Calls for Infante-Green’s resignation and for repeal of 2019 law that empowered the corrupt agency
Cranston, Rhode Island – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity today publicly backed previous calls for the resignation of Angelica Infante-Green, the RI Department of Education’s failed commissioner, by promoting an online petition that all Ocean Staters are encouraged to sign.
The petition, which allows concerned parents and citizens to also log their own comments, and which automatically sends an email to multiple lawmakers and state education officials, can be accessed at RIFreedom.org/resign .
Without any prior publicity the e-petition has already garnered over 70 signatures, many of which include highly damning statements about RIDE’s many failures by members of the public.
The initial public call for Infante-Green’s removal was made last October by former state Senate candidate, Niyoka Powell, during her special election campaign. Given the ongoing failures of RIDE as well as recently exposed stories about a major public corruption scandal and its promotion of a media literacy scam that seeks to censor conservative views in K-12 schools, the Center is now openly publicizing its e-petition.
“The ongoing assault on families by Infante-Green’s RIDE, by indoctrinating students into a radical-left ideology, must be brought to an end,” said Mike Stenhouse, the Center’s CEO. “It’s time to save our kids from RIDE by seeking a new commissioner and to defrock RIDE of its curricula mandate authority.”
The online petition, entitled “Save Our Kids From RIDE,” also calls for repeal of the 2019 law that empowered RIDE to mandate curricula guidelines to all public school districts … and, therefore, to all elementary and secondary school students in government-run schools.
The petition web-page lists a number of indictments and links to support these two calls-to-action. The Center has reported extensively on RIDE’s radical agenda and its lack of success in improving student achievement.
“RIDE and Infante-Green have proven to be wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of the powers granted to it the General Assembly,” concluded Stenhouse.
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/GREEN-FEATURED.jpg401875RI Center for Freedomhttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngRI Center for Freedom2024-02-20 09:10:342024-02-20 09:11:08Center Backs Call for Resignation of RI Education Commissioner
URI’s Media Literacy Scam Raising Alarms in RI and DC
Potential First Amendment Violations by Government Agencies?
Cranston, RI– The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity and a high-ranking member of the Rhode Island General Assembly call upon US and State Government agencies to cancel their affiliation with “Courageous RI.”
In a recent series of alarming reports, the nationally renowned Media Research Center (MRC) exposed how multiple state agencies have colluded with the University of Rhode Island and the federal Department of Homeland Security to indoctrinate students in a media literacy scam that includes censorship of conservative media and Christian values.
“It is likely a 1st Amendment violation for any American governmental entity to support activities that limit or suppress free speech,” said the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse. “This sinister Biden administration initiative actually trains K-12 teachers to utilize censorship tools that discourage students from viewing content that the leaders of Courageous RI disagree with.”
State Representative Brian C. Newberry, former House Minority Leader and attorney said, “I participated in the launch event one year ago upon being asked because I think the issue of media literacy and educating our children how to sift fact from fiction is important. But I issued several warnings about how this program, while appealing in concept, could go off the rails if not managed properly. Unfortunately, and to my disappointment, though not surprise … the partisanship, censorship, and bias that has been infused by the Courageous RI leadership proves that this program is not worthy of, nor legally defensible for, any government entity to support in any way.”
This national scheme, implemented in states and contrived by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, currently the subject of Congressional impeachment proceedings, is also raising alarm bells at the US Capitol.
“Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has introduced legislation to cut the federal funding of the Department of Homeland Security’s dystopian censorship activities following the bombshell exposés by our organization,” said Tim Kilcullen, attorney for MRC and author of the reports. “Similarly, the House Homeland Security Committee has already passed legislation to do the same.” Kilcullen was special guest on a recent episode, Uncovering the Indoctrination Agenda, on the popular video podcast, In The Dugout with Mike Stenhouse, which can be viewed here.
“URI is ground-zero for this national scheme. What DHS is doing with Courageous RI in Ocean State schools is exactly why the US Congress is looking to defund this un-American effort and ensure that the money is used for its original intent to prevent actual violence and terrorism,” added Kilcullen.
The DHS-URI-Courageous RI collusion was first reported in the Ocean State by Parents United RI, a parental-rights advocacy group, led by its founder, Laurie Gaddis Barrett. The group continues to investigate other aspects of this national censorship scandal.
Among the government and related agencies that are listed as Courageous RI partners, and who should immediately renounce their affiliations, are:
RI Secretary of State
US Attorney’s Office
RI Department of Education
RI School Superintendents Association
RI Department of Public Health
RI State Police
RI National Guard
Private entities that are also known as partners or supporters, include:
Kilcullen’s and Newberry’s full statements can be viewed here.
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/Courageous-RI.jpg7201280RI Center for Freedomhttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngRI Center for Freedom2024-02-07 09:48:182024-02-07 09:49:09PRESS RELEASE: Center & State Rep. Newberry Urge Government Agencies to Cancel Affiliation with URI’s Media Literacy Scam
RI Should Recognize February 6 as “Ronald Reagan Day”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 4, 2024
Cranston, Rhode Island – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity today officially petitioned Governor McKee to issue a proclamation declaring February 6th as “Ronald Reagan Day”.
