R.I. House passes human composting bill, shifting focus to Senate
Corvese said he realized the House was about to pass the bill. But, he said, 'I just want to assure my constituents back in District 55 in North Providence — I do not intend to compost grandma."
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On Friday, the bill's sponsor, Representative Michelle E. McGaw, told the Globe that the legislation is meant to provide another option in addition to traditional burial in a coffin or cremation. So, she said, '(Corvese) doesn't have to compost grandma if he doesn't want to.'
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Representative Michelle E. McGaw, a Portsmouth Democrat, has introduced a human composting bill.
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McGaw, a Portsmouth Democrat, said some funeral homes in the state are interested in making this option available, and she has constituents interested in it.
'It's enabling legislation,' she said. 'Anyone who is not comfortable with these options can choose from one of the other options that are already available.'
Rhode Island would join 13 other states that have passed human composting legislation, including Maine, Vermont, and New York.
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McGaw said human composting aims to reduce the impact on the earth. Burial involves occupying land and paying for things such as caskets, grave liners, and gravestones, while cremation requires the burning of fossil fuel, pouring an average of 534 pounds of carbon into the atmosphere for each cremation, she said.
With human composting, dead bodies are placed inside vessels along with organic matter that helps speed the natural decomposition process, McGaw explained. An indoor chamber keeps the vessels between 130 to 160 degrees, and the contents are blended regularly over the course of four to seven weeks.
The result is about a cubic yard of nutrient-dense soil.
This year, the legislation has been broadened to include alkaline hydrolysis, also known as water cremation, which is legal in 28 states, McGaw said.
For that process, McGaw said, a body is placed into a vessel with water and alkaline substances — potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, or a combination. The vessel is heated up and the alkaline solutions return the body, which is already mostly water, to 'a clean water product, with no tissue or DNA,' she said.
Bone fragments are left over, similarly to cremation. Those remains are ground up, and a fine white ash is placed in an urn, McGaw said. 'Instead of soil, you get water,' she said.
McGaw said she hopes this is the year her bill becomes law.
'As you saw, the debate was far less on the House floor this year,' she said. 'When you see people at fundraisers or in the hallways, they say 'Tell me about this bill, help me understand it better.' It has definitely been a conversation piece. As people get more education about what the bill actually does, they are becoming more comfortable with it.'
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The legislation would enable licensed disposition facilities, including those that also perform cremation, to offer natural organic reduction and/or alkaline hydrolysis, subject to licensing, inspection, and regulations set by the state Department of Health.
The bill, which would take effect on Jan. 30, 2027, would not affect burial or cremation as options Rhode Islanders can choose.
Attention now shifts to the Senate, which has new leaders following the
Senator Tiara T. Mack, a Providence Democrat, has introduced
On Friday, Senate spokesman Greg Pare said new Senate President Valarie J. Lawson, an East Providence Democrat, will be reviewing testimony on the bill and speaking with Senator Melissa A. Murray, the Woonsocket Democrat who chairs the Health and Human Services Committee.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
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Senators prep for a weekend of work to meet Trump's deadline for passing his tax and spending cuts
WASHINGTON -- The Senate is expected to grind through a rare weekend session as Republicans race to pass President Donald Trump's package of tax breaks and spending cuts by his July Fourth deadline. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks. The 940-page bill was released shortly before midnight Friday. Senators were expected to take a procedural vote Saturday to begin debate on the legislation, but the timing was uncertain and there is a long path ahead, with at least 10 hours of debate time and an all-night voting session on countless amendments. Senate passage could be days away, and the bill would need to return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House. 'It's evolving,' said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as he prepared to close up the chamber late Friday. The weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for Trump's party, which has invested much of its political capital on his signature domestic policy plan. Trump is pushing Congress to wrap it up, even as he sometimes gives mixed signals, allowing for more time. At recent events at the White House, including Friday, Trump has admonished the 'grandstanders' among GOP holdouts to fall in line. 'We can get it done,' Trump said in a social media post. 'It will be a wonderful Celebration for our Country.' The legislation is an ambitious but complicated series of GOP priorities. 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Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Playbook: Republicans ready to floor it on the megabill
