Rhode Island speaker says no action likely on truck toll

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The fate of Gov. Gina Raimondo's proposal to create a new toll on large commercial trucks rests with one person — House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello.

The Senate endorsed the proposal as a way to raise $500 million to finance the repair of Rhode Island's deteriorating bridges, but Mattiello says he won't move forward until he feels the trucking industry's concerns are addressed.

According to the inspection, the asphalt wearing surface deteriorated significantly since September and timber boards now exhibited significant cracking.

When asked whether the governor would order an investigation, Raimondo spokeswoman Marie Aberger issued a statement, instead, that said the new DOT director ordered an accelerated inspection of all 230 structurally-deficient bridges in Rhode Island and consequently the issues on the Park Avenue bridge were identified.

Lawmakers have expressed concern that charter schools may be siphoning money from public schools and have said the state's funding formula needs to be fixed.