RhodeMapRI is back and this time, Portsmouth isn’t taking it. The town unanimously passed a resolution defending local control over zoning and land use, and now the question on everyone’s mind is whether a lawsuit against the state is next.

On #InTheDugout with Mike Stenhouse, Sten sits down with Larry Fitzmorris of Portsmouth Concerned Citizens, Town Council Vice President Dave Gleason, and attorney Giovanni Cicione to break down what’s really at stake.

Portsmouth’s Town Council voted unanimously to push back against 2025 state housing laws that critics say steamroll local planning, ignore infrastructure realities, and override the constitutional home rule authority Rhode Island municipalities have long relied on. The resolution doesn’t just protest, it calls for coordinated action among RI cities and towns, including possible judicial review and injunctions against the most overreaching provisions. When a town council that spans Republicans, Democrats, and Independents agrees on something this unanimously, Rhode Islanders should pay attention.

Sten asks the guests on where the RI League of Cities and Towns stands, whether Portsmouth’s General Assembly delegation is actually fighting for their constituents, and whether House Speaker Shekarchi has a conflict of interest in how this legislation took shape.

This is the conversation state leaders don’t want happening and it’s happening right now. Tune in!