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RIPEC Brief Finds Rhode Island’s Housing Resources Commission in Need of Reform
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) today released a policy brief highlighting issues with the design and operations of Rhode Island’s Housing Resources Commission (HRC). RIPEC found that the HRC has wide statutory authority over housing policy and programming and shares many of the same top-line responsibilities with the Department of ...
RIPEC Analysis Shows Income Tax Hike in RI Risks Negative Economic Consequences
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) today released a policy brief analyzing proposed legislation that would sharply raise the state’s top income tax rate from 5.99% to 8.99% on income above about $625,000. The proposed 50% increase—targeting the state’s highest earners—would risk negative long-term consequences for state revenues and the economy, ...
Rhode Island Adds Jobs in Q1 2025, but Key Indicators Signal Economic Softening
PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island’s economy showed weakness in several key indicators in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Rhode Island Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Quarterly Briefing, released today by The Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies at Bryant University and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC). Rhode Island-based jobs (non-farm ...
RIPEC Reports on Rhode Island’s Shift in State and Local Taxes and K-12 Funding
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) has released a new report analyzing a major shift in Rhode Island’s mix of state and local tax revenues, with significant implications for education funding, the state’s economy, and housing affordability. RIPEC’s report finds that Rhode Island’s tax system has undergone a profound transformation in ...
Rhode Island Economy’s Positive Momentum Continues in Q4 2024
PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island’s economy experienced strong growth in several key economic indicators in the fourth quarter of 2024, although there were some signs of weakening, according to the Rhode Island Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Quarterly Briefing, released today by The Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies at Bryant University and the Rhode ...
RIPEC Reports on Rhode Island State Budget Outlook for FY 2026
Providence, RI- The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) released a report today examining the state’s fiscal outlook ahead of the fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget process. RIPEC’s report explores the magnitude and causes of the state’s projected funding gap for FY 2026 and analyzes the major drivers of the deficit. The report finds that ...
Rhode Island Key Performance Indictors Briefing for Q3 2024 Shows Mixed Performance
PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island’s economy showed mixed performance across key indicators in the third quarter of 2024, according to the Rhode Island Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Briefing, released today by The Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies at Bryant University and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC). The Briefing shows that Rhode ...
RIPEC Analyzes Recent Investments in Affordable Housing
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) today published an analysis of Rhode Island housing policy, with a focus on the state’s recent investments in affordable housing. Over the past few years, the state has made significant investments in affordable housing and enacted new policies to increase Rhode Island’s housing supply. With ...
KPI Briefing: RI Economy Continues Largely Positive Trend in Q2 2024
PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island’s economy experienced positive results across most key economic indicators in the second quarter of 2024, according to the Rhode Island Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Briefing, released today. Prepared by The Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies at Bryant University and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC), the Briefing ...
Shifting Burdens in Rhode Island’s Property Tax System
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) released a report today finding that Rhode Island’s property tax system is rife with disparities among taxpayers and across cities and towns. Building on a RIPEC 2022 analysis of property taxes, the report found that an extreme uptick in residential property values over the past ...
RI KPI Briefing: Strong Growth in Jobs and Labor Force Participation in Q1 2024
PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island’s economy experienced positive results across most key economic indicators in Q1 2024, according to the Rhode Island Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Briefing, released today. Prepared by The Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies at Bryant University and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC), the Briefing shows that the ...
The Governor’s FY 2025 Budget Proposal: A Transitional Budget as the State Faces More Constrained Revenues
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) released a report today analyzing Governor Daniel J. McKee’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget, revisions to the FY 2024 budget, and the state’s fiscal outlook ahead of the May Revenue Estimating Conference. RIPEC found that the governor’s proposed budget represented a transitional spending plan ...
RIPEC Analyzes Rhode Island’s Business Tax Climate
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council released today its analysis of Rhode Island’s business tax climate, finding that the state has improved its standing in the Tax Foundation’s Business Tax Climate Index from 42nd to 41st but still ranks in the bottom ten states. RIPEC’s brief also assesses potential tax law changes ...
RI KPI Q4 Briefing: Positive Results Across Key Economic Indicators While Underlying Issues Remain
PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island’s economy experienced positive results across most key economic indicators in Q4 2023, according to the Rhode Island Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Briefing, released today. The Briefing, completed by The Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies at Bryant University and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC), showed fourth quarter ...
Rhode Island State Budget in Transition: Four Key Issues for FY 2025 and Beyond
Providence, R.I. – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council released a report today examining the state’s fiscal outlook ahead of the FY 2025 budget process. Over the past few years, Rhode Island’s state budgets have had an infusion of unprecedented revenues fueled by massive federal pandemic relief funding and record state revenue surplus dollars. However, ...
Empty Seats: Enrollment and Chronic Absenteeism in Rhode Island Schools
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) today released a new report analyzing the linked trends of declining enrollment and increased chronic absenteeism. Using newly available data, RIPEC’s report helps explain why there are so many more empty seats in Rhode Island classrooms today than just a few years ago. RIPEC also ...
RI KPI Briefing for Q3 2023 Shows Mixed Results Across Key Metrics Even as Unemployment Reaches 35-Year Low
PROVIDENCE, RI –While Rhode Island’s unemployment rate hit its lowest point in 35 years, our local economy experienced mixed results across key economic indicators, according to the Rhode Island Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Briefing for the second quarter of 2023, released today. The Briefing, completed by The Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies at ...
Funding for Multilingual Learners in RI’s K-12 System
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) today released a policy brief analyzing funding for multilingual learners in Rhode Island. The brief highlights three main findings: “Rhode Island is behind the curve when it comes to funding for multilingual learners,” said RIPEC President & CEO Michael DiBiase. “The dollars simply haven’t matched ...