Sen. Todd Patalano told the state ethics panel Tuesday that his three-decade career with the Cranston Police Department makes him an ideal sponsor for forthcoming legislation boosting pension benefits for the Rhode Island State Police.
“As with any legislation that comes before the Senate, we want to give it to someone with the background or knowledge to explain it,” Patalano said. “I was best suited. I could speak on its behalf.”
But those same ties also raised questions over ethical conflicts: One of Patalano’s three sons is a state trooper and could benefit from the proposed retirement benefit changes. That’s why the first-term Warwick Democrat sought an advisory opinion from the Rhode Island Ethics Commission before making any moves on Smith Hill.
The nine-member panel quickly gave Patalano its blessing to proceed, unanimously approving the staff recommendation without discussion. The reasoning: Patalano’s son is one of 256 State Police workers eligible to retire after July 1, 2026, who stand to benefit from a piece of the pension legislation, triggering a clause in the state ethics code referred to as the “class exception.”…