From courthouse to State House, I’m cranky today.

Start with the denouement of the Narragansett Indian smoke-shop case. This saga took years to play out, with big bucks in legal fees. It stirred emotions and prejudices, and the result was, what?

Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl sentenced Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, convicted of assaulting a state trooper, to spend 150 hours teaching public school children about the history and culture of the Narragansetts, which I’m sure he’ll be good at and, except for the forced nature of his assignment, something he’d likely feel honored to do.

If Thomas stays out of trouble for a year, the conviction will be expunged from his record. And First Councilman Randy Noka, sentenced to 25 hours of teaching for disorderly conduct, also can wind up with a clean slate.

Granted, Councilman Hiawatha Brown received suspended sentences and probation for assault and disorderly conduct and was ordered to undergo anger-management counseling. I’d hate to have this happen to me, but it still beats going to prison.

When you look at the light punishments, especially the wrist slaps for Thomas and Noka, and when you recall that four other tribal members were acquitted of all charges against them, you have to ask: Is this all there is? And, though I bear the Narragansetts no ill will, shouldn’t the penalties have been stiffer? It’s odd and troubling that, in a highly volatile situation, you can assault a trooper or swat at them and not only avoid jail but also a record.

I welcomed the trial and its airing of issues surrounding the 2003 raid. But if this was to be the anticlimactic end, was it really worth anyone’s time?

At the State House, I was down on the 2008 General Assembly, but I was glad to see that it largely turned its back on the hysteria Governor Carcieri and legislators from both parties whipped up over illegal immigration. Many bills went by the boards. They included an E-Verify measure to require private employers to check the immigration status of new hires. It passed the House but stalled in the Senate.

Carcieri slammed Senate powers for bottling the bill up in committee. Sen. Marc Cote, D-Woonsocket, the sponsor, said he worked to make the language acceptable but that the leaders never granted him another hearing.

Some observations:

Senate President Joseph Montalbano said the bill was unconstitutional. I wouldn’t doubt it; certainly it had problems. But I was positively amused to see Montalbano say there was no time left in the 2008 session for a second committee hearing. If top Assembly figures want to do something — like slam a $6.9-billion state budget through the Senate one day after getting it from the House — they find a way to do it.

And I get a kick out of Carcieri’s blasting Senate leaders for not letting the bill go to the chamber floor for a vote by the rank and file. I didn’t hear him scream in 2006 when House leaders kept a committee from reporting out a marriage equality bill even though a majority of the panel appeared poised to approve it.

You have to wonder how much Carcieri really wanted E-Verify, or how smart was his handling of it. Last week, as lawmakers raced toward adjournment, the governor called a news conference to tout two bills no one cared about and had no prayer of moving. They dealt with voter identification and straight-party voting.

If he had showered his attention instead on the E-Verify bill, maybe he could have given it the push it needed. But he didn’t, so I’m not much impressed by his whining now.

M. Charles Bakst is The Journal’s political columnist.

mbakst@projo.com