As state sponsor for the The Ronald Reagan Legacy Project, the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse, said “In recent years, 36 Governors, in red and blues states alike, have proclaimed Ronald Reagan Day in their state; unfortunately Governors McKee and Raimondo have not joined with the rest of America in honoring the 20th century’s greatest President.”
The last Ocean State governor to issue such a proclamation, was Lincoln Chafee (I) in 2011. That same year, the RI Senate passed a related resolution, which in part read:
“WHEREAS, During Mr. Reagan’s presidency, he worked in a bipartisan manner to enact his bold agenda of restoring accountability and common sense to government, which led to an unprecedented economic expansion and opportunity for millions of Americans.”
Included in its Contact the Governor online submission, the Center wrote:
“The Ronald Reagan Legacy Project is committed to preserving the legacy of one of America’s greatest presidents throughout the nation and abroad. One of the ways we work to further the legacy of Reagan is by asking the governor of every state in the nation to make a proclamation declaring February 6th, “Ronald Reagan Day.” An average of 30 governors a year over the last few years have made such a proclamation, choosing to honor character over partisanship.”
“A proclamation in our state can help thousands learn the legacy of our nation’s 40th president and ensure his impact – including America’s victory over communism in the Cold War – is not forgotten,” concluded Stenhouse.
A special initiative of Americans for Tax Reform, the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project sends requests to governors from all 50 states to issue a proclamation declaring February 6 “Ronald Reagan Day,” This year, the proclamations would help celebrate Reagan’s 113th birthday.
As of the time of this media release, the Center has not received a response from the Governor’s office.
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/Ronald-Reagan-Day.png450800Larryhttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngLarry2024-01-04 16:05:372024-01-04 16:08:14PRESS RELEASE: Center Petitions Governor McKee to Issue to Ronald Reagan Day Proclamation
Top-10 Failures of Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green & RIDE
Under the deficient leadership of its commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, the Rhode Island Department of Education deserves an “F” for failing to implement successful educational reforms while student achievement continues to plummet across the state as evidenced by the October release of RI’s dismal RICAS scores. Infante-Green’s tenure, which began in 2019, coincides with passage and enactment of a controversial bill (S0863) that took away local school district control and granted RIDE with the authority to develop and mandate curricula standards and guidelines in critical core subjects for all school districts in the Ocean State.
Infante-Green and RIDE are wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of this unabridged power to influence the education of our state’s children. As a result, student achievement and public confidence in our state’s educational system have further deteriorated. Rhode Island’s education system has been systematically designed to confuse and demoralize students about their country, God, their core values, their fellow students, themselves, and their families. As a result, mental health problems are on the rise.
New leadership, with repealed curricula authority, is clearly required at RIDE.
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/GreenatRIDE3.png7201280RI Center for Freedomhttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngRI Center for Freedom2023-10-24 21:39:512023-10-25 08:36:04WHY MAJOR CHANGES ARE NEEDED AT THE RI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Center Announces 2023 Middendorf “Pillar of Freedom” Honorees for its Nov. 3 Fundraising Luncheon
Frank & Liz Mauran are Living Models of Liberty
Cranston, RI – The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today announced that Frank & Liz Mauran of Providence will be honored at its November 3 Freedom Banquet which resumes after a three-year hiatus.
“Perhaps no other husband and wife duo in the Ocean State can present more notable family and civic ties to the very founding of Rhode Island – and of America – while their ongoing philanthropy and business ventures continue to benefit our state and the nation,” said the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse. “The Mauran family ancestry reads like a history book.”
The J. William Middendorf Pillar of Freedom Award, to be presented by the Center’s Chairman, Dr. Stephen Skoly, is named in honor of Ambassador J. William Middendorf, Little Compton resident, former Secretary of the Navy, and current Heritage Foundation board member. He is, perhaps, Rhode Island’s greatest living defender of freedom.
The 2023 Daniel S Harrop Freedom Banquet, presented by Americans For Prosperity (AFP), is a fundraising luncheon that will be held on Friday November 3 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. The event is named after the Center’s founding chairman, Dr. Daniel Harrop, who unexpectedly passed away last fall.
The keynote speaker for the event, Guy Benson, is Political Editor of Townhall.com, a Fox News Contributor, and host of the nationally syndicated “Guy Benson Show” on Fox News Radio.
Tickets are still available. Tables of eight can be sponsored with a tax-deductible donation of $1200, while individual seats can be reserved with a $175 gift. More information and registration can be accessed at RIFreedom.org/Banquet.
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/tim-mossholder-QsX23A3NgMQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg10482560RI Center for Freedomhttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngRI Center for Freedom2023-10-23 09:57:362023-11-07 13:40:02Center Announces Middendorf Honorees for 2023 Freedom Banquet
Frank & Liz Mauran are living models of liberty. In donating their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the great American ideal, they also exemplify all three foundational principles that comprise the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity’s annual Middendorf Pillar of Freedom Award; personal philanthropy, civic engagement, and free-market or entrepreneurial achievement.
