Today is 401 Gives! If you support fiscally responsible government, competitive tax policies, and economic opportunity for all Rhode Islanders, please consider donating to RIPEC at bit.ly/4swfPPU. ⚓

"Rhode Island’s incomplete recovery from this crisis reveals two important truths about our education system. First, meaningful improvement is possible when the state applies focus. Second, without stronger statewide authority, some children will not benefit from that progress."

RIPEC on the broader, sobering lesson from RI’s uneven recovery from the absenteeism crisis: “If Rhode Island cannot require best practices in all public schools … how can it meaningfully effectuate the kind of change necessary to raise student outcomes?” www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/27/m...

Key points on the governor's proposal to impose an 8.99% tax rate on income over $1.0M ▼

Our testimony to House Education in opposition to a retroactive charter public school moratorium ⬇️ Charters are a bright spot in Rhode Island’s K–12 system. CREDO found that RI charter students showed the strongest results relative to their district peers among the 29 states studied.

Our March newsletter is out The risks of a tax hike on higher earners, our analysis of chronic student absenteeism, an update on legislative advocacy, and more⬇️ Sign up to our mailing list on our website to get future editions in your inbox ripec.org/newsletter/m...

Our testimony to House Finance on the governor’s budget proposal to raise taxes on income over $1M.⬇️ This proposal carries significant and long-term risk to state revenues and the economic opportunities of all Rhode Islanders.

Our new report on chronic absenteeism in RI found CFSD & PPSD are outperforming demographic-based predictions, cutting rates by 20+ points since 2022. What's driving progress? • Systemwide focus • Clear authority & accountability • Strong data use • Family communication

Rhode Island has made meaningful progress reducing chronic absenteeism, but too many students are still missing too much school. In our new report, we outline four recommendations to build on recent gains and address persistent gaps across districts: ripec.org/2026-chronic...

Rhode Island has reduced chronic student absenteeism from 34% to 22%—the 5th sharpest reduction nationally. Our new report breaks down what Rhode Island is doing right, and why chronic absenteeism remains too high: ripec.org/2026-chronic...

New: Rhode Island has made real progress reducing chronic absenteeism since the pandemic, but progress has been uneven. Some districts have improved dramatically. Others still face persistently high chronic absenteeism rates. Our analysis: ripec.org/2026-chronic...

RIPEC’s February newsletter is out, featuring analysis of the Governor’s FY27 proposed budget, research on rent control, and updates on RI’s economy. 📬 Sign up on our website to get the next issue in your inbox. ripec.org/newsletter/f...

Released yesterday: our Q4 KPI with Edi Tebaldi and Bryant University finds Rhode Island's economy at a critical transition point. Read more: ripec.org/2025-q4-kpi-...

By @chrisgavin.bsky.social -- RI economy saw ‘mixed performance’ at end of 2025, @ripec1.bsky.social and Bryant University briefing says www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/03/m...

Just released: Our Q4 KPI Briefing with Bryant University shows mixed signals for RI's economy, with a rebounding number of employed residents and a decline in unemployment, as in-state job counts and sales tax receipts edged lower. Find it here: ripec.org/wp-content/u...

Federal funding is projected to increase 7.8% in the Governor's proposed FY 2027 budget over FY 2026 enacted levels, despite recent federal policy changes affecting Medicaid and SNAP. More in our new policy brief ⬇️ ripec.org/fy2027_budge...

Just released: RIPEC’s brief on the Governor’s FY 2027 budget finds relatively restrained spending growth after recent surges, while relying on a proposed tax increase on high-earning individuals and businesses. Read the analysis: ripec.org/fy2027_budge...

As a new session of the General Assembly begins, we’re looking at the state of our economy and budget. In Q3, unemployment fell for the first time in 2+ years, but was higher than New England and U.S. More residents were working even as RI-based jobs fell.

In a new @providencejournal.bsky.social op-ed, Michael DiBiase and Laurie White write that RI doesn’t need more tax hikes—it needs smarter spending. Raising taxes on top earners and businesses doesn’t address the real issue: rising government costs and inefficient spending. bit.ly/4soKUFx

New: RIPEC and Bryant have released the Q3 KPI Economic Briefing, issued later than usual due to federal data delays during the shutdown: ripec.org/2025-q3-kpi-... The data show easing unemployment and modest gains in resident employment—signs of stability amid slower growth.

Our December newsletter is out now, featuring RIPEC’s latest revenue and caseload analysis, new findings on charter school outcomes, and warnings from the Auditor General on municipal fiscal reporting. ⬇️Read the latest issue. ripec.org/newsletter/d...

NEW: The doom-and-gloom about next year's RI state budget may be overdone @ripec1.bsky.social is out with a study laying out tens of millions in additional dollars Gov can use next month to balance FY27 One reason? Trump's Medicaid cuts save the state money, too www.wpri.com/news/politic...

What to know about RI’s budget outlook: 💰 FY26 surplus of about $38M ⬇️But the state still faces a substantial deficit for FY27 Learn more in our latest briefing: ripec.org/2025-nov-rec...

What to know about Rhode Island’s budget outlook: despite steady revenue growth and a drop in Medicaid enrollment, a structural deficit still looms. Dive into our key takeaways: ripec.org/2025-nov-rec...

New: Our analysis of the November Revenue & Caseload Estimates shows that, despite steady revenue growth and a drop in Medicaid enrollment, a substantial structural deficit still looms over Rhode Island. These estimates will shape the governor’s budget proposal in January. ripec.org/2025-nov-rec...

