RI House Republicans to Skip Annual Chamber Legislative Lunch

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State House, Providence, RI - House Republican Minority Leader Michael Chippendale has declined the usual annual invite to State House legislative leaders to sit on stage and take pre-planned questions at the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative luncheon on March 12, 2025. 

“I see no value in this event for anyone involved, legislators, attendees, or Chamber members,” said Chippendale.  “It is just a fundraiser for the Chamber and nothing more. It has simply proven to be a waste of time.”

“I sat on that stage for 6 years and realized it was just a dog and pony show,” echoed Representative and House Minority Leader Emeritus Brian Newberry. “The Chamber leadership has no interest in facilitating an actual debate.  They just want to cozy up to the Speaker and Senate President and throw them some pre-selected softball questions to make them look good. Try to speak out against something they don’t favor, as I did with truck tolls in 2016, and they cut you off. Why anyone bothers going is beyond me.”

“The Greater Providence Chamber is allegedly supposed to speak for the Rhode Island ‘business community’,” added Chippendale, “but the truth of the matter is that it is an incestuous group of top-level executives at the largest companies in the state, whose main goal is to not offend the Democratic leadership so they can get whatever legislative crumbs might get tossed their way.” 

“They certainly don’t represent the struggling small business community in the state, nor the general population, and they can always be counted on at election time to do the bidding of the Speaker and Senate President rather than support candidates who actually fight to help the overall business climate in Rhode Island.  I am done hoping they will change their ways and am no longer going to play their game.”

The rest of the House Republican Caucus will also skip the event this year. Many have jobs to attend to and better things to do with their time.  

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The 2025 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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