Indeed, perhaps no other husband and wife duo in the Ocean State can present more notable family and civic ties to the very founding of Rhode Island and of America, while their ongoing philanthropy and business ventures continue to benefit our state and the nation.
The Mauran family ancestry reads like a history book. Roger Williams, himself, was originally buried in the backyard of their historic home on Benefit Street. Frank’s lineage includes such prominent Rhode Island names as Thomas Wilson Dorr, William Ames, John and Lincoln Chafee, Governors Henry and Charles Lippitt, and US Senator Jesse Metcalf. Liz is great-granddaughter of a former New Hampshire Governor, Frank West Rollins, whose father was former U.S. Senator, Edward W. Rollins, founder of the Granite State’s Republican party.
Further, as a direct descendent of a Revolutionary War major, Frank is a state officer and member of the Society of the Cincinnati, America’s oldest patriotic organization, founded in 1783 by the officers of General George Washington’s Continental Army. Meanwhile, Liz is Vice Regent to Rhode Island for the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, the oldest national preservation organization charged with preserving the estate owned by George Washington.
Beginning in the late 1700’s with Sullivan Dorr, Frank’s family prospered from trade with China, in textile manufacturing, as the original “tugboat” operator in Narragansett Bay (founding the Providence Steamboat Company), and in the newspaper business, where his grandfather served as former Chairman of The Providence Journal. Similarly, Liz’s father founded a timber company in Maine, for which she has served as long time President.
Frank has engaged in multiple entrepreneurial pursuits in recent decades, publishing the Rhode Island “Onion” magazine, co-founding a money-management firm and a commercial real-estate firm, and now owning and operating a popular UPS Store in Providence’s jewelry district.
When it comes to civic engagement, Frank, a US Navy veteran who was twice deployed during the Reagan build-up years, has also been a long-time supporter of the state and federal Republican party. Liz is the Vice President of MoHA(Mile of Historic Association) whose goal is to preserve the history and protect famed Benefit Street in Providence.
The couple’s philanthropic munificence is a central component of their contributions to society. Whether donating their time or treasure, the generosity of Frank and Liz Mauran has benefitted countless Ocean Staters and Americans.
They have also been major financial supporters of each of these organizations for which they have selflessly donated their time and expertise. Liz has also served for decades on the board of the Rhode Island Zoological Society and the family has contributed to multiple projects at the Roger Williams Park Zoo. Similarly, Frank serves as a board member and donor to The Rhode Island Nature Conservancy, which preserves lands vital to our environment. Among the many other organizations supported by the Maurans, are the RI Historical Society, Crossroads RI, the Perennial Planters Garden Club, and the Newport Historical Society.
With regard to our Center, without the generous support of Frank Mauran, The Ocean State Current and its In The Dugout podcast would not exist today.
Married in 1987 and with three children, the family enjoys spending time in Exeter.
At our 2023 Freedom Banquet, we honor the great contributions to Rhode Island and American society by Frank and Liz Mauran. With a storied thread of ancestral history, they are not only highly deserving recipients, but they exemplify and have dedicated their lives – by their many good deeds – to the principles and foundations of America and of our organization’s annual Pillar of Freedom award.
The J. William Middendorf Pillar of Freedom Award is named in honor of Ambassador J. William Middendorf, Little Compton resident, former Secretary of the Navy, and current Heritage Foundation board member. He is, perhaps, Rhode Island’s greatest living defender of freedom.
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-28-at-10.40.20-PM.png7901400Mike Stenhousehttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngMike Stenhouse2023-10-18 15:43:372023-11-28 22:44:36Frank and Liz Mauran 2023 Honorees
Why Conservatives Should Cross-Over & Vote in the September 5 Democrat Primary for RI CD-1
August 6 Deadline to Check or Change Your Eligibility
Cranston, RI – The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today announced that it has launched a public awareness campaign to educate and encourage independent and conservative voters, who normally wouldn’t do so, to cross over and vote in the upcoming Democrat primary. Voters have until August 6 to check or change their voter status in order to be eligible for the September 5 primary to replace RI’s former US Congressman, David Cicilline.
“It is your patriotic duty to vote,” said the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse. “Why not be strategic about casting your ballot by crossing-over to help elect a more palatable and common-sense candidate, instead of sending yet another reality-challenged progressive to Congress?”
But registered voters in RI’s 1st Congressional District must take near-term action to ensure they are eligible to vote in the Democrat primary. Voter affiliation & eligibility instructions have been posted and can be accessed at RIFreedom.org/CrossOver.
In believing Ocean Staters deserve representation in Washington, DC that respects their pocketbooks, heritage, and deeply-held traditional values, the Center joins with dozens of coalition member groups in supporting this cross-over voting strategy.
