Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show-Tues., March 23, 2010

Before I preview today’s session, I simply HAVE to feature  House Concurrent Resolution #28, introduced by the most bat-shit crazy of the House & Senate Rethuglican Caucus. Note the moderate tone this resolution strikes:

URGING THE 111TH CONGRESS TO ABANDON THE IRRATIONAL PURSUIT OF A FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE FEDERAL HEALTHCARE ENTITLEMENT PLAN AND ENACT LESS COSTLY ALTERNATIVES TO REDUCE THE COST OF HEALTHCARE AND INCREASE ITS AVAILABILITY FOR ALL AMERICANS.

This resolution makes the case that the current healthcare entitlement program being considered by Congress is not supported by the majority of Americans; is not fiscally wise or sustainable; and will increase the burden on taxpayers while reducing healthcare options.
It further maintains that the federal government does not have the authority to impose a federal healthcare program and urges the U.S. Congress to pursue less costly and more viable alternatives to reduce the cost of healthcare and increase its availability.
Lastly, should the 111th Congress decide to abandon rational thinking and thwart the will of the American people by enacting a federal healthcare entitlement, it urges Delaware’s Congressional delegation to advocate for a provision that would require states to choose to “opt-in” to the program.

For the record, the Delaware Rethug White Noise Machine consists of sponsors Rep. Hudson (Capano), the prime offender sponsor; Rep. D. Short & Rep. Briggs King & Rep. Ramone & Sen. Booth & Sen. Bonini; and Reps. Cathcart, Carey, Hocker, (Monsignor) Lavelle, Lee, Manolakos, Outten, Wilson; Sen. Simpson. Guess we should give them brown-nose points for trying to play in the Big-Kids’ Sandbox.

I neglected to provide you with a post-game wrap-up last Friday. Here’s the session report. The Senate went ahead and unanimously passed HB 3, Rep. Hudson (Capano)’s sop to the nursing home industry. In both houses, only Rep. Earl Jaques voted ‘no’ on this bill. IMHO, his was the correct vote, and I salute him for it.

Let’s scope out today’s possibilities. Hopefully, they will strike a more, what’s the word I’m looking for, sane tone than HCR 28.

On the Senate agenda, one, count it, one bill. Looks like the Senate believes in the Ronald Reagan quote, “I’ve been told that hard work never killed anybody, but I figure why take the chance?”

The bill, HB 284, sponsored by Rep. J. J. Johnson, one of Dover’s better ‘under-the-radar’ representatives, “…addresses and eliminates an unintended chilling effect on the reporting of sexual assaults and other sexual offenses which may occur at the State’s detention facilities. The current statute criminalizes conduct for both the victim and perpetrator, likely causing such crimes to be underreported out of fear of criminal prosecution. This Act changes the statute to impose criminal liability solely on employees, visitors, contractors and volunteers at detention facilities. Prisoner-on-prisoner sexual assaults remain prosecutable pursuant to already existing criminal statutes.”

HB 284 passed the House unanimously and will likely do the same in the Senate.

The House agenda consists of leftovers from last Thursday’s agenda. Most of these bills have previously been discussed here. Once again, I’ll be real interested to see if legislators use common sense and consign SB 60 to the scrap heap of bad ideas, or whether it goes along with this bad idea that will inevitably cause trouble down the line. One point of interest: Rep. Melanie Marshall is the tentative floor manager for the bill since she’s the chair of the House Judiciary Committee. I would not be surprised if she defers to one of the bill’s sponsors to run the bill. As an attorney, she may well not be that enamored of SB 60 and its possible impact on separation of powers. Just something to keep an eye on.

So far, the biggest news of this truncated 3-week mini-session is that we have yet to see Rep. Schwartzkopf’s legislation to expand the number of casino locations in Delaware surface on an agenda. No doubt there are serious negotiations going on. I doubt that this bill will make it to the floor until and unless the Majority Leader has the votes to pass it. Tickticktick…