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco Good Saturday morning. This is Garrett Ross in the driver's seat. Let me know what's going on. POD RAVE AMERICA: President Donald Trump has UFC CEO Dana White to thank for his campaign's podcasting blitz on his way back to the White House, Trump media adviser Alex Bruesewitz tells Playbook's Dasha Burns in an interview for this week's episode of 'The Conversation.' 'Dana was actually the first person to introduce the president to podcast circuits, or podcasting, when Dana set up an interview between the president and the Nelk Boys in early 2022,' Bruesewitz said. Barron Trump, the president's son, also played a big part in the evolution, Bruesewitz said, when he set up an interview with popular streamer Adin Ross. From there, Bruesewitz and Susie Wiles, then Trump's campaign chief, agreed that they needed to do more. 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Then there's the segment of lawmakers whose rhetoric has essentially turned the megabill 'into an ideological litmus test on federal spending and budget deficits' and are now 'facing a put-up-or-shut-up moment after repeatedly drawing red lines and then moving forward with the legislation anyway.' The ripple effect: The vote is particularly prickly for a handful of lawmakers 'facing what could be existential political stakes as they brace for tough reelection contests in next year's midterms. Many are balking at having to vote on cutbacks to safety-net programs, clean-energy projects and other federal assistance their states and constituents rely on.' To sum it up: These messy factors have 'turned the megabill's endgame into a high-wire act — and Thune is keeping the pressure on, expecting his members will want to stay on the rope.' Quote of the day: 'We've cussed it. We've discussed it,' Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said. 'But we're gradually going from thoughtful, rational deliberation into the foothills of jackassery. I mean, we're talking about the same thing over and over and over.' What to watch today: 'GOP leaders are making serious efforts to lock down votes,' Meredith writes in. 'We're expecting further changes on Medicaid and several other outstanding items that could shore up several holdout votes. Leaders are also adding additional SNAP grants aimed at Alaska after the state's two GOP senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, protested, as we scooped.' More mood music: As Congress barrels ahead with votes on the behemoth bill, lawmakers are 'preparing to back a measure that they fear gives their constituents little to love and lots to hate,' NYT's Carl Hulse and Catie Edmondson write. Republicans are essentially 'going into the process in a defensive crouch, with many conceding that the final product is far from ideal.' In the end, it all comes down to preserving the GOP's tax cuts. Oh, and the looming specter of drawing Trump's rage if they can't deliver. (More on that in a moment.) The antidote? Plenty on both sides of the Capitol have complained that the bill doesn't do enough. Enter Johnson, who yesterday told senators that he wants to do another reconciliation bill — giving them another pass at spending cuts and provisions that got axed from the megabill. THE VIEW FROM 1600 PENN: As we hit crunch time, Trump's involvement in the corralling of reluctant lawmakers as the closer is a big point of interest. At this stage, the president is in a position of fielding calls rather than proactively making them, a senior White House official tells Playbook's Dasha Burns. Trump isn't yet whipping individual votes but is very involved in the process and recently met with Johnson and Thune — a meeting that originally was set to be just the speaker, but expanded to include the Senate chief because it was going long and in-depth, per the White House official. 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Meanwhile in Cambridge: The Trump administration appealed a federal judge's ruling that barred the government's attack on Harvard foreign students, The Crimson's Matan Josephy and Laurel Shugart report. I fought the law and the law won: Trump's losing streak against law firms in court continued as a federal judge struck down his effort to retaliate against Susman Godfrey, per Bloomberg. The judge ruled that Trump's executive order was unconstitutional. That makes it four for four among firms that have sued over Trump's squeeze, though nine others struck deals with him. 2. 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As Canada wouldn't back off the tax in trade talks, 'Trump had grown furious.' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened a Section 301 trade investigation into Canada. But PM Mark Carney's government isn't retreating yet. 4. WAR AND PEACE: 'Congo and Rwanda sign a US-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict,' by AP's Chinedu Asadu and colleagues: 'Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it 'an important moment after 30 years of war.' … While the deal is seen as a turning point, analysts don't believe it will quickly end the fighting because the most prominent armed group says it does not apply to it. Many Congolese see it mainly as an opportunity for the U.S. to acquire critical minerals.' Speaking of ceasefires: Trump dangled the prospect of striking an Israel-Hamas ceasefire within the next week, per Bloomberg, though details were scarce. Meanwhile, U.N. 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Trump's comments seemed to dampen the prospects for negotiations, which House Republicans had celebrated as a crucial outcome of Trump's strikes, POLITICO's John Sakellariadis and colleagues report. At the same time, Iran's ambassador to the U.N. told Al-Monitor that Tehran could be open to moving its enriched uranium out of the country in a deal with the U.S. — in exchange for 'yellowcake' powder. Inside the administration: Trump has steered through this fraught Iran period with a much-diminished NSC, now down to under 50 policy experts, NOTUS' John Seward and colleagues report. That has raised questions about the depth of his briefings. Meanwhile, isolationist DNI Tulsi Gabbard's pivot to try to align herself with Trump's hawkish moves could damage her credibility within her agency, The Atlantic's Isaac Stanley-Becker and Shane Harris report. 