“With 22 announced Democrat candidates splitting the vote, a few thousand cross-over ballots could be the difference in swinging the election away from one of the radically-woke front-runners. Liberals successfully deployed this strategy in voting through a left-leaning candidate in Rhode Island’s 2006 US Senate Republican primary. It’s time for conservatives, likewise, to fully maximize their legal voting power,” Stenhouse added.
The Center’s two-month campaign will include:
18 half-page ads in the Providence Journal
Social media advertising and promotion
Dedicated informational webpage
Regular emails to its tens of thousands of subscribers
Stories and opinion pieces on the Center’s media arm, The Ocean State Current
Frequent discussion and guests on the In The Dugout with Mike Stenhouse video podcast.
The Center also encourages the press and voters of all stripes to demand that every candidate go on record with responses to the biggest hot-button issue of our time … the Marxist & cultural revolution that has infected our society and is being indoctrinated into young students.
Should men be allowed to compete in women’s sports?
Should students be secretly coerced by school officials to undergo permanently debilitating and controversial gender-transition procedures?
Should sexually explicit materials, anti-American teachings, and divisive critical race theories be part of any public school curricula?
Should parents have full-rights to direct the health and education of their minor children?
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/element5-digital-2i7Dn2uMEQE-unsplash-2-scaled.jpg25601709RI Center for Freedomhttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngRI Center for Freedom2023-07-05 09:16:132023-10-23 10:45:21Campaign Launch: Center Encourages Conservatives to Cross-Over & Vote in Democrat Primary
Cranston, RI – The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today announced it will hold its annual freedom banquet this November, resuming the event after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The 2023 Daniel S Harrop Freedom Banquet, presented by Americans For Prosperity (AFP), is a fundraising luncheon that will be held on Friday November 3 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. The event is named after the Center’s founding chairman, Dr. Daniel Harrop, who unexpectedly passed away last fall.
The keynote speaker, Guy Benson, is Political Editor of Townhall.com, a Fox News Contributor, and host of the nationally syndicated “Guy Benson Show” on Fox News Radio. The event will be emceed by Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the Center, who will share anecdotes from his Boston Red Sox playing days.
“Our freedom luncheon is our state’s premiere event for Rhode Islanders who support limited government, enjoy free market capitalism, and revere the constitutional liberties guaranteed to all Americans,” commented Stenhouse.
Over 300 guests are expected. The Middendorf Pillar of Freedom Award will also be presented to this year’s honoree by Dr. Stephen Skoly, the Center’s Chairman.
“We are happy to partner with the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity to present this year’s annual banquet as an opportunity for like-minded individuals to gather on the principles that unite us,” said Americans For Prosperity Northeast Director, Ross Connolly. “We at AFP are dedicated to advancing our shared goals of economic freedom and individual prosperity for all Americans and to reignite the American Dream in Rhode Island.”
Tables of eight can be sponsored with a donation of $1200, while individual seats can be reserved with a $175 gift. More information, as well as online registration for all guests and table sponsors, can be accessed at RIFreedom.org/Banquet
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/luke-michael-Tdwu35bCUj0-unsplash-scaled.jpg17072560RI Center for Freedomhttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngRI Center for Freedom2023-06-27 09:43:362023-10-24 22:38:24Center Resumes its Annual Fundraising Luncheon after Three-Year Hiatus
Stenhouse Testimony Includes Remarks from Over 100 Citizens
H5498 Would Repeal RIDE’s Curricula Mandate Powers
Providence, RI – Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, today submitted testimony to the RI House Committee on Education in support of House bill H5498, which will be heard today in committee at 4:00PM in Room 101 at the State House.
The legislation would repeal the 2019 law that empowered the RI Department of Education to mandate standardized curricula to every school district and public school student in the state.
“It is the view of many parents in our state, and mine, that RIDE and its Commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, have proven to be wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of the authority granted to it by state lawmakers in 2019,” said Stenhouse. “RIDE continually infuses controversial political theories and age-inappropriate content into K-12 curricula … advancing political agendas instead of academic achievement … and to infringe on parental rights and on the authority of locally-elected school committee members. It’s clear that it’s time to reverse course.”
Stenhouse’s testimony, which can be accessed here, includes the personal remarks of over 100 citizens who submitted written testimony to the committee via email via an online tool provided by the Center. In just the past three days, over 125 Rhode Islanders utilized the tool to submit written testimony “for” H5498, while over 250 people had previously signed on online petition in support of the legislation.
As an example of RIDE’s politicized approach to education, the Center published a 54-page report in February, titled, “Taken for a RIDE; How Rhode Island’s Social Studies Standards Shortchange Students.” The report highlighted RIDE’s historically inaccurate and divisive social studies standards, which were rubber-stamped by the Board of Education. The report also made an argument for substantially modifying or entirely replacing the Standards with a more historically accurate and widely acceptable set of standards.
Bi-partisan companion legislation (S0187) has also been submitted in the RI Senate, although a hearing date has not yet been set.
