Dan McKee

Governor McKee advocated for an increase to Rhode Island's top income tax rate as part of his economic policy platform during his 2026 reelection campaign. A Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council report concluded that the proposed tax increase on millionaires could accelerate outmigration and reduce the state's economic competitiveness. McKee continued to push the millionaire's tax hike despite the findings in the RIPEC report.

On April 29, 2026, Governor McKee announced his nomination of Maria Ferro Deaton and Joanna M. Achille to the Rhode Island Superior Court. The nominations were submitted to the Rhode Island Senate for advice and consent. Achille is a partner and co-chair of the Family Law Practice Group at DarrowEverett LLP and director of the firm's family law division, while Deaton's professional background was detailed in McKee's official announcement.

Governor McKee announced in March 2026 that he requested and received the resignation of Jonathan Wo, director of the Rhode Island Department of Administration. McKee subsequently appointed James Lombardi, a former Providence city official with experience as chief of staff for the City Council, treasurer, and internal auditor, to serve as chief of staff of the Department of Administration. Lombardi, who holds credentials as both an accountant and an attorney and has served on the RIPTA board and the RI Board of Accountancy, was selected to provide stability to the department following the director's departure.

McKee proposed a "millionaire tax" as part of his budget to increase state revenue. The specific details of McKee's tax proposal and its fiscal mechanisms were presented as part of the governor's budget plan. McKee's proposal represented one approach to addressing state revenue needs during the budget cycle.

Governor McKee announced on Friday that he requested and received the resignation of Department of Administration Director Jonathan Womer following operational failures related to the rollout of the State's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The failures raised concerns about the handling of state employees' personally identifiable information and the overall administration of critical state systems. McKee stated that the transition was necessary to ensure the state government could properly handle employee pay and personal information.

Governor McKee announced the departure of Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti in early February 2026 after more than a decade leading the agency. Alviti's tenure included the December 2023 failure of the Washington Bridge, a structural collapse that resulted in significant public scrutiny of the department's operations and oversight. RIDOT subsequently posted a farewell message on highway message boards across the state acknowledging Alviti's departure.

Governor McKee declared a State of Emergency for Rhode Island in response to forecasted blizzard conditions expected to impact the entire state beginning Sunday, February 22, 2026. The declaration included the issuance of a travel ban and enabled the activation of the Rhode Island National Guard as needed during the storm. McKee also activated the State Emergency Operations Center for the duration of the weather event.

Governor McKee announced the appointment of Zachary M. Mandell, a personal injury lawyer and partner at his father's law firm, to serve as chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission, replacing outgoing chair Krystle G. Tadesse. Mandell's appointment grants him responsibility for overseeing the commission's work to identify candidates for judicial positions in Rhode Island. According to campaign finance records, Mandell has made substantial political donations.

Governor McKee removed Rhode Island Director of Transportation Peter Alviti from his position following Alviti's tenure that began under Governor Gina Raimondo in 2015. McKee had retained Alviti in the role despite controversies including the December 2023 Washington Bridge failure and allegations of mismanagement in the 6/10 environmental project. Alviti's departure concluded a decade-long tenure at RIDOT marked by operational challenges and public accountability concerns.

Governor McKee nominated four individuals to fill vacancies in Rhode Island's Superior Court, Family Court, and District Court on January 16, 2026. The nominations require confirmation by the Rhode Island State Senate. Among the nominees was former State Senator Michael McCaffrey, whose nomination generated responses from progressive advocacy groups based on his legislative record.

Governor McKee unveiled his $14.8 billion Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposal on Thursday, representing an increase of $522 million over the enacted FY26 budget of $14.3 billion. The proposal includes consideration of a millionaire's tax, line item veto authority, and $600 million in bonding questions. McKee's administration attributed budget pressures partly to anticipated changes in federal policy regarding SNAP administrative costs and benefit payments.

Governor McKee approved legislation passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly establishing a new statewide tax on non-residents, colloquially referred to as the "Taylor Swift tax," during the most recent legislative session. The tax became a consideration for potential high-end property buyers in Rhode Island even before its implementation. Real estate professionals reported that inquiries about the tax's implications began affecting market activity during the summer months preceding the law's effective date.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island filed a lawsuit against Governor McKee regarding restrictions on protest access at the State House during the January State of the State address. According to the lawsuit, activists were denied access to the State House for a rally and threatened with arrest prior to the gubernatorial speech. The ACLU characterized the case as seeking to vindicate free speech and assembly rights at the State House.

