Legislative Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Report-St. Patty’s Day 2010
Fearless Prediction #1: Garish green will be worn in Leg Hall today by people who should not wear garish green in this lifetime or any other.
Fearless Prediction #2: For the second consecutive day of this 3-week session, the Senate will have no agenda. Not necessarily a BAD thing, mind you, but couldn’t they at least save the taxpayers some $$’s by not bothering to convene for purely ceremonial purposes at least ONE of those days?
Before I go any further with my Somnostradamusian visions, let’s recap yesterday, shall we?
Here’s the record of yesterday’s ‘action’:
The Senate did nothing save releasing 1 bill from committee and assigning some bills to committee. A couple of bills were introduced, and we’ll get to them later.
The House passed two bills sponsored by Brad Bennett. One broadens the definition of first responders, and applies penalties to those who would attack these first responders. The other increases the penalties for those “…who stand(s) in a position of trust, authority or supervision over a child who is at least 16 years old but not yet 18 years old and intentionally engages in sexual intercourse or sexual penetration with such child or an invitee or designee of such person.
Rep. Bryon Short’s bill, providing for the registration and oversight of two types of captive insurance companies, also passed.
None of the bills faced any opposition.
Today is Committee Day in both the House and Senate, and there are some real interesting bills on the docket.
You can find a complete list of Senate committee meetings here. The complete House committee meetings are here.
There’s some seriously-interesting legislation being considered today.
First, in the Senate:
Rep. Debbie Hudson (Capano)’s misbegotten HB 3 is in the Senate Health & Social Services Committee. This bill places a lobbyist for the nursing home industry onto the Hospital Inspection Advisory Board. This is special interest legislation at its worst, and it’s the kind of stuff that generally coasts through the General Assembly unchallenged. Maybe this time will be different.
Rep. Dan Short’s HB 85 will be considered in the Senate Insurance Committee. This bill seeks to provide more predictability and certainty to small businesses regarding health insurance premiums. This bill passed unanimously in the House.
Lotsa action in the Senate Judiciary Committee today:
SB 158 (Peterson)-Creates a civil remedy for those victimized by child pornography, i. e. those whose visual images were captured on film or photograph. Those held liable include “those who are responsible for producing, or knowingly possessing, pornographic visual images of the victim.”
SB 197 (Blevins)-Creates a ‘felony strangulation statute’. Strangulation is viewed by proponents as one of the leading manifestations of domestic violence. This has led to a nationwide impetus to have a ‘stand-alone’ statute for strangulation. 18 states have adopted similar legislation.
HB 197 (Brady)-Gerald Brady is obsessed with red light cameras. Were it up to him, every intersection would have one, presumably to protect the public from people like him in his drinking days. This is his attempt to have them added “within ¼ mile of any work zone and/or school.” It barely passed the House, with 22 yes votes and 12 nos. Should be another close one in the Senate…if it gets out of committee.
The House also has some heavyweight stuff on tap (subtle St. Pat’s reference) today:
HB 317 (B. Short)-Requires door-to-door solicitors to ‘display a door to door salesperson identification card which shall include the person’s name, employer, employer telephone number, employer address and State of Delaware business license number’. Also restricts in-person solitications to the hours of 9 am to 7 pm. Presumably, politicians are exempt, per usual.
Joint Education Committee Meeting: Now, this gets a little weird. Someone will be addressing the joint committee. According to the House, it will be Dr. Harker from the University of Delaware. According to the Senate, it will be Dr. Williams of Delaware State University. Maybe it’ll be both. You can bet that whoever speaks will be begging for more $$’s.
Look for rhetorical guns to be a’blazin’ when the House Administration Committee considers Rep. John Atkins’ HB 357, which is the NRA’s demand for ultimate surrender on any and all gun laws in Delaware. It is no surprise that Delaware’s most embarrassing legislator has brought forth Delaware’s worst bill of this session. Kill it dead. Now.
The House Judiciary Committee will consider Rep. Keeley’s newly-reconfigured attempt to put more teeth into Delaware’s consumer protection statutes. I’m pretty sure that this is an initiative that has been led by AG Beau Biden.
