01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, January 6, 2004

THESE ARE dangerous times for the people of Rhode Island. A shakeup in the Senate leadership could pave the way for some unpleasant politicians to take power, and use it in ways that may not serve the public interest.

Senate President William Irons stepped down on New Year's Eve, caught in a trap that may have been sprung by his enemies. Amidst growing public concern about how special interests manipulate the General Assembly, Mr. Irons was refusing to disclose the names of clients of his private insurance business -- and, specifically, whether CVS was one of them.

President Irons had already asked Sen. John Celona to step aside temporarily as chairman of the committee overseeing regulation of the health industry in Rhode Island, after his ties to CVS came to light. Senator Irons could hardly remain in power if there were questions about his own CVS link.

But Senator Irons was, in at least some ways, a friend to the people of Rhode Island. While many in the legislature seem oblivious to the real world outside, Mr. Irons spoke out about the need to make the state less forbidding to entrepreneurs. Some of his colleagues don't seem to understand that the money for those who feast off government has to come from somewhere. Rhode Island cannot be healthy politically if its economy is withering.

Senator Irons was also ahead of colleagues on the need to reform state government. Notably, he led the Senate into a historic vote supporting separation of powers a year before the House, thus fueling pressure for this crucial effort to balance political power and combat corruption. He also called for greater disclosure of legislative spending.

So his departure is, at the very least, a mixed bag.

Meanwhile, some pretenders to the throne do not impress the outside observer as particularly appealing. Irons ally Joseph Montalbano, the Senate majority leader, appears poised to step into the Senate president's role. But who will be the new majority leader?

One name touted is Sen. Stephen Alves (D.-West Warwick), powerful chairman of the Finance Committee. Republicans have criticized him for the many friends and relatives he has supposedly helped find public jobs. (In July 2002, for example, there was a flap when his niece was hired for a much-coveted elementary school teaching job in West Warwick, where her mother and aunt -- who are sisters of Senator Alves -- also teach.) His former role as a West Warwick Pension Board member, before winning a job from Paine Webber, also raised some eyebrows.

But far more alarming, in my book, is the legal jihad he has waged against a citizen, Alan Palazzo, for daring to criticize him. A state judge not only dismissed Senator Alves's suit, but ruled that it constituted an illegal Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation -- a SLAPP suit -- intended to intimidate and silence a critic. The judge ordered Senator Alves to pay Mr. Palazzo's legal bills, at that time $17,000. In the legal maneuvers that have followed, Senator Alves has brought taxpayer-funded Democratic town officials -- his cronies and allies -- into the case on his side.

The whole thing, to my mind, reeks of an abuse of power by an elected official. In our system, our representatives must be willing to confront questions about their conduct -- instead of trying to use the might of the law to silence potential critics. Such a heavy-handed approach reveals a fundamental lack of understanding about our system of government and America's most cherished ideals. Rhode Island will surely have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire if such a man wins wider opportunies, thanks to the fall of Irons, to misuse power.

And there are those with close ties to labor interests -- which essentially run Rhode Island government -- who may be ready to take over key committee chairmanships in the power struggle. It is hard to see how that will be a move away from special-interest politics.

Some senators are pushing the name of Teresa Paiva-Weed (D.-Newport) for the majority leader post. She has a reputation for being smart and honest, and earned a 100 percent ranking from Common Cause last year, suggesting that she has generally been on the public's side on the crucial reform issues facing Rhode Island. But politicians who pursue the public interest are not always well received in the General Assembly, which has traditionally been run as a means for men to build friendships and enhance their business interests.

What can citizens do to get the best Senate possible? Not much at this point, since the senators themselves call the shots in a power struggle. Voters should, however, carefully watch what role their senators play -- and keep that in mind when elections approach this fall.

Citizens should also insist on greater disclosure and openness at all levels of government -- and they should back people who respect the First Amendment. Politicians are no worse than other human beings. But it is human nature to behave better when you know you are being watched.

Edward Achorn is The Journal's deputy editorial-pages editor. His e-mail address is eachorn [at] projo.com.