RIPEC is hiring a Public Policy Analyst! Join our small but mighty team and dive into meaningful public policy research. Application details are below. ripec.org/wp-content/u...

Snapshots from our annual meeting last Monday. Thank you to everyone who joined! 📸 vimeo.com/1135370756?f...

For 90+ years, RIPEC has been Rhode Island’s independent voice for responsible, data-driven government. Watch our new video on how we’re guiding policy & navigating change for a stronger state. vimeo.com/1133561342?f...

We’re just five days away from RIPEC’s Annual Meeting! Join us on Monday, November 3, to celebrate another year of advancing fiscally responsible government and expanding economic opportunity. There’s still time to register! Find tickets here: www.eventcreate.com/e/ripec-tick...

ICYMI: How does Rhode Island measure up? Our new report finds the Ocean State is among the top 10 nationwide for state & local spending in several categories, including government administration (5th). Explore the findings & our interactive 50-state map: ripec.org/2025-how-ri-...

We released How Rhode Island Compares yesterday—a look at how RI's revenues and expenditures measure up to other states in the region and across the U.S. Where RI stands across key categories ⬇️ Explore the full report and interactive 50-state map: ripec.org/2025-how-ri-...

The Ocean State spent the 14th most per capita on its correctional facilities and operations of any state nationwide in fiscal 2023, despite having the 3rd lowest number of incarcerated people, per new @ripec1.bsky.social analysis rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/10/20/h...

R.I. tops nation in government administration spending, @ripec1.bsky.social report finds -- Rhode Map by @danmcgowan.bsky.social www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/20/m...

Coming up this Wednesday, 10/22: RIPEC's Michael DiBiase will join Neighbors Welcome! for a panel discussion featuring Marc J. Dunkelman and other voices from government, design, and policy to exchange ideas about restoring public trust and collective capacity.

Our new report, How Rhode Island Compares, reveals how our state and local government revenues and expenditures stack up against the US and New England. Explore the full findings and check out our interactive 50-state rankings map: ripec.org/2025-how-ri-...

Join us Monday, Nov. 3 at our annual meeting for an insightful conversation on the local and regional economy, moderated by @nancyklavin.bsky.social : eventcreate.com/e/ripec-tick...

#1: "The General Assembly...recently approved a $14.3 billion budget...In August, RIPEC called out how...general revenue spending climbed by almost 11 percent since fiscal year 2024, about five points higher than...revenue. 'Rhode Island continues to have a spending problem'...Michael DiBiase said."

RIPEC is proud to announce this year’s public service awardees. We are looking forward to honoring Maureen and Ron at our annual meeting. Join us: www.eventcreate.com/e/ripec-tick...

What to make of the economy? "It's not going badly, but we're kind of running in place a bit right now," DiBiase said. "It's slowing down after a period of really significant growth." www.providencejournal.com/story/news/l...

Catch up on our September newsletter ⬇️ featuring highlights on the FY26 enacted budget, new taxes and fees, chronic absenteeism in K–12, and more — including how to submit a nomination for the 49th Annual Public Service Award. Deadline: September 15! ripec.org/newsletter/s...

Over the past two years, RI’s state budget has grown nearly 2x the rate of inflation – an 11% increase in spending. Michael DiBiase discussed why that isn’t sustainable and where RI’s tax dollars are going with @tednesi.bsky.social on this week's @wpri12.bsky.social Newsmakers. bit.ly/47vbntp

RIPEC’s new report breaks down how RI is using one-time surplus funds (4% of general revenues) and new taxes & fees to cover rising costs in the FY26 budget. It also explores how program evaluation tools can guide the state’s response. Find it here: ripec.org/2025-fy2026-...

[email protected] coverage of our new report on RI's FY26 budget ⬇️ Find the full report and executive summary here: ripec.org/2025-fy2026-...

“The tax burden has been going up, and people are paying for these things," Michael DiBiase said. "It’s time to reflect on what we are getting for that money.” Learn more about how the state is spending money via @nancyklavin.bsky.social

“We’ve gone through a period of extraordinary growth in spending," MichaelPDiBiase told @wpri12.bsky.social. “And we’re continuing that spending growth, despite the fact that revenues have cooled off and we have uncertainty at the federal level.”

Submit a nomination for our 49th Annual Public Service Awards by September 15 and help us honor the dedication, integrity, and impact of Rhode Island’s public service standouts. Details here: ripec.org/wp-content/u...

#1: Our Q2 KPI Briefing with Bryant University shows shows unemployment in RI continued to tick up as labor force particiaption fell. "Michael DiBiase said the news itsn't all bad ... [but the] broader trend ... suggests that we are entering a period of increased uncertainty."

Diverging employment trends in RI’s Q2 2025 economy: non-farm employment remains near historic highs, but employed residents fell quarter-over-quarter & year-over-year. More in our Q2 KPI Briefing w/ Bryant University: ripec.org/wp-content/u...

For six consecutive quarters now, unemployment in Rhode Island has remained higher than the New England and national rates, reports @chrisgavin.bsky.social.

The Q2 KPI Briefing from RIPEC and Bryant University shows mixed signals & growing concerns for RI’s economy: Unemployment ↑ or flat for 8th quarter Labor force participation ↓ for 4th quarter Employed RIers ↓ 3.3K but RI-based jobs flat Sales tax receipts ↑ Read more: ripec.org/2025-q1-kpi-...