Gay marriage proponents in Rhode Island have gained another high-profile supporter: Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian.

During a taping of this weekend’s edition of WPRI 12′s “Newsmakers,” the Republican told Tim White and me that he believes Rhode Island should legalize same-sex marriage.

“I look at it as a question of human rights and civil rights, so I would be in favor of that,” Avedisian told us.

We tackled a wide range of topics with the longtime mayor, from his political future and his relationship with Governor Chafee to the proposed expansion of T.F. Green. The full program will be posted online today and be televised Sunday at 10 a.m. on Fox Providence.

Speaking of the Sunday morning shows, if you were planning to watch Jack Reed talk Libya on ABC you’re out of luck – he and Rand Paul got bumped by Secretaries Clinton and Gates this afternoon.

Today on Nesi’s Notes:

> Why’s Verizon giving 4G to Alabama, Idaho and Utah, but not RI?

> RI’s Hispanic population growth nearly identical to the nation’s

> APRA Watch: Health Dept. holding onto compassion center docs

> Hop in the wayback machine to celebrate Channel 12′s birthday

> Speaking of birthdays, Chafee got a surprise cake for his 58th

> Artin Coloian will represent ‘Baby Shacks’ co-defendant Iafrate

from Tim White:

> Watch Newsmakers with Warwick’s Scott Avedisian (and me)

et cetera:

~ Government falls in Canada, Rhode Island’s biggest export market (AP)

~ And if Canada’s economy is now a bubble, will RI feel it pop? (Maclean’s)

~ GE isn’t the only company skilled at tax avoidance – so is Google (Bloomberg)

~ One year later, Scott MacKay reflects on the epic floods of 2010 (WRNI)

~ Providence makes cameo in big story about “the assault on teachers” (New York)

~ Harvard’s Ed Glaeser on why streetcars didn’t stem Detroit’s decline (WSJ)

(photo: Wikipedia/Dennis Mojado)