RIGOP Chairman Joe Powers on #INTHEDUGOUT

On this episode of #InTheDugout, host Mike Stenhouse welcomes Rhode Island Republican Party Chairman Joe Powers for a deep dive into one of the most controversial pieces of legislation to hit the State House this year—House Bill 5796. Powers pulls no punches as he labels the bill a “hostile takeover of Rhode Island neighborhoods,” blasting its potential to strip away local zoning authority and override city and town planning boards within the state’s Urban Services Boundary.

Chairman Powers argues the bill—championed by Rep. Jason Knight and others—would allow multi-family housing “by right” in all residential zones, regardless of local input. He warns this top-down mandate not only tramples municipal sovereignty but threatens homeowners’ property values, overwhelms local infrastructure, and places an unsustainable burden on schools, emergency services, and public works.

Sten and Powers explore whether this zoning overhaul is a revival of the much-maligned RhodeMapRI agenda, repackaged with more aggressive reach. Tune in now!