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/redd-f-9o8YdYGTT64-unsplash.jpg16672500Larryhttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngLarry2023-03-22 12:12:452023-07-05 09:17:29Stenhouse submits testimony in support of (H5498) to repeal RIDE’s curricula mandate powers
Excerpt from CEO Mike Stenhouse’s testimony: “In my view, RIDE and its Commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, have proven to be wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of the authority granted to it by state lawmakers. RIDE has continually sought to infuse agenda-driven and controversial political theories into K-12 curricula … and to infringe on parental rights and on the authority of locally-elected school committee members.
RIDE should develop and recommend curricula standards, but they should not be able to mandate, force, or coerce local school districts to adopt them.”
https://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/cdc-GDokEYnOfnE-unsplash-4-scaled.jpg17032560Larryhttps://rifreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_sail_300x100.pngLarry2023-03-22 11:42:492023-07-05 09:19:03CEO Stenhouse Testimony In Support of H5498
Center Backs Call for Resignation of RI Education Commissioner
/in Featured, Recent Posts/by RI Center for FreedomPetition to Save our Kids from RIDE
Calls for Infante-Green’s resignation and for repeal of 2019 law that empowered the corrupt agency
Cranston, Rhode Island – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity today publicly backed previous calls for the resignation of Angelica Infante-Green, the RI Department of Education’s failed commissioner, by promoting an online petition that all Ocean Staters are encouraged to sign.
The petition, which allows concerned parents and citizens to also log their own comments, and which automatically sends an email to multiple lawmakers and state education officials, can be accessed at RIFreedom.org/resign .
Without any prior publicity the e-petition has already garnered over 70 signatures, many of which include highly damning statements about RIDE’s many failures by members of the public.
The initial public call for Infante-Green’s removal was made last October by former state Senate candidate, Niyoka Powell, during her special election campaign. Given the ongoing failures of RIDE as well as recently exposed stories about a major public corruption scandal and its promotion of a media literacy scam that seeks to censor conservative views in K-12 schools, the Center is now openly publicizing its e-petition.
“The ongoing assault on families by Infante-Green’s RIDE, by indoctrinating students into a radical-left ideology, must be brought to an end,” said Mike Stenhouse, the Center’s CEO. “It’s time to save our kids from RIDE by seeking a new commissioner and to defrock RIDE of its curricula mandate authority.”
The online petition, entitled “Save Our Kids From RIDE,” also calls for repeal of the 2019 law that empowered RIDE to mandate curricula guidelines to all public school districts … and, therefore, to all elementary and secondary school students in government-run schools.
The petition web-page lists a number of indictments and links to support these two calls-to-action. The Center has reported extensively on RIDE’s radical agenda and its lack of success in improving student achievement.
“RIDE and Infante-Green have proven to be wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of the powers granted to it the General Assembly,” concluded Stenhouse.
PRESS RELEASE: Center & State Rep. Newberry Urge Government Agencies to Cancel Affiliation with URI’s Media Literacy Scam
/in Featured, Recent Posts/by RI Center for FreedomURI’s Media Literacy Scam Raising Alarms in RI and DC
Potential First Amendment Violations by Government Agencies?
Cranston, RI– The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity and a high-ranking member of the Rhode Island General Assembly call upon US and State Government agencies to cancel their affiliation with “Courageous RI.”
In a recent series of alarming reports, the nationally renowned Media Research Center (MRC) exposed how multiple state agencies have colluded with the University of Rhode Island and the federal Department of Homeland Security to indoctrinate students in a media literacy scam that includes censorship of conservative media and Christian values.
“It is likely a 1st Amendment violation for any American governmental entity to support activities that limit or suppress free speech,” said the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse. “This sinister Biden administration initiative actually trains K-12 teachers to utilize censorship tools that discourage students from viewing content that the leaders of Courageous RI disagree with.”
State Representative Brian C. Newberry, former House Minority Leader and attorney said, “I participated in the launch event one year ago upon being asked because I think the issue of media literacy and educating our children how to sift fact from fiction is important. But I issued several warnings about how this program, while appealing in concept, could go off the rails if not managed properly. Unfortunately, and to my disappointment, though not surprise … the partisanship, censorship, and bias that has been infused by the Courageous RI leadership proves that this program is not worthy of, nor legally defensible for, any government entity to support in any way.”
This national scheme, implemented in states and contrived by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, currently the subject of Congressional impeachment proceedings, is also raising alarm bells at the US Capitol.
“Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has introduced legislation to cut the federal funding of the Department of Homeland Security’s dystopian censorship activities following the bombshell exposés by our organization,” said Tim Kilcullen, attorney for MRC and author of the reports. “Similarly, the House Homeland Security Committee has already passed legislation to do the same.” Kilcullen was special guest on a recent episode, Uncovering the Indoctrination Agenda, on the popular video podcast, In The Dugout with Mike Stenhouse, which can be viewed here.
“URI is ground-zero for this national scheme. What DHS is doing with Courageous RI in Ocean State schools is exactly why the US Congress is looking to defund this un-American effort and ensure that the money is used for its original intent to prevent actual violence and terrorism,” added Kilcullen.
