Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee is increasingly leaning toward taxing the wealthy as a means of bolstering the state’s financial resources following a year of economic turmoil. With the federal government cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance, and other programs—which has created a budget shortfall in Rhode Island—state lawmakers are carefully evaluating a proposal to impose a 3% surtax on those earning more than $640,000 (the top 1% of earners). In an interview, McKee indicated he is open to the idea if the surcharge is combined with tax cuts for businesses, seniors, and other groups. This stands in stark contrast to his statement last spring that “the time is not yet right.” According to estimates from the Rhode Island Office of Management and Budget, the state faces a deficit of at least $101 million in the fiscal year beginning in July, and this shortfall could widen by an additional $70 million due to the ripple effects of federal spending cuts.