We’re a tiny step closer to the popular election of the President of the United States today. The House mustered up 21 votes to pass HB 55 (D. E. Williams), which would establish a state compact that would provide for the popular vote nationally to determine the disposition of state’s electoral votes. The debate in the House centered on whether Delaware would have more or less influence on the the presidential race under HB 55. This was essentially a debate on whether Delaware would have “Once in a Blue Moon” influence or “No Chance in Hell” influence. I don’t know (neither does any legislator) and I don’t care b/c I think that’s the wrong debate to have.
The real issue is that I believe that the person who gets the most votes nationally for President should be President. It eliminates state fixing of presidential elections by the likes of Katherine Harris. For those not paying attention, stealing elections is the fastest growing package in the Rethug playbook. Well, that and voter suppression. Plus, unlike, say, Wyoming, Delaware is in the middle of a populous region, and would still be an attractive location for campaign events that could reach TV markets from Bucks County to Baltimore. Plus, unless I missed this in history class, the switching of Delaware’s electoral votes would never have changed the course of presidential history. I’m not optimistic about the fate that awaits it in the Senate, but progress is sometimes measured in little increments.
Before we delve any deeper, here’s the entire legislative record for yesterday.
The House also unanimously passed HB 69 (D. Short), legislation that should and would have been passed long ago were it not for the human rain delay known as (now Former) Sen. Nancy Cook. It’s long past time for the Senate to follow course and include the basic information that HB 69 calls for in any and all fiscal notes.
The needle exchange program, which has empirically proven to be effective, will now be made permanent following House passage of SB 13 yesterday. There were 12 no votes, you can check out the miscreants here. All Rethugs, except, of course, for that former law-abiding citizen from Millsboro. Haven’t heard much from him his ‘friend’ lately, hmmmm, wonder why.
The Senate, as you know, inexplicably delays the posting of roll calls until the ‘changing of the legislative day’, so we don’t know which senators voted no or ‘took a walk’ on HB 46 (Rep. D. P. Williams), but it looks like the NRA gave some of their puppets permission to cross the line on this piece of the Markell gun control package. The bill goes to the Governor, and I’ll be naming names tomorrow.
There’s a brief Senate agenda for today, but it includes John Kowalko’s bill banning trans-fats from school meals and Bethany Hall-Long’s bill banning bisphenol-A from certain children’s products.
Big committee day today. Senate highlights include:
*Consideration of the nomination of Shailen Bhatt to be the new DELDOT Secretary. I would hope and expect that there are a lot of germane questions posed during the hearing in today’s Executive Committee meeting. By germane, I mean something other than ‘gotcha’ questions. If I were a senator, I’d be weighing whether the nominee has the potential and ability to address the myriad of challenges facing DELDOT, and my questions would be geared to trying to suss that out. I don’t give a bleep if he doesn’t yet know where Bridgeville is.
*Consideration of a bill to enable community firearms recovery programs to be funded through community transportation funds (CTF). While I like the concept of firearms recovery programs, I’m not sure how the use of capital funds generally used for the CTF can be shifted to this program. I’m not sure that anyone else is either, which could prove to be the bill’s fatal flaw. In today’s Senate Finance Committee.
*Legislation to change Delaware’s presidential primary from the first Tuesday in February to the fourth Tuesday in April will be considered in the Senate Administrative Services/Elections Committee. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Delaware’s early Presidential primary in 2008 redound to our benefit? Not one, but two huge Obama rallies downtown, and Jack Markell and John Carney virtually simultaneously endorsing Obama? Changing this date will significantly lessen Delaware’s impact in the presidential process far more than HB 55, IMHO. But then, who ever really looks for consistency of logic from our elected officials? Or, admittedly, me, for that matter?
*Sen. Michael Katz proposes a 12-year term limit for legislators in legislation to be considered in today’s Senate Judiciary Committee. It ain’t goin’ anywhere, and frankly, I don’t think it should go anywhere. Yes, we have more than our share of legislative Methuselahs, but ultimately the voters should make these decisions, IMHO.
The House is at least equally busy today. Here’s the entire House Committee meeting schedule. Highlights include:
*State legislators would be barred from holding other state employment while serving in the General Assembly if HB 75 (Schwartzkopf), being considered in today’s House Administration Committee meeting, is enacted. Of course, those currently holding two jobs are exempted. My guess is that someone will discover some ‘technical difficulties’ with the bill, and that it will get bogged down, but I honestly don’t know the ultimate fate of this bill. I’m all for it.
*Yet another Hail Mary bill to legalize two new casinos will be considered in the House Gaming & Parimutuels Committee today. The bill has only two sponsors, Rep. Dennis E. Williams and Sen. Henry, which is, to put it mildly, not an encouraging sign if you support the bill.
*HB 163 (Heffernan) would eliminate the sunset provision on Brownfields legislation. In today’s House Natural Resources Committee. Paging Tommywonk…
Here’s a bill that may have the best of intentions, but which has the stench of Law of Unintended Consequences emanating from it. HB 140(Carson) would “prohibit slower moving vehicles from driving in the left lane and blocking traffic, which commonly leads to road rage and has motivated several other states to adopt “left lane” laws. This bill provides that vehicles may overtake slower moving vehicles on the left, but otherwise shall not drive in the left lane, which is intended to serve as the passing lane.” All I can say is, first, good luck enforcing it and, second, when it isn’t enforced, please explain to me how this will lead to fewer, and not more, incidents of road rage. Rhetorical question. It won’t. In today’s House Homeland Security Committee meeting. BTW, have you ever noticed how many of the slowpokes in the left lane are leaning against the door and chatting on their cellphones?? Enforce that law and you might not need this one.
Seeya tomorrow! And please tune in tomorrow to the Al Mascitti Show from 9 am to noon. I’ll be on at 10! A double shot of my baby’s love(click on this link, you may or may not be sorry) dose of El Somnambulo, who could ask for more?