The DHS-URI-Courageous RI collusion was first reported in the Ocean State by Parents United RI, a parental-rights advocacy group, led by its founder, Laurie Gaddis Barrett. The group continues to investigate other aspects of this national censorship scandal.
Among the government and related agencies that are listed as Courageous RI partners, and who should immediately renounce their affiliations, are:
Private entities that are also known as partners or supporters, include:
The full list of partners and team members can be viewed at About Us | Courageous RI (courageousri.com/about).
Kilcullen’s and Newberry’s full statements can be viewed here.
PRESS RELEASE: Center Petitions Governor McKee to Issue to Ronald Reagan Day Proclamation
/in Featured, Recent Posts/by LarryRI Should Recognize February 6 as “Ronald Reagan Day”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 4, 2024
Cranston, Rhode Island – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity today officially petitioned Governor McKee to issue a proclamation declaring February 6th as “Ronald Reagan Day”.
As state sponsor for the The Ronald Reagan Legacy Project, the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse, said “In recent years, 36 Governors, in red and blues states alike, have proclaimed Ronald Reagan Day in their state; unfortunately Governors McKee and Raimondo have not joined with the rest of America in honoring the 20th century’s greatest President.”
The last Ocean State governor to issue such a proclamation, was Lincoln Chafee (I) in 2011. That same year, the RI Senate passed a related resolution, which in part read:
“WHEREAS, During Mr. Reagan’s presidency, he worked in a bipartisan manner to enact his bold agenda of restoring accountability and common sense to government, which led to an unprecedented economic expansion and opportunity for millions of Americans.”
Included in its Contact the Governor online submission, the Center wrote:
“The Ronald Reagan Legacy Project is committed to preserving the legacy of one of America’s greatest presidents throughout the nation and abroad. One of the ways we work to further the legacy of Reagan is by asking the governor of every state in the nation to make a proclamation declaring February 6th, “Ronald Reagan Day.” An average of 30 governors a year over the last few years have made such a proclamation, choosing to honor character over partisanship.”
“A proclamation in our state can help thousands learn the legacy of our nation’s 40th president and ensure his impact – including America’s victory over communism in the Cold War – is not forgotten,” concluded Stenhouse.
A special initiative of Americans for Tax Reform, the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project sends requests to governors from all 50 states to issue a proclamation declaring February 6 “Ronald Reagan Day,” This year, the proclamations would help celebrate Reagan’s 113th birthday.
As of the time of this media release, the Center has not received a response from the Governor’s office.
WHY MAJOR CHANGES ARE NEEDED AT THE RI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
/in Featured, Recent Posts/by RI Center for FreedomTop-10 Failures of Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green & RIDE
Under the deficient leadership of its commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, the Rhode Island Department of Education deserves an “F” for failing to implement successful educational reforms while student achievement continues to plummet across the state as evidenced by the October release of RI’s dismal RICAS scores. Infante-Green’s tenure, which began in 2019, coincides with passage and enactment of a controversial bill (S0863) that took away local school district control and granted RIDE with the authority to develop and mandate curricula standards and guidelines in critical core subjects for all school districts in the Ocean State.
Infante-Green and RIDE are wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of this unabridged power to influence the education of our state’s children. As a result, student achievement and public confidence in our state’s educational system have further deteriorated. Rhode Island’s education system has been systematically designed to confuse and demoralize students about their country, God, their core values, their fellow students, themselves, and their families. As a result, mental health problems are on the rise.
New leadership, with repealed curricula authority, is clearly required at RIDE.
Center Announces Middendorf Honorees for 2023 Freedom Banquet
/in Featured, Recent Posts/by RI Center for FreedomCenter Announces 2023 Middendorf “Pillar of Freedom” Honorees for its Nov. 3 Fundraising Luncheon
Frank & Liz Mauran are Living Models of Liberty
Cranston, RI – The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today announced that Frank & Liz Mauran of Providence will be honored at its November 3 Freedom Banquet which resumes after a three-year hiatus.
“Perhaps no other husband and wife duo in the Ocean State can present more notable family and civic ties to the very founding of Rhode Island – and of America – while their ongoing philanthropy and business ventures continue to benefit our state and the nation,” said the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse. “The Mauran family ancestry reads like a history book.”
The J. William Middendorf Pillar of Freedom Award, to be presented by the Center’s Chairman, Dr. Stephen Skoly, is named in honor of Ambassador J. William Middendorf, Little Compton resident, former Secretary of the Navy, and current Heritage Foundation board member. He is, perhaps, Rhode Island’s greatest living defender of freedom.
The 2023 Daniel S Harrop Freedom Banquet, presented by Americans For Prosperity (AFP), is a fundraising luncheon that will be held on Friday November 3 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. The event is named after the Center’s founding chairman, Dr. Daniel Harrop, who unexpectedly passed away last fall.
The keynote speaker for the event, Guy Benson, is Political Editor of Townhall.com, a Fox News Contributor, and host of the nationally syndicated “Guy Benson Show” on Fox News Radio.