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More immigration news: The U.S. is trying to block refugees from countries affected by the travel ban, even as it plans to admit 1,000 white South Africans, WaPo's Silvia Foster-Frau reports. … The coming 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention in the center, which could start housing migrants as early as next week, faced a new federal lawsuit from environmental groups, the Tampa Bay Times' Emily Mahoney reports. … NBC's David Noriega has the story of a Venezuelan disappeared into a Salvadoran mega-prison, who'd just had major surgery and now has been incommunicado for 100 days. DHS responds that he served prison time for homicide in Venezuela, though that wouldn't be relevant for the due process rights the U.S. denied him. 7. IN THE DOGE HOUSE: 'DOGE loses control over government grants website, freeing up billions,' by WaPo's Dan Diamond and Hannah Natanson: 'The U.S. DOGE Service has lost the power to control the government's process for awarding billions of dollars in federal funds, the latest sign of the team's declining influence … [O]n Thursday, federal officials were instructed to stop routing the [ grant-making process through DOGE.' 8. TRAIL MIX: Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) won't seek reelection, potentially giving Democrats a leg up in a swing district where they've long failed to unseat the rare Republican moderate, per Punchbowl's Jake Sherman. … Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) plans to announce a campaign for South Dakota governor, POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill scooped. … California state Sen. Scott Wiener filed paperwork to run for Congress in Rep. Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) district — but not until 2028, per the S.F. Chronicle's Sara Libby. 9. SCOTUS' BIG FINALE, ONE DAY LATER: 'Trump adversaries see silver linings in his 'monumental' Supreme Court win,' by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and colleagues: 'The 6-3 decision has a single headline holding: Federal district judges 'lack authority' to issue 'universal injunctions,' Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the conservative majority. It's a breathtaking pronouncement … But Barrett's 26-page opinion leaves a surprising degree of wiggle room. … Trump's opponents say they see alternative routes to obtain effectively the same sweeping blocks of at least some policies that run afoul of the law and the Constitution.' Still, these options 'could be slower and less potent,' WSJ's Ryan Barber and colleagues write. With friends like these: Despite the justices' frequent claims of camaraderie on the court, the last decisions of this term showed increasingly biting attacks between ideological camps, POLITICO's Josh Gerstein writes. Among others, Barrett and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson excoriated each other with opinions in the nationwide injunctions case that essentially traded accusations of undermining the rule of law. CLICKER — 'The nation's cartoonists on the week in politics,' edited by Matt Wuerker — 17 funnies GREAT WEEKEND READS: — 'Extreme Violence Without Genocide,' by The Atlantic's Graeme Wood: 'The plight of white South Africans is part of a much larger problem.' — 'How Foreign Scammers Use U.S. Banks to Fleece Americans,' by Cezary Podkul for ProPublica: 'The huge demand for accounts used for misbehavior gives banks a crucial, and not always welcome, role as gatekeepers … Yet from the U.S. to Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong, banks have consistently failed at that responsibility.' — 'It's Indian Mango Season, and the Cutthroat Selling Frenzy Is On,' by NYT's Priya Krishna: 'For a few short months, dozens of part-time importers in New Jersey relentlessly compete to get the fruit into the hands of an eager diaspora.' — 'Calculating the Damage of Vaccine Skepticism,' by The New Yorker's Rivka Galchen: 'It's clear that we're on the precipice of a surge in preventable diseases. But how bad will it get?' — 'Snake Venom, Urine, and a Quest to Live Forever: Inside a Biohacking Conference Emboldened by MAHA,' by Wired's Will Bahr: 'WIRED attended a biohacking conference filled with unorthodox and often unproven anti-aging treatments. Adherents revealed how the Make America Healthy Again movement has given them a renewed fervor.' — 'It Was Already One of Texas's Strangest Cold Cases. Then a Secretive Figure Appeared,' by Texas Monthly's Peter Holley: 'Jason Landry's disappearance confounded the state's top investigators. When thousands of online sleuths got involved, intrigue turned into obsession.' TALK OF THE TOWN Joe Biden paid his respects to Melissa and Mark Hortman as they lay in state in St. Paul. He also visited John Hoffman and his family in the hospital. Bobby Scott's family said Donald Trump's military parade had illegally played 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' despite being told they didn't have permission. Thomas LeGro, a Pulitzer-winning video journalist at WaPo, was arrested on child pornography charges. PLAYBOOK REAL ESTATE SECTION — 'Sen. Tim Sheehy Lists Home on Montana's Flathead Lake for $10.25 Million,' by WSJ's Katherine Clarke: 'The property, known as Bird Point, is about 30 miles from Big Fork, Mont. It encompasses a roughly 7-acre peninsula at the south end of the lake. There are numerous structures, including a