Dan McGowan

3 days ago | bostonglobe.com | Dan McGowan

The House may be a sure thing, but the Senate could be a different story – especially if the Judiciary Committee ends up handling the bill. So who has the most to gain (and lose) politically from the assault weapons ban? Here’s a breakdown. The governor desperately needs a win after a new poll from the University of New Hampshire had his job approval rating at a dismal 19 percent.

3 days ago | bostonglobe.com | Dan McGowan

Val Lawson is going to teach all of Rhode Island a lesson about politics – and herself – over the next couple of weeks. The career educator, who holds the powerful dueling roles of president of the Rhode Island Senate and president of one of the state’s largest teachers unions - the National Education Association Rhode Island, has a decision to make.

4 days ago | bostonglobe.com | Dan McGowan

The race to succeed former Senate President Dominick Ruggerio in Senate District 4 is on. Six candidates have signaled their intent to run for the seat that has been vacant since Ruggerio died in April. In order to qualify for the ballot, they have to submit nomination papers with the signatures of 100 registered voters. The primary is July 8, and the general election is Aug. 5. Here’s a rundown of the candidates.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Dan McGowan

Forget the health care crisis, the housing crunch, or the state budget drama. Rhode Island’s political class is fixated on one thing: Governor Dan McKee’s brutal new poll numbers. A poll of 653 Rhode Islanders from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center showed McKee’s approval rating at just 19 percent, with 74 percent of those surveyed saying they don’t think he should seek reelection next year.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Dan McGowan

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley’s administration is one step closer to getting legislative approval to raise the city’s tax levy by more than 7 percent, but there are still two state senators who are going to have a major say over how the city’s legislative agenda takes shape over the next month. That bill still needs Senate approval, and the two senators to watch are newly elected Majority Leader Frank Ciccone and Senator Jake Bissaillon.