General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., May 12, 2011

First, in case you missed it, the highlight. Enjoy:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMHwEj7xFec&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

Quite simply, the single most inspiring speech I’ve ever heard delivered by a Delaware governor. I admit I had tears in my eyes watching it.

Second, some breaking news/sourced rumor: Looks like Dori Connor has drawn the short straw in Senate redistricting, and will either have to challenge an entrenched D or not seek reelection, as her district is set for extinction. While I was pushing for Dave McBride’s seat to disappear since he really lives in Lewes, Connor’s seat was/is the most logical from a D perspective. Everyone can get their numbers, and the southwest portion of Connor’s district fits nicely into any new senate district crafted in southern NCC.  Her disappearance on civil unions, notwithstanding (and McBride was there, beaucoups points for him), Connor has generally been a good senator, especially strong on constituent service. Wouldn’t surprise me if Gov. Markell finds a spot for her. Anyway, today’s the day the proposed Senate District maps are released, and I can’t wait! Next week: The House.

Third, the legalization of medical marijuana in Delaware has passed its final legislative hurdle, and heads to the Governor’s office.

Ya want more? I’ll give you more!:

HB 80(Lavelle), which would require parental consent concerning abortions for  children 18 or under, was tabled in the  House Health & Human Development Committee. Likely the kiss of death for this session.

HB 86 (Peterbiltman), which parroted the ‘thinking’ of climate change deniers and likely the utility companies concerning greenhouse gases, was tabled in the House Energy Committee, also a kiss of death for this session. I hope this doesn’t discourage freshman Rep. Harold ‘Jack’ Peterman, who displays encouraging comedic potential and, assuming he survives redistricting, which is far from a certainty, could ultimately become Bob Venables’ successor as my downstate ‘go-to’ guy for willful ignorance. Guys like that are blogging gold. My favorite little tidbit from Peterman’s state site:

“Biography: Lion’s Club”

Short and to the point. Whatever the point is.

So much for yesterday’s highlights. Let’s see what’s on the docket for today.

The Senate Agenda features some interesting bills, at least to me. SB 40(Marshall) is a centerpiece of Governor Markell’s economic development package. I will allow the bill’s synopsis to speak for itself:

This Act improves and updates the State’s primary economic development tax incentive program. Specifically, the Act: 1) makes the program permanent by eliminating a sunset provision; 2) better delineates eligibility for tax relief by establishing a three-year application deadline; 3) boosts the program’s effectiveness by increasing the amount of the corporate or personal income tax credits; and 4) modernizes the program’s scope by including provisions specifically designed to attract manufacturers of advanced clean energy technology power generating devices and systems.

How could you possibly vote against something that ‘improves and updates’ ANYthing? It’s not likely that anyone will, but whether this is an improvement is open to debate. Still, as the fiscal note points out, we’ll not get any sense as to whether this bill improves anything until FY ’13.

Lots of insight into the ‘Delaware Way’ via SB 63(Peterson). What Peterson proposes in this bill was actually set to go into effect some 12 years or so ago by legislative edict, no legislation needed. At that time, the entire Delaware Code had been put online, and bills were subsequently going to be drafted in the manner that Peterson proposes here. A manner, by the way, which most states have already adopted.  And, from a public perspective, it made perfect sense. Average folks would be able to understand the context of every single bill because the changes would be placed within the existing Code for everyone to see.

Lobbyists, understandably, did not like this change. Their skulduggery would be right out in the open. And those in Legislative Council (including the bleeping Print Shop, fer cryin’ out loud) whined about how their jobs would be made that much more difficult. And their Patron Saint, Nancy Cook, took up their cause. A dozen years later, legislation is still drafted the old-fashioned way. This bill is long overdue. It cannot be overstated how the absence of Nancy Cook has paved the way for many Senate reforms. SB 63 is one of them.

Over on the House side…oh, boy, today could be the day that Johnny Larue gets his crane shot Gerald Brady gets his school zone cameras. Or not. HB 66, with its convoluted series of amendments, is #1 on the agenda, if not in the hearts of House leadership. Wish I was gonna be home today, b/c I’d love to listen to this debate. Suffice it to say, if your favorite soaps have been cancelled, you could do worse than to check out the House live stream.

I support Rep. Dan Short’s HB 69, which would include incoming revenue, in addition to projected expenditures, in fiscal notes. Probably only Nancy Cook could explain why this isn’t being done already. Because fiscal notes can currently only reflect projected expenditures, many of them provide a totally false picture of what costs/fiscal benefits pieces of legislation would realize. I hope that the General Assembly changes that practice, starting today.

I have previously stated my support for HB 55 (D. E. Williams), which would ultimately elect the President by popular vote. Here’s how:

“Under the U.S. Constitution, the states have exclusive and plenary (complete) power to allocate their electoral votes, and may change their state laws concerning the awarding of their electoral votes at any time. Under the National Popular Vote bill, all of the state’s electoral votes would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The bill would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes—that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538).

It is more than possible that partisan state officials in Florida and Ohio singlehandedly and underhandedly determined the winners of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. I’m also tired of hearing the parochial arguments that Delaware would suffer b/c we wouldn’t ‘get any attention’ if this takes effect. That’s what the primaries are for. I happen to believe that the Electoral College is an anachronism, and that the President of the United States should be elected by the popular will of the people. Most votes wins. Simple as that. Sometimes, simpler is better.

Following today’s session, the General Assembly will be out of session for two weeks for Joint Finance Committee ‘markup’ of the Budget Bill. If you believe that funding should be restored for certain Medicaid recipients, scholarships to State institutions, and road projects that will stimulate more jobs than any BS tax credits and income tax cuts ever will, now is the time to let your legislators know. Especially if they’re Joint Finance Committee members. Who are those members, you might ask?:

Rep. Dennis P. Williams (Chair)

Rep. Melanie L. George

Rep. James Johnson

Rep. Ruth Briggs King

Rep. Joseph E. Miro

Rep. John L. Mitchell, Jr.

Sen. Harris B. McDowell (Co-Chair)

Sen. Brian J. Bushweller

Sen. Bruce Ennis

Sen. David B. McBride

Sen.Catherine Cloutier

Sen. Dorinda Connor

The rest is now up to you. See ya in a couple of weeks.