Legislative Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show-April 1, 2010
Like the month of March, legislators are going out like lambs (to the slaughter?).
Three weeks of vamping and wasting $$’s end today as the Holier-Than-Thous adjourn for a 2-week ‘Easter’ break. Nothing of note accomplished. The signature bill, HB 194, in limbo b/c Monsignor Lavelle switched from ‘yes’ to ‘no’ so that he could be quoted in the paper, and Rep. Plant once again absent due to illness as she has been for much of the last two legislative sessions. I wish Rep. Plant all the best and a speedy and complete recovery, but, again, I have to raise the issue of how are her constituents well-served if she continues to be unable even to cast crucial votes for the Governor’s legislative agenda? This could be a serious problem come June.
Anyway, two more weeks of tinkering with the Two Casinos bill will either yield a compromise or yet more ‘killer’ amendments. For better or for worse (I support the bill), it can’t pass w/o Hazel Plant’s vote, at least not as currently written.
The other ‘Dog That Didn’t Bark’ was, thankfully, SB 60, which would give the General Assembly judicial authority to determine bail conditions for a whole host of crimes. Presumably b/c the judges they confirm are incapable of doing their jobs. SB 60 has been removed from the House agenda and placed back on the Ready List. No doubt the bill could still resurface, but it’s clear that at least some legislators have come to their senses.
Here’s what happened yesterday. The highlight/lowlight…yet another piece of Rethug whackiness, this time with a couple of D’s in tow (well, Venables and Bunting. And what has happened to Bunting? This is not the guy I remember.). HCR 32, sponsored by auctioneer/legislator Rep. Wilson, “Urg(es) the members of the United States Congress to propose the parental rights amendment to the states for ratification”. What could be more mom and apple pie than standing up for parents? Well, as you might expect, that’s not exactly what this amendment would do. Here’s the real reason for this wolf-in-sheep’s clothing:
Back in the 1990s, right-wing strategists saw the PRA as a back-door voucher plan. Under their theory, states would be forced to give parents tuition vouchers for private and religious schooling since the right to direct a child’s education would be enshrined in the Constitution.
In fact, interpreted broadly, the PRA would open the door to all sorts of mischief. In the 1990s, some children’s welfare advocates opposed it, arguing the amendment would make it harder to prosecute child abuse. And it’s not hard to imagine parents citing the PRA when demanding that their child be excused from the entire Biology curriculum in a public school.
In light of principle – and in light of the great amount of freedom afforded to private schools in this country – I have to conclude that the PRA isn’t about “parental rights” at all. It’s about you being forced to pay for someone else’s decision to patronize a private religious school or to engage in home-schooling. And it’s about giving fundamentalist Christians a powerful new weapon to use to harass public schools.
Memo to Legislators: You have now been informed about this bill’s intent. It is not a ‘free’ vote. That is all.
Time to preview today’s agendas. The Senate has a couple of intriguing bills scheduled. Rep. Bennett’s HB 294 eliminates some Kent County row office positions and streamlines county government. While the bill unanimously passed the House, Sen. Nancy Cook has opposed this bill, citing row offices as a breeding ground for future political leaders. This is true only if future political leaders are mosquitos (Hmm, maybe she has a point after all). I’m glad this bill actually got out of committee. It will pass handily. I wonder if anyone else will align themselves with the self-anointed Queen Bee on this one.
As predicted here yesterday, the Delaware River and Bay Pilots will get their increases today.
As to the House Agenda, if you aren’t from Felton, and can find anything of interest here, I salute you.
Be back in a couple of weeks as legislators presumably start to get serious about budgets ‘n stuff.
Tags: casino gambling, Delaware General Assembly, Parental Rights Amendment, Rep. Hazel Plant
Dear ElSom–I have a bone to pick w/ you. Granted, your blogging is a huge community service of which you are not paid. And I would be willing to buy you lunch someday to extend my plebian thanks–BUT–to say “nothing of note” accomplished on April 1st has left me–well FOOLED.
Do you realize HB 328 also passed–as presented I’m sure as a “feel good” vote. Well, it’s not–and it has HUGE fiscal implications to school districts, BEYOND federal/state fiscal support. Of course, we want to see special needs children educated–and they are. This bill creates a black hole of funding to the word “potential”. No where is any child in Delaware educated to any parent’s satisfaction of potential–nor is it stated/promised as such. This bill clearly will mandate that special needs children, and those children as a stand alone will now be educated to a “potential”–no matter how limitless, and nebulus that may be. Meanwhile, education funding remains SOP for the mainstream, bell-shaped curve student who I suppose must be meeting his “potential”, as any supporters of this bill must concur. Gimme a break–this bill should have had a fiscal note–or your “other” children we need to educate just might come up short w/ unfunded “potential” dollars. So who’s credit card should we use now?
NOTE to SENATORS–THIS BILL HAS HUGE COSTS, AND IMPLICATIONS–please ask for a fiscal note–this is not a free, feel good, state dessert kinda vote. ElSom–no dessert for you!!!
Thanks, JC. No, I in no way understood the impact of this bill. I read the bills being considered, and try to make sense of them.
But, as you pointed out, sometimes what appears to be a ‘feel-good’ bill has implications far beyond that. Usually such bills have had some scrutiny focused upon them. I easily could have missed it, but I don’t recall reading anything of note about HB 328.
Which is precisely why I include in each report a request that readers write in about what interests them. I really appreciate the fact that you do this, and I encourage everyone with any legislative interest to discuss what’s going on, esPECIALLY when I’ve completely missed an important story.
Thanks again, Joanne. Since you are one of the people I think about when writing about the General Assembly, I want you to know that your contributions here are invaluable.
Now, about that lunch, I know a place that’s FAMOUS for its stale desserts…