1. STORY OF THE WEEK: When does the calculus of doing nothing outweigh the value of doing something at the Statehouse? That question will hang over Smith Hill until the resolution of the proposed “assault weapon” ban becomes clear in the Senate later this month. The bill sponsored by Rep. Jason Knight (D-Barrington) cleared the House of Representatives, 43-to-28, during a marathon debate Thursday that ran almost five hours and turned acrimonious toward the end. The sore feelings aside, the vote shows how the caucus of pro-gun Democrats who once made Rhode Island unusual as a blue state is far smaller than in the past. But the Senate Judiciary Committee remains the Bermuda Triangle of legislative politics — offering some degree of cover if Senate President Val Lawson is intent on killing the AWB bill sponsored by Sen. Lou DiPalma (D-Middletown). The official line, via a statement from Lawson’s office, is this: “The Senate President strongly supports the assault weapons ban legislation. She will continue working with her colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to try to win its passage.” But if Lawson wanted to get this done, it’s well within her power to do so, potentially shifting the bill to a more supportive committee. Instead, we might be treated to a scenario in which Lawson votes for the AWB bill in the closely divided Judiciary Committee, only for the legislation to go down to defeat, with two ex officio members — Senate GOP Leader Jessica de la Cruz (R-North Smithfield) and Senate GOP Whip Gordon Rogers (R-Foster) — voting no. Lawson’s number two, Majority Leader Frank Ciccone (D-Providence), is a staunch gun rights supporter, and speculation continues about whether Lawson’s rise after the death of Dominick Ruggerio included a deal to kill the AWB bill. Maybe we’ll be surprised and the bill will move ahead. “I believe we will get this over the goal line,” DiPalma told me, pointing to how, in his characteristically precise calculation, 64.8% of the Senate supports the legislation. If not, the big question is the extent to which the fallout filters into stiff primary challenges next year to Lawson and Ciccone, fueled by angry gun-safety activists and a possible backlash allowing to become law a pay hike for Transportation Director Peter Alviti -- a move defended by Lawson to avoid what she called an unusual intrusion on executive power.

2. THE HOUSE VIEW: Rep. Knight joined me on Political Roundtable this week and we talked about a number of gun-related questions.

***With polls generally showing support for an AWB ban, “what you’re seeing in the House right now is the politics catching up to where the people are. So if it’s not passed, if something happens under the dome that causes this bill not to get a full hearing and a full up or down vote in both chambers, I think that the public will certainly take note of that and I don’t think they’ll be pleased.” (House GOP Leader Mike Chippendale of Foster takes issue with the polls cited by supporters, maintaining that opposition to the AWB ban is actually greater.)

***In related news, Knight said he plans to decide by this fall whether to run for attorney general next year.

3. THE COUNT: The 43 votes for the AWB bill in the House show why Gov. Dan McKee’s effort to resolve the issue via the budget — which requires 50 votes for passage in that chamber — was a non-starter.

4. TRUMP EYES RI: Scoop via me from Thursday: President Trump’s Department of Justice notified Attorney General Peter Neronha that it has launched an investigation of state government. From my story: “The notification came in a letter to state Attorney General Peter Neronha from Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division of DOJ. ‘Our investigation is based on information that Rhode Island may be engaged in employment practices regarding its affirmative action program governing state government employment under state law that discriminate based on race, national origin, or other protected characteristics in violation of Title VII,’ according to the letter. It continues: ‘Accordingly, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division has authorized a full investigation to determine whether Rhode Island is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination as set forth above.’ Reached for comment Thursday, Neronha said, ‘Honestly, I didn’t pay it a whole lot of mind,’ and he said he doesn’t intend to respond to the letter. ‘They can go investigate and if the investigation turns up anything, then we will address it,’ Neronha added. ‘It could be something today, gone tomorrow.’ While Neronha said he suspects the probe centers on DEI -– diversity, equity, inclusion — a focus of the Trump administration, he also cited a lack of specifics.”

5. WASHINGTON BRIDGE: The scheduled completion for the westbound Washington Bridge is now in November 2028, at a cost of up to $427 million. While the state’s initial response was marked by some missteps and overly rosy predictions, Gov. Dan McKee is trying to put a positive view on where things are headed. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re in a good spot,” he said during a Statehouse news conference Friday. “The people in the state of Rhode Island know that the funding is there, the time schedule is there, and we have a quality bridge-builder to actually execute on the project.” Regardless, the bridge issue is bleeding into next year’s nascent race for governor. In a statement, fellow Democrat Helena Foulkes said in part, “This isn't just poor leadership; it's a glaring symbol of the incompetence and neglect that has plagued our state for years. Where is the oversight? Where is the accountability? This bridge debacle is exactly why our state continues to fall behind while families and businesses pay the price for failed leadership.” And House Speaker Joe Shekarchi offered this statement: “Rhode Islanders who rely on the Washington Bridge have had their daily lives disrupted for nearly 18 months. We will review today’s announcement and evaluate the impact on the budget that the House Finance Committee is preparing. As the bridge project moves forward, the House of Representatives will continue its work ensuring the Administration is accountable.” 

6. THE GOV RACE: Gov. McKee put doubts about whether he will seek re-election next year to bed by staffing up for 2026 with two experienced operatives. That move inspired my look at six big questions for our next statewide election. 

7. GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Watch for the House version of the budget to land in Finance next week.

8. PUBLIC MEDIA’S NEW NAME IN RI: Rhode Islanders habitually refer to things by their former names, whether it’s WRNI, the NewPaper or the Journal-Bulletin. But the times, they are a-changin’ and we’re set to roll out a new moniker this fall for the joined forces of The Public’s Radio, fka RI Public Radio, fka WRNI, and Rhode Island PBS. Find out more via a short conversation I had with our CEO Pam Johnston.

9. CULTURE: HBO recently broadcast some repeats of Six Feet Under, the quirky drama that ran from 2001 to 2005. That preceded a broad change in how Americans view gays and lesbians, so the way in which David Fisher wrestled with coming out of the closet seems, with the benefit of hindsight, a bit dated. But now comes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with an order to remove the name of gay rights icon Harvey Milk from a Navy ship, and the ACLU asserts President Trump is rolling back LGBTQ rights. All this reminded me of a story in 2002 about a vice raid in Johnston. On the surface, the bust seemed voyeuristic and sensational, and it wound up causing a quick buzz in the news. On a deeper level, I wrote, the situation was more about “how the stigma that some associate with homosexuality still has the power to kill.”

10. FREE SPEECH: Media critic and former colleague Dan Kennedy awards Brown University a Muzzle Award — bestowed, he said, for how it responded to student Alex Shieh for “committing journalism.” David Wright has more on Shieh’s appearance before Congress.

11. FREE MEDIA: The administration in DC is moving ahead with plans to claw back money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which offers some financial support for stations like the Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS. A congressional vote is expected in the near future. If you value what we do, please make your voice heard.