McKee declared a state of emergency in Rhode Island on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, in response to the Trump administration's announced suspension of supplemental benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program scheduled for November 1, 2025. The declaration came after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that federal food aid would not be distributed on that date due to a continuing government shutdown and the administration's decision not to utilize approximately five billion dollars in contingency funds to maintain SNAP benefits through November. Attorney General Peter Neronha simultaneously filed a lawsuit challenging the upcoming halt to the program.

Under Governor McKee, the Rhode Island Commerce Department conducted a multi-million dollar marketing campaign in 2024. The state reported receiving a record 29.4 million visitors that year, a 3.5% increase from the previous year, with visitors spending a total of $6 billion. According to state data, tourism supported 88,509 jobs and generated $992 million in state and local tax revenue.

Governor McKee appointed Kim Ahern as the inaugural chair of the Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission in 2023. Under Ahern's leadership, the Commission developed Rhode Island's first set of adult-use cannabis regulations, launched the state's Social Equity Applicant Certification process, and opened the Adult-Use Cannabis Retail License Application process. Ahern announced her resignation from the position in October 2025.

Rhode Island legislators passed the Law Enforcement Officers Due Process Accountability and Transparency Act in June 2024, revising the previous Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights statute. The 2024 law expanded the three-person disciplinary committee to five members by adding a retired judge and an attorney, though police officers still constitute a majority of the panel. Implementation of the revised law has proceeded slowly, with observers noting that the changes have had limited impact on police misconduct cases and transparency outcomes compared to reforms enacted in other states.

McKee announced the opening of Ocean State Labs, a new life science incubator in Providence's I-195 District that will house five initial biotech startup companies beginning in 2026. The incubator, developed through a collaboration with Brown University and $45 million in state investment as part of the Life Science Hub, will occupy more than 30,000 square feet and is designed to support companies developing therapies and technologies in gene therapy, tissue regeneration, oncology, and Alzheimer's disease treatment. McKee stated that the project represents economic progress and indicates the state's ability to attract innovative businesses and talent to Rhode Island.

Governor McKee pursued the allocation of opioid settlement funds to finance the sale of CharterCARE hospitals to Centurion, a Georgia-based not-for-profit entity with no prior hospital operating experience. The move followed the failure of an initial $166 million bond sale effort and a subsequent restructuring of the deal to $150 million during the summer. McKee's redirection of opioid settlement revenue represented an alternative financing strategy for the CharterCARE acquisition involving Roger Williams and Fatima hospitals.

Governor McKee requested a meeting with President Trump regarding offshore wind policy after the Trump administration halted construction of the Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island on August 22. The New York Times reported that Trump was building a coordinated effort to dismantle the offshore wind industry. McKee's meeting request came in response to the administration's actions against what was Rhode Island's largest wind project.

Governor McKee proposed a new fiscal structure for the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA) in August 2025, which was subsequently approved by RIPTA's board chaired by RIDOT director Peter Alviti. The proposal addressed funding challenges within the transit system and represented a revision to budget allocations affecting public transportation operations. McKee defended the financing structure in response to criticism from advocacy groups regarding the plan's adequacy in addressing the authority's fiscal needs.

McKee joined a group of Democratic governors in issuing a statement on Thursday, August 28, 2025, warning President Donald Trump against deploying National Guard troops to their respective states. The governors characterized Trump's strategy as chaotic federal interference in their statement. The statement was coordinated through the Democratic Governors Association, with participation from governors including Laura Kelly, Andy Beshear, Tony Evers, and others.

Governor McKee's administration announced in August 2025 that Rhode Island businesses added 500 jobs in July, citing this as evidence of economic growth. However, the job gains were entirely attributable to the government sector, which added 700 positions across local, state, and federal levels, while the private sector experienced job losses during the same period. University of Rhode Island economist Leonard Lardaro characterized the state's economy as stagnated and potentially in recession.