Two bills limiting the use of cell phones while driving are due for consideration in the House Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee today. It appears that Rep. Scott’s HS 1/HB 229 is most likely to get the committee’s blessing as it is the most recent of the bills and has Rep. Miro as a prime co-sponsor. Rep. Miro has fought in vain for years to ban hand-held cell phone usage while driving. Now, let’s just get the bleeping thing passed.
As a special St. Patty Day’s treat, I leave you with the perfect antidote to the garish green:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTSkpOJokHw[/youtube]
Jackie Wilson- ‘Danny Boy’
Tags: 'Danny Boy', cellphones, child pornography, Delaware General Assembly, door-to-door sales, gun control, Jackie Wilson, NRA, red light cameras, strangulation
Q. El Som, What do you and Atkins have in common?
A. You were both thrown out of the House.
Well, if there is something to have in common with John Atkins, that would be it. I would hate to think that El Som was a drunk and abusive husband.
I guess you could also say Atkins and El Som both ran for the House.
Atkins won, El Som lost?
Man, I guess I should be ‘honored’, if that’s the word, that either Atkins or one of his Mindless Minions wants to go after me. Atkins, you will recall, tried to out me. Now that I’ve outed myself, I guess he’d rather try and smear me rather than to try to address the issue I raised, i.e. his seeking to gut any and all gun control laws remaining on Delaware’s books.
Even by legislative standards, Atkins is an embarrassment to the Delaware General Assembly. Drunken wifebeaters do not belong in Dover.
I take comfort in knowing that someone with his penchant for stepping in it will step in it big time sometime down the road. In the meantime, I’ll try to prevent him from doing yet more damage to the people of this state by his trying to ram the NRA down our throats.
El Som, relax. Just sayin’ you and Atkins have alot in common.
Don’t get bent over what is reality.
alot in common? You cited two things. And they have two things not in common: being a drunk and beating his wife. Further, El Som is a Democrat. Atkins just plays one on TV.
Yea, but Atkins also plays one and gets paid for it. El Som, democrat? The party reeeeeally took care of him.
You know what? I’m happy. While I was disappointed in how things ended, I spent over 20 years working for the General Assembly. So I don’t think the Democratic Party owes me anything, nor do I feel that I owe the Party anything.
I’ve discovered that I don’t miss the preening narcissism of several of its members and the sociopathic tendencies of John Atkins.
And, it is typical of Atkins to resort to his bully-boy tactics when he is unmasked for what he is.
Finally, Anon., I suggest that you either get back on this thread’s topic, which is required by our blog rules, or skulk off to some other area of the blogosphere.
I would suspect “anon.” was Atkins himself, except all the words are spelled correctly.
I first thought it was Dave Burris, but then that is insulting to Dave Burris.
Geezer: Some people spell BETTER when they’re drunk. Here’s hoping that gun-nut Atkins was ‘locked’ (inside his house) & ‘loaded’ (goes w/o saying) on St. Patty’s Day.
Q: What does John Atkins call people who drink to excess on St. Patrick’s Day?
A: Amateurs.
No, youre all wrong. Not Atkins, but I do work for the D caucus. Try again.
I don’t care who you are. You have already revealed yourself to be a hand job, without even the minimum cleverness required to make up a funny alias for yourself.
And El Som, YOU DO MISS LEG HALL! Thats why you post about it and remind us that you worked for the G.A. for twenty some years, and youre some insider that knows all the dealings, BLAH, BLAH,BLAH…. every chance you get.
Anon., we post about it because it deserves attention. The backroom dealings you insiders make and you speak of deserve sunshine. And here you making ad hominem attacks on El Som BECAUSE he is writing about it. That speaks volumes about your character, and makes you the asshole, whether you are John Atkins or not.
You are trying to intimidate El Som with every comment you make here, and it will not work.
Speak about the issues, please.
One thing he says I do believe: He works for the D caucus. More Democratic assholes in Dover than Republican ones, IMHO.
