Daniel J. McKee was sworn in as the 76th Governor of Rhode Island on March 2, 2021. As lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2021, Dan focused on creating more economic opportunities for all Rhode Island families and building solvent communities.
10,000 Small Businesses is a proven model for unlocking the growth and job-creation potential of small businesses. This program providing a unique opportunity to help us move our state forward by strengthening our local businesses – the backbone of our economy. 10,000 Small Businesses will build on the comprehensive package of tools we have launched to support entrepreneurs, create jobs, and ensure everyone can make it in Rhode Island.
Governor Gina M. Raimondo reconvened The Rhode Island Children’s Cabinet in July 2015, after working with the General Assembly to revise the statute establishing the Cabinet as a decision-making entity for children.
Pursuant to R.I.G.L. §42-72.5 (1-3), the Children’s Cabinet is authorized to engage in interagency agreements and appropriate data-sharing to improve services and outcomes for children and youth.
As the Cabinet pays special attention to the wellbeing and education of Rhode Island’s children, Governor Raimondo has appointed Eric Beane, Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, as chair, and Ken Wagner, Commissioner of Elementary & Secondary Education, as vice chair.
Our kids deserve the best opportunities in the 21st century tech-driven economy, so we need to do everything we can to help them get ahead by developing the skills that matter. Part of turning our economy around and creating jobs is making sure every student, at every level, has access to the new basic skill: computer science.
CS4RI is among the most comprehensive statewide computer science (CS) initiatives in the country, and will bring together a coalition of partners—including Microsoft TEALS, Code.org, Project Lead the Way, Brown University’s Bootstrap, and University of Rhode Island’s CS curricula for high school — to offer a menu of options for schools to expand computer science education in kindergarten through grade 12. Also, General Assembly, a nationally recognized provider of industry CS training will collaborate to develop a pilot teacher CS boot camp offered in Rhode Island.
“We must ensure all students have the skills they need to compete in today’s innovation economy and that means making computer science much more accessible for all learners,” Acting U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. said. “President Obama’s budget includes funding for states and districts to increase access to computer science by providing training for educators, expanding access to high-quality instructional materials, and building effective regional partnerships. By offering computer science in every public school and every grade, Rhode Island has become the latest state to lead the way in offering computer science for all.”
Governor Raimondo’s current budget proposal includes $260,000 to support the expansion of CS programming to be available to every student in all of Rhode Island’s schools.
To increase our computer science options across all grades, we must on focus engaging community partners and resources and support schools and teachers on expanding their offerings. The data suggests that Rhode Island has a long way to go:
CS4RI will:
Innovation in cybersecurity will help drive Rhode Island's economy forward. While an increasing reliance on technology poses its own challenges, Rhode Island has a tremendous opportunity to build on a robust network of cybersecurity innovators and expertise to foster resiliency and economic development.
The Rhode Island Cybersecurity Commission will develop a clear strategy to capitalize on the state's ability to grow a thriving cybersecurity industry sector and to continuously improve protections from cyber disruptions in the public and private sector.
Rhode Island is building on the strong foundation established by the Working Group to Reinvent Medicaid to help every Rhode Islander access high-quality, more affordable healthcare, and to bring greater predictability for healthcare expenses to businesses and taxpayers. We can innovate across our healthcare system to improve patient care and health outcomes, and lower cost for all Rhode Islanders.
The Working Group for Healthcare innovation will provide recommendations to establish a global health spending cap for Rhode Island, tie 80% of healthcare payments to quality by 2018, develop a next-generation health information technology system for all payers, and establish performance management frameworks to achieve population health and wellness goals.
The Rhode Island Jobs Plan will create thousands of family-supporting jobs by putting shovels in the ground, making it easier and less expensive for companies to invest in Rhode Island, and training Rhode Island workers.
Over the last decade, state spending on our criminal justice system has increased dramatically. Rhode Island has made important improvements to the system in recent years, but more must be done. Supporting our comeback includes making sure our criminal justice resources are going towards strategies most likely to protect the public and promote stronger, healthier communities.
The Justice Reinvestment Working Group will advise on ways to improve Rhode Island's criminal justice system, with the overarching goals of protecting public safety, reducing recidivism, addressing racial disparities, promoting stronger, healthier communities, and reducing cost.
In order for Rhode Island's economy to thrive, state government needs to operate at the speed of business. All state employees, from the front line to upper management, need the tools and resources to think strategically and make state government more customer service-oriented, predictable, and efficient for our taxpayers.
One tool proven to work in the manufacturing industry is Lean, a business process improvement method that leads to the elimination of waste, added value, and a culture of continuous improvement. Embedding tools such as Lean methodology throughout state government will foster innovation and creative problem solving by all of our employees.
One year after Governor Raimondo established the Working Group to Reinvent Medicaid, Rhode Island is positioned to expand and improve access to quality care and reduce costs.
The state is projected to achieve over $100 million of annual Medicaid savings without cutting eligibility or reducing benefits.
These reforms protect and expand vital health services and shift the state's Medicaid system toward a structure that rewards better outcomes, better coordination and higher-quality care.
Drug overdoses represent a public health crisis that is as urgent as any we have ever confronted in Rhode Island. Over the last 5 years we have lost more than 1,000 people to drug overdoses, and they have come from almost every community in the state. We have a single focus in our work to address this crisis: Save lives.
Governor Raimondo's Overdose Prevention and Intervention Action Plan sets an ambitious goal to reduce opioid overdose deaths by one-third within three years. It builds on $4 million in funding used to expand access to peer recovery and support medication-assisted treatment at the Department of Corrections. In addition, the Governor signed an Executive Order in July 2017 that enhances the existing strategies of the Task Force's Action Plan in the areas of prevention, treatment, rescue and recovery.
Treatment for opioid addiction works, and long-term recovery is possible. Support is also available to individuals living with active addiction and for family members affected by this crisis. We need to continue to work together to remove barriers to effective treatment, including stigma, so the people at highest risk of overdose have a chance to make it in Rhode Island.
Real Jobs Rhode Island is designed to ensure that employers have the talent they need to compete and grow while providing targeted education and skills training for workers. This initiative will put employers at the center of job training.
The mission of Real Jobs Rhode Island is to put people to work and by making job-training efforts employer-centered, everyone wins. It's a win for employees who will have a job once their training is complete. It's a win for employers who will have a pipeline of trained workers. And it's a win for Rhode Island as the state looks to attract and grow more companies here.
To stimulate growth that includes everyone, we need to attract businesses, build skills, and modernize our infrastructure. Rebuilding our roads and bridges will accelerate our economic comeback both because it will put people to work now, and because it will make Rhode Island a more attractive place for businesses to invest.
The Problem
The Solution
Why it Works
Our plan proposes record investments in K-12 schools, but more funding alone isn’t enough.
We need to ensure that our schools are preparing kids to succeed and get ready for attending college or pursuing a career. Only by working together to strengthen our neighborhood schools will we be able to create opportunities for everyone to make it in Rhode Island. Every kid deserves to succeed, and a neighborhood school that prepares them for their future.