Rep. Chippendale slams McKee’s agenda in State of the State rebuttal
Rhode Island House Minority Leader Mike Chippendale sharply criticized Gov. Dan McKee’s State of the State address Tuesday night, arguing the governor’s policies have worsened affordability and expanded government spending without delivering results.
In the Republican response to McKee’s speech, Chippendale framed the state’s challenges not as abstract policy debates, but as a growing financial strain on residents.
“But what I want to talk about tonight isn’t policy, it’s pain,” Chippendale said. “Because for a lot of Rhode Islanders, the lived experience of the last 20 to 25 years doesn’t feel like progress at all.”
Focus on affordability
Chippendale said Rhode Islanders are “running faster and harder just to stay in the same place.”
He tied that frustration to what he called decades of unchecked government growth, pointing to a dramatic rise in the state's budget.
In 2000, according to Chippendale, Rhode Island’s budget stood at roughly $4.5 billion. Last year, it exceeded $14 billion — a roughly 200% increase. During that same period, he said, real household income grew by only 25% to 30%.
“That isn’t a political talking point; that’s math,” he said.
Chippendale cited data from the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, arguing that state spending has consistently outpaced income and economic growth across multiple administrations.
Housing, utilities and taxes
The minority leader said the consequences of that imbalance are being felt across the state, particularly in housing, energy costs and local taxes.
He noted that home prices have nearly tripled since 2000 and said housing inventory has increasingly been purchased by out-of-state corporations and remote workers. Chippendale also highlighted rising utility costs, claiming Rhode Islanders now pay significantly more for electricity than neighboring states.
According to Chippendale, municipalities are also being squeezed by unfunded state mandates, forcing cities and towns to pass costs down to homeowners and renters through higher property taxes and fees.
“These are not theoretical consequences,” he said. “They show up in the real world.”
Call for spending restraint
Chippendale rejected the idea that higher spending alone leads to better outcomes.
He said Rhode Island spends roughly $21,000 per student annually on public education - among the highest in the nation - yet student proficiency rates have slipped back to early-2000s levels.
“If spending alone was the solution, Rhode Island would be thriving,” he said.
Rather than calling for cuts to specific programs, Chippendale said the state needs structural reform, starting with stricter budgeting rules.
“Government spending should never be allowed to grow faster than the ability of the people to pay for it. Period,” he said.
He proposed tying spending growth to inflation and income growth, arguing that approach would force lawmakers to prioritize rather than expand government.
“Rhode Islanders aren’t asking for miracles,” he said. “They’re asking for honesty and transparency ... The good people of Rhode Island deserve no less."
