Raptakis takes aim at his majority leader, Paiva Weed
2:59 PM Fri, Jun 27, 2008 | Permalink
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In the state Senate where debate is rare – and dissent even rarer – Sen. Leonidas “Lou’’ Raptakis, D-Coventry, has done the unusual. He has launched a political grenade aimed at taking out Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport. In a statement that he began circulating on Thursday, Raptakis said he “can no longer support’’ Paiva Weed as majority leader because she “failed to live up to her word in terms of promoting’’ several of his pieces of legislation, including a bill to increase the penalties for drunken drivers who drive with suspended and revoked licenses. Raptakis also blamed her for the end-of-session pileup that he said forced Senate votes on “150 bills in the final two days of the session.’’ “To me that’s a sign of ineffective leadership and a willingness to push through bills with little or no public input,’’ Raptakis said. “I had hoped for much better from Sen. Paiva Weed and I think the time has come to give someone else a chance to run the Senate floor in a manner more consistent with the public interest. He didn’t say who he felt would do a better job. -- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House Bureau Raptakis was the sponsor of a number of high-profile bills, included a failed bill to raise the state’s $7.40-an-hour minimum wage. But the only one he cited in his call for Paiva Weed’s replacement was a measure that would have made it a felony – punishable by up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine – to drive with a license that has been suspended for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or refusing a Breathalyzer test. It stalled in the House Judiciary Committee, after clearing the Senate in May. In a brief interview before the State House swearing-in of a new state judge, Paiva Weed said: “Many pieces of legislation are introduced, pass one chamber, don’t pass the other ... It appears that this year, I am being held responsible for every piece of legislation, pass or fail, which is just not true.’’ With respect to Raptakis’ drunk-drivers’ bill, she said she “absolutely, very strongly supported this legislation,’’ but “the House leadership conveyed to me that the committee had concerns about it.’’ Raptakis said her didn’t in any way hold Senate President Joseph Montalbano, D-North Providence, responsible for any of his legislative frustrations, including the Senate’s refusal to pass a House bill requiring all legislators to pay 10 percent of the cost of their health insurance premiums. (Raptakis joined those voluntarily contributing late last week). Why give Montalbano a pass? “Because she’s the one who runs the Senate floor,’’ said Raptakis of Paiva Weed, who is being challenged for reelection by Donna Perry, who is the executive director of the state GOP, and sister of WPRO radio talkshow host John DePetro. Raptakis acknowledged yesterday that he sent his statement to WPRO a day before he distributed to other media. Why? He said that was the only email address he had handy. This afternoon, Montalbano came to Paiva Weed’s defense. He said that he was in a room with House leaders when Paiva Weed advocated for Raptakis’ bill on drunken driving penalties and to blame her for its demise in the House was both “ludicrous’’ and “absurd.’’ Montalbano attributed Raptakis’ statements to frustration that he couldn’t get more of his bills passed. But as to what Raptakis’ statement says about Paiva Weed’s political strength in the Senate, Montalbano said: "So far it is an army of one and it is Lou Raptakis.’’ 
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