BREAKING: HB 1 Passes DE Senate 20 – 0 /1 Absent
@DEpolitics reports that the Open Government bill could be voted on very soon (as in hours, not days).
EDIT: Senator Karen Peterson really ought to be congratulated for sheparding this bill through a Senate who still don’t quite see the good government possible with this bill. It is awesome that she is emerging as a leader in the Senate (especially a leader in undermining some business as usual) and we hope that the rest of her colleagues agree. Thanks Senator Peterson!
Tags: Open Government
Wow, Open Government bill coming to the Senate Floor. Thurman Adams must be turning over in his grave.
Wait a minute–he’s not in his grave–he’s just been acting like he is for quite a while.
Disclaimer–no, I am not suggesting or recommending violence in any manner or form. On the contrary, I actually celebrate the democratic process, rather than the violence process.
The bill is supposed to be the first voted on today as part of the deal engineered by Karen Peterson after her palace coup to get the darn thing off the ready list and on to the agenda.
I am interested to see how Bruce Ennis votes. He has said all the right things about open government, but he did not support Peterson’s petition. Like most of the other senators, he has been silent about the entire thing. He could be a key vote.
HB1 is a good effort but falls short.
A better proposal at:
http://delawarerepublican.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/the-value-of-open-government/
We can do better.
Mike Protack
DL: Do you charge for this ad space or what?
We get free airline travel.
Plus all those little bottles of Scotch.
Does anyone ever click on Mike P.’s links?
Nice ideas, perpetual candidate, but only #2 is really related to HB1. Inspector general, term limits, nepotism, state employment have nothing to do with being able to actually watch your government operate.
I did, Pandora, and I feel a virus coming on.
LOL!
All I can say is that now that I know Protack does not like the term “SkyDad” in place of God – I’m going to use it all the time.
Are you reading http://twitter.com/DEpolitics ?
The latest is the Senate attorney (who reports to Thurman Adams) says that HB1 is unenforceable, based on the state constitution. Just like the general assembly-passed FOIA legislation from the 70s, is his contention that the state constitution also exempts the general assembly from following any rules?
I’m trying to wrap my mind around the unconstitutionality of a set of rules applying to a body that gets to set its own rules. That’s almost Nixonian.
“Just like the general assembly-passed FOIA legislation from the 70s, is his contention that the state constitution also exempts the general assembly from following any rules?”
Actually, the point is that it exempts the NEXT GA from following the rules of THIS GA. It’s why the Republicans offered the bill as a constitutional amendment last year, because without an amendment, the rules in HB1 would have to be adopted by every successive GA to be enforceable.
According to @DEPolitics, the Senate attorney agrees with that argument.
BTW, that’s no excuse for voting against this bill, because at the very least, you get open gov’t for the rest of this year and next year.
And it passed unanimously. I eagerly await the first time they actually have to abide by it.
Who’s bringing the popcorn to the next JFC meeting?
Yay!
Thanks for reporting on that.
When is the next JFC meeting? We ought to get them a massive audience for that.
After seven years of fighting her own caucus, Senator Peterson has something to celebrate tonight! Yeah Karen!
You must mean educating her own caucus. I guess the best way to show her appreciation is to buy her a new pair of shoes to mark the occasion. She does seem to have a flair for some style.
I hope U. I., the feminist enforcer, doesn’t misinterpret that.
Agree or disagree with her (agree on this one) Senator Peterson is a true leader in a state with too few. What more needs to be said?
Now let’s work on the amendment!
By the way, FSP also deserves kudos for championing this issue for a looooong time! Kudos Dave!!!
So now that we won that fight, what’s going on with HB 5?
I was there today for the vote and was a bit nervous anticipating tricks by the Leadership. When the attorney declared the bill is unconstitutional, I thought well that’s it for another year. Then McDowell made a speech about how wonderful and open our legislature is (the most open in the country) and Nancy Cook and the other “Leaders” praised themselves for being so open — there was no need for this bill — it was just the bloggers and newspaper that thought we needed it, etc., etc. And then they ALL VOTED FOR IT. Guess they were shamed into it.
It was good — after 7 years of a fight being led by Karen Peterson. Congratulations to her, for sure !!
To paraphrase what rock critic Robert Christgau once said about El Somnambulo’s role model Tom Waits, “McDowell and Cook are so full of shit that Port-a-Potty should name models after them.”
Congrats to Senator Peterson! Well, if we need to keep passing HB1, then let’s keep passing it.
I like the idea of being an enforcer. Where’s my bat?
Well said, Perry.
I’m serious about the popcorn.
(Thanks, Perry.)
Jason,
Go ahead and use SkyDad, it won’t bother me but it will demean your effort to communicate on any subject.
Insulting someone’s religious beliefs is sad. I don’t have to agree with anyone’s religious beliefs but I certainly respect their beliefs and would not demean them.
Whay are liberals so hateful?
Mike Protack
Also,
“Inspector general, term limits, nepotism, state employment have nothing to do with being able to actually watch your government operate.”
They will change the way your government operates. Right now it works for itself and not for the citizens.
Mike Protack
While we’re at it, let’s get behind sentencing reform.
The House Judiciary Committee will convene at noon tomorrow [June 3] to consider HB 168, which would repeal mandatory minimum drug sentencing in Delaware.
Let’s get to Dover to offer public comment. This is overdue.
Protack, it’s not that I disagree with you (will that get me banned?), it’s that I see the good in HB1 even with its flaws and think it was worth passing.
Now, about those flaws.
I will be contacting my representative about sponsoring legislation next year removing the email exemption when the emails are from fellow legislators. The potential for abuse is too high. Committees use email to do business, then claim that the emails are exempted. We need to be on guard for those kinds of shenanigans. I’d contact my senator, Harris McDowell, but he really doesn’t believe in this sort of sunshine. He thinks the fact that anyone can go to Leg Hall and speak makes our government open.
The second flaw is the exemption for the Big Head Committee based on the reasoning that it is a caucus, not a legislative body. It must be the only caucus in Delaware that includes members of both parties.
I’m sure other weak spots will emerge, and we must be ready to strengthen them.
BTW, the bill isn’t law until signed by the governor. Jack should do this tomorrow, on the front lawn — in the sunshine, of course. But until then, hold off on the popcorn.
“The second flaw is the exemption for the Big Head Committee based on the reasoning that it is a caucus, not a legislative body. It must be the only caucus in Delaware that includes members of both parties.”
That one’s going to be tough. It’s not a defined group, nor does it meet the quorum requirement. To pull that off, you’ll have to get them to recognize Big Head as an official body.
Happily going off topic:
Insulting someone’s religious beliefs is sad. I don’t have to agree with anyone’s religious beliefs but I certainly respect their beliefs and would not demean them.
Uh-huh, but when you disagree about anything else, ad hominems, exaggerations, and lies are appropriate.
Taking that tactic won’t help to go from portraying oneself as a communications person up, into the actual role.
Regards,
Old Gum