roughly 5,000-square-foot, five-bedroom main house, plus a cabin and a guesthouse.' OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at Hamburger Group Creative's summer rooftop reception at their new Union Market office Thursday night: Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Martin Hamburger, Claire Carlin, Kevin Walling, Alex Stroman, Liz Amster, Brooke Butler, Rob Bassin, Mac Deford, Matt Corridoni, Matt Fried, Jon Gonin, Tony P., J. Toscano, Emma Weir, Kim Devlin and Marty Stone. TRANSITIONS — Tim Carroll is now senior press secretary for the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. He previously was deputy associate administrator for public affairs at the EPA in the Biden administration. … Diana London is now president of the American Growth and Innovation Forum, a new organization that aims to advocate for and drive positive narratives about U.S. businesses. … … Casey Clemmons is now chief of staff at West Point Thoroughbreds. He previously was director of scheduling for then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. … Jasmin Alemán is now VP of U.S. government and regulatory affairs for BNP Paribas. She previously was a congressional affairs specialist at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and is a Ritchie Torres and Chuck Schumer alum. 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Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) … House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries … Fiona Havers. Supreme Court panel: Devin Dwyer and Sarah Isgur. Panel: Ramesh Ponnuru, Marianna Sotomayor and Faiz Shakir. FOX 'Fox News Sunday': Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) … Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.). Panel: Olivia Beavers, Richard Fowler, Katie Pavlich and Kevin Roberts. CBS 'Face the Nation': Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) … Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) … Amir-Saeid Iravani … Rafael Mariano Grossi … Scott Gottlieb. CNN 'State of the Union': Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) … Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). Panel: Rep. Riley Moore ( Alyssa Farah Griffin, Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) and Ashley Allison. MSNBC 'The Weekend: Primetime': Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.). NewsNation 'The Hill Sunday': Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) … Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) … Carol Moseley Braun. Panel: Burgess Everett, Domenico Montanaro, Margaret Talev and Jason Willick. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Senate GOP adds SNAP waivers for Alaska, Hawaii in new megabill text
Senate Republicans have included compromises on key Medicaid and tax issues in updated text for their sweeping domestic policy bill. In an effort to placate GOP moderates on the fence on the legislation, Senate Republicans are planning to provide a $25 billion stabilization fund for rural hospitals over five years. It's a significant bump up from the $15 billion offer Senate Republican leadership had made to a group of Medicaid moderates, who have balked at the steep cuts to the health program contained in the marque legislation. Senate Republicans would also delay planned cuts to provider taxes that fund state obligations to Medicaid. The changes would still incrementally lower the allowable provider tax in Medicaid expansion states from 6 percent down to 3.5 percent. But the drawdown would begin in 2028, one year later than planned — in a nod to concerns from senators like Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who warned this week that resulting cuts to Medicaid could have disastrous electoral consequences in the midterms. The changes come as Senate Republicans are racing ahead with plans to hold a vote on their legislation Saturday. President Donald Trump still wants the bill on his desk by July 4, though Republicans, as of Friday evening, did not have the votes to start debate . The language also reflects changes to the state and local tax deduction sought by blue state House Republicans. The New York, New Jersey and California Republicans have been in prolonged negotiations with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over a boost to the deduction, which Senate Republicans universally want lowered. The new Senate text keeps House Republicans' plan to increase the deduction from $10,000 to $40,000, but it would snap back to current levels after 2029. The new language likely shaves off at least $100 billion from the approximately $350 billion price tag of the House plan. It's still unclear, though, if the compromise would get all of the hardcore SALT Republicans to 'yes.' In a Friday lunch with Senate Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he still had one holdout on the SALT deal -— a likely reference to Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), who indicated on Friday that, if there had been a deal, he was not part of it. The text for the Finance committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy and Medicaid, could still see major changes. That's because the language still hasn't been fully updated to reflect rulings from the parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, on whether the contained provisions comply with strict budget rules. The tax panel had their final meetings with MacDonough Friday night, but it's unclear how she would weigh in, if at all, on tax provisions enacted under a novel accounting tactic called 'current policy baseline. That tactic takes the unprecedented step of zeroing out trillions of tax cut extensions. Senate Republicans are relying on it to make a slew of provisions, from individual to business tax cuts, permanent. David Lim contributed to this report.