Governor McKee announced the appointment of Stefan Pryor as Secretary of Commerce, a position Pryor had previously held under Governors Gina Raimondo and McKee before serving as Secretary of Housing. The announcement came on Thursday, three days after the appointment was first reported. Pryor's return to the Commerce position followed his unsuccessful 2022 Democratic primary campaign for General Treasurer.

McKee announced plans to appoint Stefan Pryor as Secretary of Commerce, a position Pryor previously held under McKee's administration. Pryor's appointment marks his return to the role after serving as Secretary of Housing following an unsuccessful 2022 campaign for General Treasurer. The appointment was expected to be finalized in the week following the announcement in August 2025.

Governor McKee signed legislation on June 26 requiring Rhode Island colleges to stock naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, in all dormitories and college-run housing beginning September 1. The law also mandates that all resident assistants in campus housing receive training to recognize overdose symptoms and administer the opioid reversal medication. The measure mirrors similar legislation enacted in Connecticut, Maryland, and Washington State.

Governor McKee nominated Dr. Michael Reuter, a podiatrist with experience on the Barrington Harbor Commission and several advisory boards, to serve on the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. The nomination prompted criticism from shoreline advocates and environmental organizations who questioned whether Reuter possessed the necessary expertise in coastal regulation, environmental science, and maritime policy required for the position. The Rhode Island Senate was scheduled to vote on Reuter's nomination on March 20, 2025.

In 2025, McKee appointed U.S. Army Brigadier General Andrew J. Chevalier as Commanding General of the Rhode Island National Guard. Chevalier, a North Kingstown native with over 35 years of experience in the state's National Guard, assumed the leadership role. The appointment brings to the position an officer with extensive military experience, including deployment to Iraq in the early 2000s.

Neronha joined a coalition of 22 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit in United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island challenging the Trump administration's freeze on federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance programs announced through an Office of Management and Budget memo. The lawsuit alleged that the funding pause violated the Administrative Procedures Act and the separation of powers by imposing a government-wide freeze on federal awards without regard to individual authorizing statutes and regulations governing each funding stream. Neronha characterized the freeze as "a ham-handed way to run the government," while the complaint in the case described the action as "unauthorized, unprecedented" and not entitled to deference by the court.

McKee stated that Rhode Island will stand with residents lacking legal status while the Trump administration increases immigration enforcement efforts. He specified that State Police will continue to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on criminal matters but will not engage in profiling or constitutional violations. McKee called on the Trump administration to adopt Ronald Reagan's approach by providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the United States.

In 2023, McKee and the Rhode Island General Assembly allocated $60 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to support the development of Davisville port as a hub for the offshore wind industry in the North Atlantic. This investment was part of a broader state effort to rebuild and expand ports across Rhode Island to support offshore wind development. On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that effectively halted the future of the offshore wind industry.

Governor McKee unveiled his Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal with a spending level of $14.2 billion, which included proposed tax increases and increased spending across multiple departments. The budget included a 12% increase in staffing costs for the Office of Housing over the enacted budget and a 43% increase over McKee's prior year proposal for that office. The budget proposal was developed without accounting for significant potential federal budget cuts promised by the incoming Trump administration.

McKee held a news conference in January 2025 to announce that an inspection report completed in November showed the eastbound Washington Bridge remained structurally sound despite carrying doubled traffic loads since December 2023. McKee stated that the monitoring report identified only routine maintenance needs that did not affect the bridge's structural integrity or capacity. McKee emphasized that the state had implemented additional monitoring systems and redundant engineering assessments to ensure public safety on the bridge.

Governor McKee signed the state budget for the current fiscal year, which according to a Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council report relied on remaining federal COVID relief dollars to balance spending. The RIPEC report identified the use of one-time revenues to fund recurring expenditures as the primary driver of a projected $300 million deficit for fiscal year 2026. McKee's budget approach, along with that of the legislature, became the subject of fiscal criticism in the RIPEC analysis of the state's budgetary trajectory.

In 2021, McKee signed legislation that gradually increased Rhode Island's minimum wage over four years, which reached the target of $15 per hour on January 1, 2025. McKee also signed into law the first major overhaul of the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights in decades, which took effect on January 1, 2025, and allows unpaid suspensions of up to 14 days for some violations and enables police chiefs to publicly discuss officer misconduct cases. Additionally, McKee signed a law banning medical providers from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus, which went into effect on the same date.