Intimidate? Sorry if I hurt your feelings, try not to be so sensitive. Geez! You guys have a blog and then you get upset when people comment and dont agree with you.
No, they get upset when an asshole comes on and makes ad hominem attacks from the comfort of anonymity against someone whose name is known to all. It’s the mark of a coward.
I write about Leg Hall b/c I know about it and have a perspective that few, if any, other bloggers have. If you’re bored with it, don’t read it.
If you are indeed a D staffer, as you claim, then you’re not one of the staffers I worked with. We had, and still have, mutual respect and friendships. Trying to figure out what kind of gun nut staffer they’ve hired. Maybe Atkins found a kindred sociopath to handle his work for him. Or, since the odds of Atkins telling the truth are at best 50-50, I’d say that there’s at least a 50% chance that you are John Atkins. ‘Public Servant’ trying to intimidate blogger. You’re really earning your salary, if that’s the case.
And, in the off-chance that you’re telling the truth, then you’re blogging during working hours…I know that there are strict rules against THAT.
Oh, and I’m not in the least bit upset with your attacks. I find them both pathetic and amusing. If you really are Atkins, then YOU’re the one with the thin farmer’s tan skin. And, if you’re not, then you might want to get professional help. Or join the wingnut blogosphere as a contributor.
Well O.K. then Mr. Geezer. I’m sure thats your real name too, right?
Please dont call and report me for blogging. Please, please… I dont really give a rats ass.
Obviously you do give a rats ass, or else you wouldn’t be here in the first place.
I wouldn’t report you, of course. But the people who run the House DO give a rat’s ass about this issue, and they read this blog. Were you a staffer, they would likely fire you for it. Since you have no fear of being fired, you are clearly lying about being a House staffer.
John, (can I call you John?) you have demonstrated in your comments here that you are unfit for public office. But please don’t quit, I beg you. Your self-immolation, which may have already started right here on the pages of Delaware Liberal, will be a delightful Bonfire of Your Vanity. I can’t wait to enjoy the conflagration.
El Som, I almost always like what you contribute here, even though I don’t agree with all of it. Please don’t sink to the level of even responding to the pointless comments.
Thanks, AQC. The point I’m trying to make is, that if this is indeed John Atkins coming over here and making these anonymous comments as someone who ‘work(s) for the House D caucus’, he is demonstrating how unstable he is and how unsuited to public office he is. Until he made that claim, I doubted that Atkins was writing this, but now I’m leaning the other way.
Maybe anon. will now tell us what his REAL job is.
Wrong again El Som. What I do on my lunch period is my business. Yikes! Atkins just walked in to a mtg. with 3 NRA Reps! Jeepers, wonder what theyre up too? Probably trying to defend the citizens of Delawares 2nd amendment rights. Whats this state coming to?
Later, gang. My lunch break is over. Its been a blast and too easy to get your panties bunched up.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s Atkins or one of his acolytes, really. You can tell by the maturity level that it’s one or the other. And sorry, Mr. Dicklick, but pretty much everyone here knows who I am — and in my other identity, I have called out Mr. Atkins quite often. If you or he doubt I”d do it again, call me and see.
Actually its Mrs. Dicklick, Thank you.
Clever, John (Can I call you John?). Calling yourself Mrs. Dicklick in order to make us think you’re a female. You earlier tried to make us think that you were a caucus employee blogging on your lunch hour, but here you are blogging at 3:52 p.m. Caucus over yet?
Do you realize just how pathetic this is? Maybe some of your colleagues can help you find the appropriate program.
Someone disagrees with you and automatically assume its the boogie man-Atkins.
I sometimes thought you were a joke when I worked around you.
You have confimed it.
Like I said EL, its too easy to get a rise out of you. Later.
Thanks for the “Danny Boy” clip: all the way live, no auto-tuning required.
When gods walked the earth.
Shoulda posted this yesterday. Best “Danny Boy” ever. Stick with it till the end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCbuRA_D3KU
Atkins isn’t a boogie man, unless that’s what he calls himself on the wife-swap web sites. He’s just a sociopathic sleaze with a collection of ugly biases, horniness and drunkenness where his brain should be.