Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva-Weed said she believed Rhode Island public officials should enact tougher financial disclosure rules. Speaking on the WSBE-TV show "A Lively Experiment", Paiva-Weed indicated financial laws "probably should be strengthened." The majority leader made her comments in light of public concern over former Senate President William Irons' refusal to reveal his insurance clients.
When asked about her law firm's representation of Newport Grand, a gaming facility, Paiva-Weed said it was important for the General Assembly to "set up a system [where] everything is clear" in terms of disclosure and recusal from voting. She suggested that similar to the U.S. Congress, state legislators should be able to call the Ethics Commission and get immediate feedback on when they should recuse themselves due to financial conflicts of interest.
The new legislative leader also discussed the state's budget deficit. "Everything is on the table this year," she said. We're in big trouble. The state is turning around, but not fast enough."
