General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., Jan. 27, 2022

WDEL News Photo

I was inspired by watching the Senate Health & Social Services Committee meeting yesterday.  Several truly-good people helping a bill that will provide important help to tens of thousands of Delaware families become law. There was a synergy between the senators, the people who spoke on behalf of the bill, and the agencies that would carry out the bill’s mandates that I’ve rarely seen.  Senators McBride, Pinkney and Gay, although still in their first terms, are pros at what they do, and they’re driven by a calling to help others.  Senators Hansen and Poore demonstrated their steadfastness in standing with the sponsors of the bill.  I saw a synergistic mutual support system, devoid of ego, working towards a common goal.  I believe that that’s what happens when the women are running the place.  Which reminds me. Lisa Blunt Rochester has been incredibly supportive, not just of this bill, but in terms of being sort-of a guiding light to these incredible new legislators.  Props to her.

I’m, at best, and based on experience, a skeptic.  But what I saw yesterday was incredibly encouraging.  This is how the Delaware Way dies.  A Delaware Way that, in addition to being open only to insiders, has been paternalistic, chauvinistic, and largely devoid of, and dismissive of, female input.  The one exception, Nancy Cook, inherited her position from her husband and became more Delaware Way than virtually any other legislator, male or female.

This article does an excellent job of describing the ‘painful’ changes to the bill that Sen. McBride made in order to get enough votes to pass it (the bill requires a 3/5 super-majority).  And to get our initially-reluctant Governor to go along with it. He’s the worst.  But his kind are moving on.  Best investment the State Chamber ever made was for whatever it cost them for that plaque they awarded to Carbunkle Carney.

The bill cleared committee, as did the marijuana legalization bill over in the House.  As near as I can tell, the News-Journal didn’t cover either legislative story, and I’m a subscriber.

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.  Although the Senate Committee reports haven’t yet been read into the record, the Paid Medical & Family Leave bill indeed was signed out of committee.

Today’s Senate Agenda is, with one exception, dedicated to bills that have already passed the House.  Some Charter changes, some technical corrections, an update to the Bond Bill, only a couple of bills of note.  These two that we’ve previously discussed:  HB 285 (Osienski), and HB 289 (Heffernan).  I’m not sure why this Senate Bill is being run today, considering that the General Assembly is breaking for Joint Finance Committee hearings, but it is.  Don’t get me wrong, I consider it to be a good bill, but it’s not going anywhere in the House until at least mid-March.

The House has two agendas today, including a Consent Agenda comprised of Senate bills that the Speaker has deemed relatively non-controversial.  If any member of the House objects to the inclusion of a bill on a consent agenda (where one roll call would pass all the bills on it), the bill by rule must be removed from the Consent Agenda. I’m not sure why, other than HB 290, which returned from the Senate with amendments, those other House bills are being considered today. Although–I guess the House might as well do something.   The bills look relatively non-controversial, although I’d like to know what HB 255 (K. Johnson) is all about. Especially since only three Black legislators–Johnson, Lockman and Dorsey-Walker, are sponsoring the bill.

One more thing–Gerald Brady has already announced his resignation, and a Special Election will likely take place on or around the time that the General Assembly is set to return from the JFC break.  Will Andria Bennett do the same today–or will she not only continue to double-dip, but to serve on the Bond Committee that could route millions of dollars to her new employer?