If today’s column was science fiction, it’d be called “Invasion of the Home Invasion Bills”. Oh, no! There are two of them, accosting every legislator in their path! Cut to the finish: Turns out both bills are harmless and toothless, so no Solomoronic solons were injured in the creation of this legislative fever dream.
Both bills soon to be available to you at no cost in the guise of political brochures.
SB 161 and HB 277 both passed the Senate yesterday. Since a Senate amendment was added to HB 277, both bills head to the House. Both bills create the ‘new crime’ of home invasion. Both bills are merely political window dressing, as there are already about 150 offenses that would put home invaders away for a long, long time. Did I mention that this is an election year? I just did, which explains the only raison d’etre for both bills. Enjoy this faux drama for what it really is: Farce.
Speaking of which (Memo to would-be legislative chroniclers: ‘Farce’ is always an easy and reliable segue to link news items together), Rep. Lumpy Carson gets his crane clear shot at making it to Happy Hour on time. The House passed his left-lane-for-speeders-only legislation, and passed it unanimously. Even law-abiding legislator John Atkins, who might have been sensitive to the irony of this bill as it pertained to him, voted yes.
In yet another content-free protest, all the House R’s, as well as, wait for it, John Atkins, either voted no or went ‘not voting’ on legislation merely reflecting the Federal requirement that Delaware change the manner in which it bills for school-based health center services, by requiring that private insurers be billed before Medicaid is billed. This legislation establishes the framework for doing such billing. Even R co-sponsors Deborah Hudson, Joseph Miro, Mike Ramone and Nick Manolakos went ‘not voting’. Just like with home invasions, the Rethugs think that they have a political issue to exploit, and John Sigler is calling and firing the shots. Just like home invasions, this farce is substance-free. Pathetic, but what are ya gonna do?
Here is yesterday’s full Session Activity Report. More like this one we don’t need.
Today is Committee Day, and you can help!
After all, if the Rethugs can do it, so can I: ACTION ALERT! Make sure that payday loan reform makes it out of Senate committee today!
HB 289(Keeley), which would limit the number of annual payday loans, and would provide for data collection to determine the impact of predatory payday loans, is scheduled for consideration in today’s Senate Banking Committee meeting. With powerful lobbyists trying to gut the bill and the Governor not lifting a finger to help, it’s up to the people to demand protections from this usurious industry. Call your senators and politely push for this bill to get out of committee. The bill has the votes to pass, but it has to get out of committee. If you can help, please do so.
Here is today’s Senate Committee schedule, followed by what strikes my interest:
Remember what I wrote yesterday about taking heed of highly-complicated bills introduced near the end of session? SB 218(DeLuca) appears to qualify. Can some barrister please try to explain this to laypersons like myself? Senate Banking Committee.
SB 215(Bunting) requires that Delaware public schools “provide a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity weekly for all K-5 students.” Senate Education Committee.
Several nominations to be considered by the Senate Executive Committee. The committee will also consider both HB 300(Gilligan) and HB 310(Longhurst), the so-called campaign finance reform package. I think that HB 300 is a necessary antidote to the insane Citizens United ruling, but I think HB 310 is a bit of political overkill which will likely only impact ‘nuisance’ candidacies. Which, of course, begs the question, who defines what constitutes a nuisance candidacy? If you answer ‘legislators who have what they consider nuisance challengers are those determining what constitutes a nuisance challenge’, you’ve been reading my stuff for awhile now.
The Senate Finance Committee will consider SB 11(Hall-Long), which would ‘provide urgent and preventive dental care for eligible Medicaid recipients who are pregnant or become pregnant while receiving assistance.’ Did I mention that the bill number was SB 11? And that it was introduced in January of 2011? Kids, what this means is that neither the Governor nor the Joint Finance Committee felt that this urgent care was all that urgent in 2011. Presumably, they’ve scared up enough bucks to do something about it this year. About $650K a year in state and federal funding. Better late than never, I suppose.
SB 220(Blevins) appears to be a bill that actually protects life insurance policyholders. I’m guessing that this bill came from Beau Biden as opposed to Karen Weldin Stewart. The fact that the bill’s in the Senate Judiciary Committee instead of the Insurance Committee supports my theory. Anyone know for sure?
The House committees are at least equally busy today.
HB 335(B. Short) grants to our feckless Insurance Commission regulatory oversight over a a new line known as portable electronics sales insurance. Why this wouldn’t be included in one’s homeowner’s or renter’s policy, I don’t know. but I know that regulatory oversight is only as good as the regulator charged with the oversight. In the House Business Lapdog Committee.
HB 333(Viola) legalizes internet gaming in Delaware. Man, talking about wringing yet more revenue from compulsive degenerate gamblers, our state is fast becoming a nationwide leader. If just for this bill alone, I would love to see who is lobbying on behalf of whom. I’m pretty sure that every greedy lobbyist has some skin in this rigged game. In tomorrow’s House Gaming and Parimutuels Committee. Tomorrow because an ‘expert’ witness can’t make it today. Will someone please tell me why the bill number isn’t 777? Or, more appropriately, 666?
Remember what I wrote about complicated bills introduced late in session? You should, it’s only been a few paragraphs now. Perhaps Exhibit A every year is a package of bills prepared by the Corporate Law Section of the Delaware Bar. Supporters always tout this package as enabling Delaware to maintain its preeminent position as a corporate center due to the sterling reputation of the quality of jurisprudence emanating from the Court of Chancery. Would it be sacrilegious of me to ask whether this annual package also helps to tilt the playing field in favor of the entities incorporated here to the possible detriment of, oh I don’t know, the shareholders and/or the general public? Just a question, one which will likely not be posed at today’s House Judiciary Committee, where HB’s 340, 339, 342, and 338 will be considered, rubber-stamped, and prepped for quick House passage.
Rep. Daryl Scott has taken on the task of trying to ensure certain rights of privacy when it comes to social networking, and good for him. HB 308 would “make it unlawful for employers to mandate that an employee or applicant disclose password or account information that would grant the employer access to the employee’s or applicant’s social networking profile or account. This Bill also prohibits employers from requesting that employees or applicants log onto their respective social networking site profiles or account to provide the employer direct access.” In today’s House Telecommunication Internet & Technology Committee.
The Senate has a fairly lengthy agenda today, and may well work at least a portion of it. Although it’s mostly comprised of bills that have already passed the House, it also includes Sen. Sorenson’s bill relating to teen dating and sexual violence.
Gotta go. My deadline is 9:30, and it’s almost 9:30. Mustn’t give up my place in line…