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Governor Dan McKee delivered his State of the State address on Tuesday night, laying out what he calls an “affordability agenda” for Rhode Island as he seeks another four-year term.

My colleagues Ed Fitzpatrick and Steph Machado have a full recap of the speech, and I asked 13 lawmakers – Democrats, Republicans, and Jon Brien – from around the state to share their initial impressions. 

Representative Teresa Tanzi
Democrat
District 34 - Narragansett, South Kingstown
The first priority for this budget should be to shield Rhode Islanders from the destabilizing actions of the Trump administration. Although the governor’s proposals move us modestly in that direction, the lack of meaningful discussion about revenue is deeply disappointing. As federal tax cuts reach historic levels, it is essential that Rhode Island adopt a fair and equitable tax structure—one that ensures those with the greatest means contribute their fair share.

Representative Brian Newberry
Republican
District 48 - Burrillville, North Smithfield
1) He promised a laundry list of expensive goodies to a range of interest groups with no indication of where the money will come from even as we face a structural deficit. 2) He appears to think he's challenging Donald Trump for governor. 3) It was purely a speech aimed at a Democratic primary audience, and this was not a serious policy speech.

Representative David Morales
Democrat
District 7 - Providence
While the governor spent a significant portion of his speech rightfully critiquing President Trump, he was completely silent about ICE’s increasing presence across our state. And despite emphasizing the theme of affordability, we did not hear enough about his plans to address the most pressing issue working people in our state are facing: housing costs. Instead he focused on prioritizing trivial tax cuts that most Rhode Islanders will hardly feel. With all the federal cuts coming our way, now is the time we should be taxing the rich and directing those investments to support Medicaid recipients, our public schools, and our homeless neighbors in need.

Representative Justine Caldwell
Democrat
District 30 - East Greenwich, West Greenwich
As a legislator and a mom of two public school students, I remain concerned by this administration’s obsession with attendance, especially in the midst of a widespread flu outbreak. School attendance and RICAS scores are attractive things to focus on because it's cheap and easy to measure them. But we ask our schools to do so much more – to develop their work habits, to prepare them to be good teammates and neighbors, to navigate an increasingly complex online world, to help kids manage their mental health. That’s where the real support for our students and teachers should be focused.

Representative Chris Paplauskas
Republican
District 15 - Cranston
“Affordability for All” sounds wonderful. But how can the state afford it? Growth in private sector jobs is a positive sign. But blaming Washington won’t balance Rhode Island’s budget. I’d rather see us work with Washington and show Rhode Islanders a funding plan that will create real affordability.

Representative Leonela Felix
Democrat
District 61 - Pawtucket
The governor is laying out ambitious goals, especially around supporting families and children, which I welcome. What’s still missing is a clear plan to pay for these investments – we need to meet this moment by raising revenue, including taxing the wealthiest Rhode Islanders. I am also disappointed not to hear about protecting and supporting our immigrant communities amid increased ICE enforcement.

Representative Jon Brien
Independent
District 49 - Woonsocket, North Smithfield
What I heard tonight was a lofty speech that is seemingly aimed at Democratic primary voters, and it appears that Donald Trump himself is seeking to challenge the incumbent governor.

Tonight's speech was simply a borrow, confiscate, and spend plan. We need to provide the government we can afford, not a utopian version where money grows on trees. Beware, the taxpayers of this state are about to take it in the knickers.

Senator Alana DiMario
Democrat
District 36 - Narragansett, North Kingstown, ​New Shoreham
I applaud and support the governor's focus on affordability for Rhode Islanders, and I look forward to digging into what investments will actually bring the best return. A child tax credit that puts $325 dollars back in the pockets of a working family can make a big difference. Rolling back the gas tax and returning $7ish a year to drivers at the expense of our roads and bridges and public transportation? I'm not convinced.

In a year where we have just had the 2025 Climate Action Strategy and the Resilient Rhody 2025 Plan completed, mention of what our next steps are to continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address resiliency against climate change and sea level rise was notably missing. 

We all know that the effects of President Trump's actions at the federal level require that we act to make sure Rhode Islanders maintain access to essentials like food, housing, and health care, and I was glad to hear the governor acknowledge those needs and lay out some proposals to address them. However, this could be a real opportunity to reimagine the way we deliver these services to Rhode Islanders - and get it right. 

Senator Jake Bissaillon
Democrat
District 1 - Providence
Tonight’s State of the State showed what could be possible if the governor, speaker, and Senate president unite behind a shared commitment to expanding economic opportunity for all Rhode Islanders, from advancing the Housing 2030 plan through a new housing bond and expanded pathways to homeownership to historic investments in career and technical education that advance economic mobility and socioeconomic justice.

While we have made meaningful progress over the last five years addressing our housing crisis, the cost of housing remains the single greatest challenge facing our state, and meeting this moment will require sustained partnership and follow-through to deliver real relief and long-term stability for working families. I look forward to supporting and advancing these initiatives throughout the 2026 session.

Senator Dawn Euer
Democrat
District 13 - Newport, Jamestown
I appreciate the governor’s positive message and his focus on raising incomes, creating good-paying jobs, and affordability. But Rhode Islanders need more than slogans. An “affordability agenda” only matters if it is backed by bold action and real details. Tonight’s address acknowledged the problem, but stopped short of the big, structural solutions working people need.

A budget is a statement of values and an investment in our future. We must move away from austerity thinking that relies too heavily on private consultants without delivering real results, as highlighted in the recent Washington Bridge oversight hearing. 

I welcome the focus on lowering energy costs, but that cannot come at the expense of our clean energy future. The transition to renewable energy strengthens reliability and lowers costs over time. Clean energy is also local energy which doesn’t require us to kidnap foreign leaders to access it.

Senator Jessica de la Cruz
Republican
District 23 - North Smithfield, Burrillville, Glocester
While the governor blamed Trump for all our problems, the reality is that Dan McKee and the Democrat Party are responsible for 90 years of pilfering taxpayer dollars. His “affordability for all” theme is just a campaign slogan while he and his Democrat colleagues continue to ignore the affordability of our government, a problem they created.

Senator Senator Ryan Pearson
Democrat
District 19 - Cumberland, Lincoln
The governor spoke at length about broad themes, Rhode Islanders are looking for clear, workable solutions. As the General Assembly reviews the budget, the key question is whether the administration’s goals are backed by concrete, effective policy.

It was particularly notable that the address lacked specificity on two of the state’s most pressing challenges: a healthcare system under growing strain and persistent failures in K-12 education. These are well-known problems that demand more than generalities.

The governor’s gas tax proposal may sound good, but it fails to deliver real savings. Similar efforts in other states have failed to deliver meaningful relief to consumers while weakening critical funding for road and bridge maintenance. For that reason, I expect the General Assembly will once again reject it.

Senator Lou DiPalma
Democrat
District 12 - Middletown, ​Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton
I look forward to reading and reviewing the budget on Thursday. The focus on affordability is paramount. The governor mentioned a number of new programs without much mention of how they’ll be funded. Also, not much mention of how the state is preparing itself for the extreme headwinds we’re already beginning to experience from the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Senate Finance Committee will have quite a bit of work ahead of us.