Tickets are still available. Tables of eight can be sponsored with a tax-deductible donation of $1200, while individual seats can be reserved with a $175 gift. More information and registration can be accessed at RIFreedom.org/Banquet.
Information on past Middendorf Award honorees can be viewed by clicking here. A link to the Mauran’s full award biography will be posted here after the banquet.
Frank and Liz Mauran 2023 Honorees
/in Blog/by Mike Stenhouse2023 Middendorf Pillar of Freedom Award
Frank & Liz Mauran are living models of liberty. In donating their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the great American ideal, they also exemplify all three foundational principles that comprise the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity’s annual Middendorf Pillar of Freedom Award; personal philanthropy, civic engagement, and free-market or entrepreneurial achievement.
Indeed, perhaps no other husband and wife duo in the Ocean State can present more notable family and civic ties to the very founding of Rhode Island and of America, while their ongoing philanthropy and business ventures continue to benefit our state and the nation.
The Mauran family ancestry reads like a history book. Roger Williams, himself, was originally buried in the backyard of their historic home on Benefit Street. Frank’s lineage includes such prominent Rhode Island names as Thomas Wilson Dorr, William Ames, John and Lincoln Chafee, Governors Henry and Charles Lippitt, and US Senator Jesse Metcalf. Liz is great-granddaughter of a former New Hampshire Governor, Frank West Rollins, whose father was former U.S. Senator, Edward W. Rollins, founder of the Granite State’s Republican party.
Further, as a direct descendent of a Revolutionary War major, Frank is a state officer and member of the Society of the Cincinnati, America’s oldest patriotic organization, founded in 1783 by the officers of General George Washington’s Continental Army. Meanwhile, Liz is Vice Regent to Rhode Island for the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, the oldest national preservation organization charged with preserving the estate owned by George Washington.
Beginning in the late 1700’s with Sullivan Dorr, Frank’s family prospered from trade with China, in textile manufacturing, as the original “tugboat” operator in Narragansett Bay (founding the Providence Steamboat Company), and in the newspaper business, where his grandfather served as former Chairman of The Providence Journal. Similarly, Liz’s father founded a timber company in Maine, for which she has served as long time President.
Frank has engaged in multiple entrepreneurial pursuits in recent decades, publishing the Rhode Island “Onion” magazine, co-founding a money-management firm and a commercial real-estate firm, and now owning and operating a popular UPS Store in Providence’s jewelry district.
When it comes to civic engagement, Frank, a US Navy veteran who was twice deployed during the Reagan build-up years, has also been a long-time supporter of the state and federal Republican party. Liz is the Vice President of MoHA (Mile of Historic Association) whose goal is to preserve the history and protect famed Benefit Street in Providence.
The couple’s philanthropic munificence is a central component of their contributions to society. Whether donating their time or treasure, the generosity of Frank and Liz Mauran has benefitted countless Ocean Staters and Americans.
They have also been major financial supporters of each of these organizations for which they have selflessly donated their time and expertise. Liz has also served for decades on the board of the Rhode Island Zoological Society and the family has contributed to multiple projects at the Roger Williams Park Zoo. Similarly, Frank serves as a board member and donor to The Rhode Island Nature Conservancy, which preserves lands vital to our environment. Among the many other organizations supported by the Maurans, are the RI Historical Society, Crossroads RI, the Perennial Planters Garden Club, and the Newport Historical Society.
With regard to our Center, without the generous support of Frank Mauran, The Ocean State Current and its In The Dugout podcast would not exist today.
Married in 1987 and with three children, the family enjoys spending time in Exeter.
At our 2023 Freedom Banquet, we honor the great contributions to Rhode Island and American society by Frank and Liz Mauran. With a storied thread of ancestral history, they are not only highly deserving recipients, but they exemplify and have dedicated their lives – by their many good deeds – to the principles and foundations of America and of our organization’s annual Pillar of Freedom award.
The J. William Middendorf Pillar of Freedom Award is named in honor of Ambassador J. William Middendorf, Little Compton resident, former Secretary of the Navy, and current Heritage Foundation board member. He is, perhaps, Rhode Island’s greatest living defender of freedom.
Campaign Launch: Center Encourages Conservatives to Cross-Over & Vote in Democrat Primary
/in Recent Posts/by RI Center for FreedomWhy Conservatives Should Cross-Over & Vote in the September 5 Democrat Primary for RI CD-1
August 6 Deadline to Check or Change Your Eligibility
Cranston, RI – The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today announced that it has launched a public awareness campaign to educate and encourage independent and conservative voters, who normally wouldn’t do so, to cross over and vote in the upcoming Democrat primary. Voters have until August 6 to check or change their voter status in order to be eligible for the September 5 primary to replace RI’s former US Congressman, David Cicilline.
“It is your patriotic duty to vote,” said the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse. “Why not be strategic about casting your ballot by crossing-over to help elect a more palatable and common-sense candidate, instead of sending yet another reality-challenged progressive to Congress?”
