The first annual People's State of the State is Tuesday night at 6 pm at the Rhode Island State House
"To bring about a real change in the State, we need the People’s State of the State," said organizer Harrison Tuttle. "And that’s what we’re planning to have on January 14th."
“On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, we invite you to join us for the People’s State of the State before the Governor’s address at 7 pm. (Preferred arrival time: 6:00 pm.)”
I sat down with Harrison Tuttle, President of the Black Lives Matter RI PAC, over a plate of french fries to discuss his plans for the People’s State of the State.
Harrison Tuttle: We will have the People’s State of the State on Tuesday. I’m expecting at least a hundred people there—Rhode Islanders—who, over the last couple of years and their entire lives, have seen their wages stagnate, if not go down, as the price of everything goes up. The State of Rhode Island can’t pay for the necessities Rhode Islanders need to survive. We’re talking about healthcare. We’re talking about education. Our bridges are crumbling to the ground. The lack of support for people has come because those in charge no longer believe in this system. To bring about a real change in the State, we need the People’s State of the State. And that’s what we’re planning to have on January 14th.
Steve Ahlquist: And that’s at 6 pm, an hour before Governor Daniel McKee will deliver his State of the State Address to the General Assembly.
Harrison Tuttle: Yes. 6 pm, in the State House rotunda.
We, the People, know the issues here in Rhode Island. We see the number of people that are unhoused in our communities. We see how moms struggle to pay their rent. We see older people across the State capped out in terms of the promises they once had. Once you worked, you could relax and spend time with your children. Their children and grandchildren won’t be able to buy a house in the State of Rhode Island anytime.
Steve Ahlquist: Currently, in Rhode Island, food insecurity is at an all-time high. Housing insecurity is at an all-time high. Evictions, homelessness, rent increases—all of these are at all-time highs. We did achieve a $15 minimum wage this year—probably five years too late.
House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi, in a recent speech, noted that while the average income in Rhode Island is $70,000, more than half of the people can’t afford to buy a house in their lifetime. You’d have to make at least a hundred thousand dollars to buy a home right now, and more than half the State isn’t coming close to that.
So the People’s State of the State feels like a response to austerity—or possible austerity, given the $300 million shortfall. The People’s State of the State feels like a response to precarity—the precarious nature of living in this State and living paycheck to paycheck.
Who do you have lined up to speak?
Harrison Tuttle: Right now, there are too many people to count.
We have people representing the George Wiley Center from Pawtucket and individuals from the Poor People’s Campaign. We have impacted Rhode Islanders. We have unhoused Rhode Islanders who have spent time out on the streets and in shelters and sometimes don’t even have a place to lay their heads. They have to stand up to sleep. Those individuals will be heard. Those individuals will be prioritized as we call for the Governor to enact a Public Health Emergency. We want the Governor to open up the necessary buildings so people don’t freeze to death.
We want the Governor to provide a long-term solution to the General Assembly to get back the billion dollars we gave away starting in 2006 through tax cuts for the rich. If we had a billion dollars going back to 2006, how would that money have helped us in terms of education, housing, and more? We have to speak up because we know that the Governor’s State of the State will not reflect the stories and the lives of Rhode Islanders right now.
Steve Ahlquist: On top of all this, the incoming Trump Presidency will likely bring extra stress to Rhode Islanders living in precarity. We don’t know what form that will take, but we’ve already seen signs from our federal delegation that they’re willing to negotiate and compromise on fundamental human rights. Women and our immigrant, LGBTQ+, and Black and brown communities are all going to be under threat from new and unforeseeable policies.
Harrison Tuttle: Rhode Island must become the model for solving the issues we face as we head into the worst economy in our lifetimes. We know there was a 34.9% increase in Rhode Islanders falling into homelessness. The State of Rhode Island has not provided any hope that they will ever escape that. The State of Rhode Island is dealing with issues around public infrastructure. Regarding our climate, the State of Rhode Island is ill-equipped.
Steve Ahlquist: What else should we know about the People’s State of the State?
Harrison Tuttle: There are two calls to action. We’re calling on the Governor to save lives by opening up shelters and capacity so that the people on the ground who are walking the streets every night because they don’t want to freeze to death can have a place to rest their eyes and possibly restore the dignity the State has stripped them of.
Our second call to action is to tax the 1% in our State so that our schools, housing, and State can be accessible and affordable for everyone, not just the select few.
From the press release:
On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, we invite you to join us for the People’s State of the State before the Governor’s address at 7 pm. (Preferred arrival time: 6:00 pm.)
According to multiple reports, Rhode Island is projected to face a $330 million budget shortfall, likely resulting in significant cuts to critical, life-saving allocations for our welfare state and beyond. These cuts are particularly alarming given 2024 data, which reveal:
68% of single adults in Rhode Island earn less than $49,000 annually, the income needed to survive.
38% of residents—or 2 out of every 5—are food insecure.
Rhode Island experienced a 34.9% increase in individuals reporting homelessness, placing Rhode Island 17% above the national average.
Our Goals and Objectives
The goals and objectives of the People’s State of the State are to:
Call on Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee to declare a public health emergency to protect unhoused neighbors from extreme cold.
Urge the Rhode Island General Assembly to increase taxes on the State’s top 1% of high-income earners.
Invite residents to share their stories about economic challenges in Rhode Island.
Three Critical Actions to Take Before January 14th
Spread the Word: Share this event with your friends and neighbors (please do not post on social media or share with the press).
 | A guest post by
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Right on. I hope one of the speakers points out that economic development is a bottom up process, and that the only way to create prosperous communities in RI is by focusing on moving to zero carbon by investing in the lowest income commuities first.
I hope that it's televised or on Zoom.
I have one 'but'......"The State of Rhode Island can't pay for the necessities Rhode Islanders need to survive."
Since when is the State responsible for our necessities? When do we accept responsibility for our own well-being? Our social system is designed to give people a hand up if they need it. It's not supposed to be a lifestyle. The system has been used and abused.
Who gives the State the money for 'necessities'? We, the taxpayers do or there would be no help.
The problem is that we have to survive, too. We also need the necessities. At some point, the well runs dry. Then what??