets another bow for initiating and supporting legislation that requires non-ERISA pension programs to report annually to its members the pension’s actual financial condition. Were this legislation in place, the fiasco caused by the Diocese of Providence (among other entities) “short-sheeting” nurses, custodians, cooks, technicians etc. at its Catholic hospitals would have probably been averted.

BAD
The House seems intent on passing legislation that would replace mandatory physician supervision of physician assistants (PA) because House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s son, who is matriculating to become a physician assistant, says so. The Providence Journal pointed out that MD dermatologists spend at least 8 years in training (four in medical school plus internship and three years of residency) while PAs spend two years in school with 2000 hours of clinical training. The bill introduced by Rep. David Bennett, a registered nurse, eliminates physician legal liability for the work done by their physician assistants. That’s hardly a vote of confidence for PAs by MDs who are trying to escape responsibility for malpractice.

BAD
The state is chasing $60 million apparently overpaid to nursing homes for Medicaid payments because of UHIP hiccups.

BAD
After swallowing the sole source gambling industry numbers of $23.5 million per annum for state coffers from sports betting, the governor and the solons now see that the $13.6 million that the state “should have gotten” by now is barely over $300,000. (GoLocalProv, April 9). Patsies!

To end on a positive note:
GOOD
Police Chief David Tikoian of North Providence investigated the taxpayer-funded credit card charges made by the town’s former school superintendent which led to her being charged with embezzlement. I never should have forgotten the tenacity of this former state trooper.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.