Rhode Island House Minority Leader Chippendale and Representative George Nardone Comment on Speaker Blazejewski’s Proposed Legislation to Create an Office of Inspector General

5/15/2026

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State House, Providence, RI – Rhode Island House Minority Leader Michael W. Chippendale and Representative George Nardone offer the following statements regarding Rhode Island House Speaker Chris Blazejewski’s announcement that he is submitting legislation to establish an Office of Inspector General in Rhode Island:

Leader Chippendale:

“I am pleased to see the Speaker’s initial announcement on creating an independent Inspector General’s Office (OIG). This press release reflects the way House Republicans, and specifically tenacious bill sponsor Representative George Nardone, have been framing this issue for many years - that Rhode Island does not simply need more internal review, it needs real, independent oversight with the authority to investigate waste, mismanagement, and failures before they become crises.

Over the years, House Republicans have brought Inspectors General from neighboring states and federal agencies to Rhode Island to testify on our OIG legislation. That testimony clearly demonstrated not only the need for this office, but the imperative nature of having a truly independent watchdog protecting taxpayers and restoring public confidence in government.

We are encouraged that the Speaker appears to be coalescing with us on this important reform. While our final position will depend on the actual legislative language once it is introduced, this announcement represents a welcome shift from our Democratic colleagues and a positive step toward the accountability Rhode Islanders deserve.”

Representative George Nardone:

“During my eight years serving as State Representative for District 28 in Coventry, I have consistently introduced legislation to establish an Office of Inspector General. At times, the effort felt more symbolic than substantive, but I am encouraged to see that the new Speaker shares this vision. I am hopeful that this will finally be the year we create a much-needed Office of Inspector General in Rhode Island.

If implemented according to the bill I submitted about a month ago, this office can be incorporated at no additional cost to taxpayers. Being as late as we are in the session for such an important piece of legislation, I am hopeful the Speaker places this item into the budget as an article. This will ensure a cohesive singular bill for the House and Senate and will avoid confusion in the last weeks of work in both Chambers.

I applaud the new leadership for recognizing the importance of accountability, transparency, and responsible government oversight.”

Since 2002 there has been a bi-partisan call to establish an Office of Inspector General, to root out waste, fraud and abuses in RI state government, and offer recommended reform. When any element of the Executive or Legislative branch fails to meet the high standards expected of them - there must be a mechanism for impartial investigation. This office would serve as a guardian of public trust. Only through such rigorous, independent oversight can we expect the people of RI to have any level of confidence in their government or the integrity of our government institutions.

Recent federal investigations and other costly department or agency failures across state government have necessitated this development. The time for an Office of Inspector General – an independent entity with the authority to investigate any issue across all corners of government, is now.

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The 2026 Rhode Island House Minority (Republican) Caucus is comprised of the following elected members: Minority Leader Michael W. Chippendale, District 40 (Foster/Glocester/Coventry); Minority Whip David J. Place, District 47 (Burrillville/Glocester); Representative George Nardone, District 28 (Coventry); Representative Brian Newberry, District 48 (North Smithfield/Burrillville); Representative Robert Quattrocchi, District 41 (Scituate/Cranston); Representative Sherry Roberts, District 29 (Coventry/West Greenwich); Representative Richard Fascia, District 42 (Johnston/Cranston); Representative Marie Hopkins, District 21 (Warwick); Representative Chris Paplauskas, District 15 (Cranston); Representative Paul Santucci, District 53 (Smithfield/Glocester).

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