Ellen Liberman of Rhode Island Monthly appeared this week on “Behind the Story” to discuss her in-depth profile of Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi.
Ellen Liberman, a contributing editor and writer for the magazine, spent several months interviewing Shekarchi, widely considered the most powerful lawmaker in the state.
The cover story is available now on newsstands.
Her reporting explores Shekarchi’s personal life, follows his career in law and politics and offers a behind-the-scenes look at his role during a tense gun reform debate at the State House last June.
"When I met him in the morning, he said to me, 'It's gun day'," Liberman said. "And I was like, 'OK, there's my lead right there.'"
Liberman also had a front-row seat to Shekarchi’s internal debate over whether to run for Rhode Island governor.
"Joe is cautious," Liberman said. "If he runs, I don't think he wants to lose. Not that anyone who runs wants to lose, but I think he really doesn't."
As of Monday, the speaker had not made a decision, but he told “Behind the Story” co-host Kim Kalunian he plans to decide by the end of March.
Watch “Behind the Story” Thursdays at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on the WPRI 12+ TV app.
It airs on TV (Sundays at 8 a.m. on FOX Providence and 11 a.m. on The CW Providence), and will be available on demand through the WPRI 12+ app and right here on WPRI.com.
“Behind the Story” is hosted by Eli Sherman and Kim Kalunian of 12 News, along with Dan McGowan of the Boston Globe.