But registered voters in RI’s 1st Congressional District must take near-term action to ensure they are eligible to vote in the Democrat primary. Voter affiliation & eligibility instructions have been posted and can be accessed at RIFreedom.org/CrossOver.
In believing Ocean Staters deserve representation in Washington, DC that respects their pocketbooks, heritage, and deeply-held traditional values, the Center joins with dozens of coalition member groups in supporting this cross-over voting strategy.
“With 22 announced Democrat candidates splitting the vote, a few thousand cross-over ballots could be the difference in swinging the election away from one of the radically-woke front-runners. Liberals successfully deployed this strategy in voting through a left-leaning candidate in Rhode Island’s 2006 US Senate Republican primary. It’s time for conservatives, likewise, to fully maximize their legal voting power,” Stenhouse added.
The Center’s two-month campaign will include:
The Center also encourages the press and voters of all stripes to demand that every candidate go on record with responses to the biggest hot-button issue of our time … the Marxist & cultural revolution that has infected our society and is being indoctrinated into young students.
Center Resumes its Annual Fundraising Luncheon after Three-Year Hiatus
/in Recent Posts/by RI Center for FreedomKeynote Speaker: National Pundit, Guy Benson
Cranston, RI – The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today announced it will hold its annual freedom banquet this November, resuming the event after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The 2023 Daniel S Harrop Freedom Banquet, presented by Americans For Prosperity (AFP), is a fundraising luncheon that will be held on Friday November 3 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. The event is named after the Center’s founding chairman, Dr. Daniel Harrop, who unexpectedly passed away last fall.
The keynote speaker, Guy Benson, is Political Editor of Townhall.com, a Fox News Contributor, and host of the nationally syndicated “Guy Benson Show” on Fox News Radio. The event will be emceed by Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the Center, who will share anecdotes from his Boston Red Sox playing days.
“Our freedom luncheon is our state’s premiere event for Rhode Islanders who support limited government, enjoy free market capitalism, and revere the constitutional liberties guaranteed to all Americans,” commented Stenhouse.
Over 300 guests are expected. The Middendorf Pillar of Freedom Award will also be presented to this year’s honoree by Dr. Stephen Skoly, the Center’s Chairman.
“We are happy to partner with the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity to present this year’s annual banquet as an opportunity for like-minded individuals to gather on the principles that unite us,” said Americans For Prosperity Northeast Director, Ross Connolly. “We at AFP are dedicated to advancing our shared goals of economic freedom and individual prosperity for all Americans and to reignite the American Dream in Rhode Island.”
Tables of eight can be sponsored with a donation of $1200, while individual seats can be reserved with a $175 gift. More information, as well as online registration for all guests and table sponsors, can be accessed at RIFreedom.org/Banquet
Stenhouse submits testimony in support of (H5498) to repeal RIDE’s curricula mandate powers
/in Recent Posts/by LarryStenhouse Testimony Includes Remarks from Over 100 Citizens
H5498 Would Repeal RIDE’s Curricula Mandate Powers
Providence, RI – Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, today submitted testimony to the RI House Committee on Education in support of House bill H5498, which will be heard today in committee at 4:00PM in Room 101 at the State House.
The legislation would repeal the 2019 law that empowered the RI Department of Education to mandate standardized curricula to every school district and public school student in the state.
“It is the view of many parents in our state, and mine, that RIDE and its Commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, have proven to be wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of the authority granted to it by state lawmakers in 2019,” said Stenhouse. “RIDE continually infuses controversial political theories and age-inappropriate content into K-12 curricula … advancing political agendas instead of academic achievement … and to infringe on parental rights and on the authority of locally-elected school committee members. It’s clear that it’s time to reverse course.”
Stenhouse’s testimony, which can be accessed here, includes the personal remarks of over 100 citizens who submitted written testimony to the committee via email via an online tool provided by the Center. In just the past three days, over 125 Rhode Islanders utilized the tool to submit written testimony “for” H5498, while over 250 people had previously signed on online petition in support of the legislation.
As an example of RIDE’s politicized approach to education, the Center published a 54-page report in February, titled, “Taken for a RIDE; How Rhode Island’s Social Studies Standards Shortchange Students.” The report highlighted RIDE’s historically inaccurate and divisive social studies standards, which were rubber-stamped by the Board of Education. The report also made an argument for substantially modifying or entirely replacing the Standards with a more historically accurate and widely acceptable set of standards.
Bi-partisan companion legislation (S0187) has also been submitted in the RI Senate, although a hearing date has not yet been set.
CEO Stenhouse Testimony In Support of H5498
/in Recent Posts/by LarryExcerpt from CEO Mike Stenhouse’s testimony: “In my view, RIDE and its Commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, have proven to be wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of the authority granted to it by state lawmakers. RIDE has continually sought to infuse agenda-driven and controversial political theories into K-12 curricula … and to infringe on parental rights and on the authority of locally-elected school committee members.
RIDE should develop and recommend curricula standards, but they should not be able to mandate, force, or coerce local school districts to adopt them.”