R.I. House Speaker Weighs Veto Override of McKee's Energy Reporting Bill

Rhode Island House Speaker Christopher Blazejewski said state legislators are considering reconvening to attempt an override of Governor Dan McKee's veto of a bill establishing energy-use reporting requirements for large buildings. The bill had passed the House by a vote of 48-15 and the Senate by 33-5 before McKee vetoed it, marking his only veto of the legislative session. McKee stated his objection was that the measure imposed new compliance obligations on property owners without providing technical or financial support to help them meet those requirements. Separately, in Rhode Island's Democratic gubernatorial race, Cumberland Democrats—based in McKee's home community—voted to endorse rival candidate Helena Foulkes rather than McKee for the party's nomination. This endorsement represented a local political setback for the incumbent governor in the area where he resides. As of the reporting, it remained unresolved whether the legislature would actually reconvene and whether an override attempt would succeed, as no formal override vote had yet been reported. The broader status of the Democratic gubernatorial primary contest between McKee and Foulkes, including other endorsements or campaign developments, was not detailed in the available reporting.