Providence Journal: Why it’s ‘possible, but not probable’ the RI House will vote on two major issues in 2021
But Shekarchi argues that the past several months have vindicated the Assembly's deliberative approach, pointing to the $81-million federal grant announced earlier in the week to build a new state health lab. In June, while the Assembly was still in session, McKee had proposed tapping another pool of federal dollars to build a lab.
"Yesterday, the state got $81 million for a new lab," Shekarchi said Wednesday after a ribbon-cutting for a new Bally's Corp. office in Warwick. "There was a strong pushback last year to use CARES money for that lab and I said no, we don't know what is coming for infrastructure money. We got infrastructure money and we got $81 million. We would not have gotten that money if we had spent it already."
"I'd rather be a little bit late and 100% right than early and wrong," he said. "The same thing with broadband ... a lot of people were clamoring for broadband back in July. I said there is an infrastructure program coming, now we have $100 million [for broadband] at our disposal."
The state has four years to spend its $1.1 billion in Rescue Plan funds.
"I am sensitive to the needs of the community," Shekarchi said. "I assure you we will spend every dollar. We will not return any money to Washington."